This Heat and Your Air Conditioning

What type of AC unit do you have?

  • Window unit

    Votes: 4 11.1%

  • Wall unit

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Central

    Votes: 26 72.2%

  • Other

    Votes: 6 16.7%

  • No AC

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I have AC but never use it

    Votes: 1 2.8%
  • Total voters
    36
Years ago, many people in northern Nevada did not have AC because the nights cool off so much. However, in the 28 years, I have been here we have become the fastest warming city in the nation.

During the summer, our heat gets up to the high 90s and low 100s. For instance, last night our low was only 67. I don’t know anybody that doesn’t have central air.

When I lived in Wisconsin many people did not have AC. It can get hot and humid there, but not usually consistently in the summer. Sometime during the 80s we had a really hot miserable summer and we tried to buy window air conditioners for the bedrooms, but we couldn’t find any to buy even in the big cities of Chicago or Milwaukee.

By September, they were back in the stores and we bought one for each of the three bedrooms although by then we didn’t need it. We used them every summer after that and it was really nice to be able to sleep well. Now, all my friends that have stayed there have installed central AC in their homes.
 

I remember when we were kids, we didn’t even have fans. Our solution back then was to grab our blankets and sleep outdoors on a hammock or old chaise lounge. 😉🤭😂

I live in an old brick third floor walk up with good cross ventilation.

I’ve been here 15 years and have been able to get by with a $20.00 oscillating fan for sleeping.

When I moved here I had two window air conditioners that I gave away. I never liked the uneven cooling of the small units and I would rather be able to throw open the window than have it blocked by the window unit.

In Central New York it seems like we always get two or three 90+ hot and humid days in a row followed by a cold front that cools things off.

The only time I have an issue is on days that I’m in and out of businesses that are super cold. In extreme cases I end up with a case of old fashioned ‘summer complaint’, TMI!!! 😉🤭😂

If I eventually move to some sort of independent living or assisted living facility, I would welcome central air conditioning.
 
I have central air and am thankful. It’s hot here for longer stretches. We have 3E windows to help keep the heat out, not the cold.

Until watching HGTV, I‘d never seen those AC units on the wall. They seem efficient, so you’re not cooling unused rooms.

The other benefit of AC is during fire season when you can’t open the windows. Crazy to even say that fire season exists now.
 
I have central air and for the last three weeks it's been on almost constantly, there were a couple of cooler nights I was able to shut it off and open the windows, which I prefer.

I've also been trying an experiment suggested to me by a friend. My AC has a two speed blower motor so I am able to run the fan continuously on the low speed, than when the AC kicks on it blows on the higher speed. By doing this it seems my house stays at a more uniform temperature and my AC kicks on less often. My friend that suggested this method said they leave their blower running on low the entire year, regardless if theyre using AC or heat.

We'll see how much it increases my electric bill.
 
We only have a 12000 BTU window unit but it keeps the whole house tolerable on the hottest days... Most times we can keep the windows open at night and closed during the day. Our major remodel with good windows and spay foam insulation has paid off.
We have a Mini-Split (wall unit) to install (hopefully before winter) that will heat/cool the entire 1000 SqFt
 
Our central air runs like mad during the summers here, and of course, the summers run for six months...LOL.

Up in Michigan, we had a tiny little portable window unit in our bedroom. When it got really hot, we'd fire it up and our daughter would come in and sleep on the floor. Unfortunately, it would "freeze up" and we'd have to wait until it thawed to start working again.

We only needed to use it when it was really, really hot (and we'd always have a week in June when the temps would get up to 105....yes.....Michigan for a few days). Otherwise, we'd set the furnace to the "summer" setting and it would suck cool, dry air out of the big basement and send it through the registers. That kept the house reasonably cool in the summer.

When we moved to Florida, the house we rented only had one window air conditioning unit. There was many a night we all slept in the living room in front of the unit.
 
Up until the past week we needed to crack on the heat in the am to take the chill off, then central AC in the afternoon and evening. It's essential in our area because of pollen, and smoke as well as temps.

In the old days opening the windows at night and shutting them in the am, and closing the blinds/drapes was all that was required, but it's hotter these days and we're getting more monsoonal flow in May and June than in the past which ups the humidity and discomfort.

When I hear the phrase "we don't need air conditioning here" I LOL and keep looking for other accommodations.
 
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I live in a 55+ apartment community, and central AC is included, as well as electricity.
The heat doesn't really bother me; it's the humidity along with a high temperature that I cannot take at all.
I rarely use the AC during the day, but I do keep it on all night. The humidity rises at night in the Summer.
 
No AC. Not needed. Yesterday morning it was 56F. Gets into the low 90's during the day but with windows closed and curtains/blinds drawn during the day, it stays below 75F in the house. Open them up in the evenings and it gets down to 68 by morning. I do have a few fans spread around.
 
Just had a flashback to when I was a kid. Step father read that the best way to deal with heat was to allow a fan to suck the air out of the house. He set a floor fan in front of the screen door. Honestly, it did sweet nothing. At night, he’d push the little lock on the screen door so everything was safe. Have to wonder about his lack of common sense.
 
Heat Pump Ducted to all rooms

Heat pumps can provide both heating and cooling. In cooling mode, they work exactly like air conditioners. And come colder weather, they’re the most energy-efficient system for home heating.

Right now.

PM​

114°
RealFeel® 115°

But it's a dry heat :)
 
PeppermintPatty said:
We have a heat pump which gives us heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. Most people out east have heat pumps. They work great. We have a 3,000 square foot home.
Click to expand...
With the trend toward milder Winters here a heat pump could probably do an adequate job of heating. Our roof mount "package" unit is 17 years old, I'm in the market for it's replacement. There are hybrid heat pump/fuel units that can switch from heat pump to gas or propane if temperatures do get colder.
 
I just have central air. Window air conditioners won't fit in the kind of windows I have. I remember my parents having central air, but in their bedroom, they also had a window unit. That way, at night, they could turn off the central air but still sleep comfortably, or they could manage to stay cool by staying in their bedroom in the event their central air failed and repairs took awhile.
 
Nathan said:
With the trend toward milder Winters here a heat pump could probably do an adequate job of heating. Our roof mount "package" unit is 17 years old, I'm in the market for it's replacement. There are hybrid heat pump/fuel units that can switch from heat pump to gas or propane if temperatures do get colder.
Click to expand...
This sounds perfect. Heat pumps don’t do well in extremely cold weather. Once the temps drops too far, we use our wood stove and base board heaters. The baseboard heaters don’t usually kick in though; we have them set really low. A hybrid heat pump sounds ideal.
 
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