Airconditioning - a guilty pleasure or a necessity?
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Anonymous
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We haven't put them in yet (window units) but I'd have used it by now for the reasons PPs mentioned if we had central a/c (pollen filtering, humidity reduction, keeping it a bit cooler in the hottest part of the day, keeping the computer from acting all crazy).
I grew up without it, too, I'm sure most of us did. Back when this was August weather (highs between 88F and 95F) and would be one or two days in a row at the most. Now that it's May weather and it lasts long enough to keep night temps over 70F, a/c is a necessity for most of us. |
Anonymous
| Now I don't feel bad for having it on 75, which is a bizarre temperature. It's a little too hot when the air isn't literally blowing, but too cold when it is because we have a Blizzard 2000XXX AC the previous owner bought that's way too big for our house. It's so big that it didn't fit on the cement pad that was installed with the original AC. The whole house is like a wind tunnel when it's running. |
Anonymous
| I just put ours on this afternoon for the first time. We set it at 82 during the day when no one is home and 78 when we are. It is not cool but fine and we also have ceiling fans in almost every room. |
Anonymous
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Our house is PLENTY cool at 78. Those of you keeping it below 75 are spending a lot of money and using a lot of resources that you don't really need.
Maybe you need to keep your blinds tilted or something so that you are getting your house cooled when it is set at 78. FWIW, I have lived without AC even in DC. It's not pleasant and it really tells you why in the old South (before AC) the people spoke slowly and sipped mint julips on the covered porches. You just DON'T want to do anything fast when you are sweating buckets. For modern life, it's a necessity anytime the temp is above 85. |
Anonymous
| I set it to 78, too. |
Anonymous
| 68 baby! I can't sleep if I am hot, so I consider that a necessity. |
Anonymous
| 68 at night, 72 during the day. My husband and dogs have insist on it! |
Anonymous
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Finally caved and turned it on when I got home this afternoon. I was hoping to make it to June 1st, but oh well. The thermometer read 80 on the main level, which means at least 85 upstairs. I set it to 77 and it is comfortable but not cool. I miss having the windows open but we only have ceiling fans in the upstairs bedrooms, and even when it's this hot outside you don't feel anything unless you're lying directly under them. Our house faces full south with no trees in front, and even with the blinds down it gets pretty warm during the day. On the plus side, the house is pretty small so it only takes about 30 minutes to cool down reasonably, and 60 to get comfortable.
I grew up with air conditioning (in Philadelphia) but my parents tried to use it sparingly -- which meant my brothers and I often took sleeping bags down to the basement to be able to sleep at night. I would be willing to do that here but DH says no. And I must say it is nice not to sweat in my own home, especially while cooking dinner. |
Anonymous
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75
It's definitely not a necessity. I grew up here without it. |
Anonymous
Just know that many of your guests will be uncomfortable at that temperature. If you are having people over, PLEASE make your house a temp that everyone can feel good. |
Anonymous
| To those who are not o.k. with AC set at 78 -- are you heavy set? Just wondering if you are more likely to feel hot when other people are o.k. Or maybe you like to wear heavier clothes? |
chickychen
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| We have not turned on the A/C since late March. We open doors and windows when we are home, and have only recently brought out the fan for the baby's room and our room, but haven't used it every night. We're both from humid places, which might help. That said, we would turn it on if we had guests staying overnight (t's a four story townhouse, guestroom is on top level), or coming over for dinner on a hot night. Gas bill this month came in at just under $15.00, which is a bonus, but mostly we do it for comfort. |
Anonymous
It was 78 outside today. Did you sweat when you walked around? I do not usually wear shorts and a tank top to dinner at a friend's, nor do I expect to be mopping my brow periodically. People who are always cold are underweight, not the other way around! |
Anonymous
| We always get a huge giggle when listening to those people who act like they should be awarded a medal because they keep their heat SO low in the winter and their A/C SO high in the summer. Oh, how tough you are!! Give me a break. You have heat and A/C for a reason. Be comfy. |
Anonymous
+1 I'd be so miserable in a house with the A/C set on 78 or 79 in a DC summer. We had to turn ours on earlier than we would have liked this year, but we can't open the windows because our neighbors smoke in their backyard and it comes in through the baby's windows. So annoying, but they're very nice and it's not worth making an issue out of it. |