After 7 years I gave in...

[terry]

After 7 years without air conditioning I finally convinced my wife to get one installed... ok so I bought it and I installed it but at least we have one now.

With the high heat and humitidity we have been having lately there is no way we could survive without it. We went 3 nights without sleep, including the kids. It was cooler outside than it was in the house!

After letting in run for 2 hours I finally stopped yelling at the wife and kids and after 4 hours, I fell asleep... and I slept all night!

How did we go so long without one?

Anyway, have a great day everyone and stay cool.. I know I will

[Jim]

Oh Man, how could you go without. Being in the northeast like yourself, you really need one on those hot humid days and nights. We were going to get central ac installed but after the old one downstairs burned up, the replacement actually cools the entire bottom floor. Upstairs, the important rooms are air conditioned.

[Cleo]

I grew up in Florida when central A/C was something that newer houses were being built with but my parents said that only movie stars and rich folks actually used so while we had it my parents would only turn it on doing the very hottest days. I also remember my dad buying our new car without A/C. The convenience on the corner didn't have A/C and all the candy bars would be melting down the shelves.

I just bought a one room portable A/C in case I have to run on generator power or if my central A/C should have a problem. Yesterday I bought and added 15 oz. of refrigerant to my Vette's A/C since each summer it is exactly 15 oz. low. I'm a cold girl with backup this summer.

I even run my A/C in the winter, often with my windows open.

I'm still trying to get over my childhood trauma of melting in the heat and humidity of growing up in south Florida.

[Jim]

I have had an A/C since I was a kid. My mother would bitch in the middle of winter when I would run it in my bedroom. Funny thing...Since my office is my old bedroom, I have the same A/C Probably time to replace it.

[Rocco]

AC cost a fortune here - how did you guys spend there?

[Cleo]

All houses built here have central A/C as well as all cars sold here so it isn't really something that you pay extra for since you can't buy without.

We have very little need of heat here so for the couple of chilly nights we sometimes have here in the winter the A/C has a small heater in it so we have no need for a furnace to heat our homes.

The A/C causes my electric bill to go from a low in the winter of about $150 to a high in the hottest few months of $225. I don't have a pool but I do have a well for my sprinkler pump which is a factor in our electric bills here.

[terry]

My parents werent really big on a/c. In fact I only remember them having one maybe 20 years ago... but they have always had a pool. When I moved out the first thing I had to buy was a pool. Now I will look into getting central.

Cleo: when I was growing up there was this one corner store, we referred to it as "Fat Man" cause there was a 350 pound man who owned it and all he did was sit behind the counter and sweat. His store was so hot you went in to get what you wanted and got out as quick as you could. His store used to suck for chocolate.

Jim: You have the same a/c unit from when you were younger?

[RawAlex]

Jim, that is one heck of a durable AC unit!

When I bought the new house, it has central air / heat pump whatever it is. Very effecient and not expensive to run, considering the fan runs all the time to circulate air anyway. Heat pumps are truly amazing machines.

Alex

[MindyBlingBucks]

My family wasn't really big on A/C when I was growing up either. But it never seemed to bother me. I'm a thin little thing, so when it's hot, I thrive.
I can't stand being cold, so I'll usually just open the windows and let the breeze flow through the house.

[cd34]

RawAlex, if you think a heat pump is efficient, you must not get below 28F very often.

When we were in Maryland and our heat pump died, and before we knew we were moving to Florida, I investigated a ground source heat pump. Basically, you have no external unit. They drill 3 holes about 120' deep into the ground and the ground becomes your coil & evaporator. Since the ground stays around 65 degrees, its very efficient in the summertime, and in the winter, since we had no real permafrost, it was very efficient. This was a closed loop system. There are other systems where you throw the loop into lakes or open loop systems that bring in groundwater. While operating, they are silent since the pump just pushes its refrigerant through the ground.

Like Cleo said, in Florida, I think we had our heat on for about two weeks this year. And no, very few heat pumps in Florida. Resistive heat -- you heat pump people might call that your Emergency Backup heat. The electric meter really spins when we heat our house.

[Torn Rose]

We had central air when I was growing up, not that it mattered, my Dad HATES the a/c, so I spent many sleepless summer nights in hot humid Indiana, I can not ever remember the a/c ever being on in my parents house until I was in my early/mid 20’s.

My mom stared getting medical problems and she came home and told my Dad the Dr told her to start using the a/c for her health at least at night, so they moved to Northern Minnesota 6 months later....

At least that way my Dad saved the $20 or so a month not having to run the a/c.

[terry]

Hey RawAlex .. you are from Montreal... would that be Montreal Quebec?

[Cleo]

The only problem with water cooled units is the heat exchanger coil gets scale buildup so ever so often it needs to be hooked up to a small pump in a bucket of acid to have the coil de-scaled. They are much more efficient then air cooled unites since the water tends to stay around the same temp and you have greater heat transfer with liquid then air and it's nice not to have a noisy compressor fan unit outside.

[terry]

Did I mention my pool?
Here's a pic I took on Saturday...

http://www.ohnorachel.com/pics/pool.jpg

[Cleo]

Nice pool

One of these days I'm going to cut down the trees in my backyard and put a big expansive hole in the ground full of water that I'll never use.

[terry]

Originally Posted by Cleo

Nice pool

One of these days I'm going to cut down the trees in my backyard and put a big expansive hole in the ground full of water that I'll never use.

Thanks.

Thats funny.. I actually have a visual too!

With all the heat we have been having here, we practically live in the pool .. but no more.. I have a/c!! WOOHOO!
Im just starting to get the wrinkles out of my fingers... and my kids actually grew webbed feet!

[dareutwo]

We have only had a window unit (a big one). If it get too unbearable, just cool the main floor, then grab blankets and all of us slept on the couch, chair or the floor.

Torn - were do your folks live? Are they still in Northern MN?

[Jim]

Originally Posted by cd34

RawAlex, if you think a heat pump is efficient, you must not get below 28F very often.

When we were in Maryland and our heat pump died, and before we knew we were moving to Florida, I investigated a ground source heat pump. Basically, you have no external unit. They drill 3 holes about 120' deep into the ground and the ground becomes your coil & evaporator. Since the ground stays around 65 degrees, its very efficient in the summertime, and in the winter, since we had no real permafrost, it was very efficient. This was a closed loop system. There are other systems where you throw the loop into lakes or open loop systems that bring in groundwater. While operating, they are silent since the pump just pushes its refrigerant through the ground.

Like Cleo said, in Florida, I think we had our heat on for about two weeks this year. And no, very few heat pumps in Florida. Resistive heat -- you heat pump people might call that your Emergency Backup heat. The electric meter really spins when we heat our house.

Yep...I was a maintenance man in the Poconos for a while. At 28 degrees, electric elements would turn on in the heat exchanger. They are made to take heat from the outside air and pump it into your home. If there is absolutely no heat in the outside air, they don't work.

Thats why I went with an electric element heater/AC for the new shop when I picked one out.

[stuveltje]

well we dont have so much hot weather here but at my sumerhome i have an airco, i die without one i have it already for 10 years that thing and it was worth all the money

[AbsolutePorn]

Is it that hot around there?

[RawAlex]

Jim, that is correct - the heat pumps are pretty darn effecient, but when it comes right down to it, there is a heating unit inside the furnance when the heat pump not longer supplies enough warmth. It is stunningly effecient in the spring and fall, when you just want to keep the house at a certain temp without thought. In the winter, it will usually spin up for a minute or two, and if you neat, the aux goes on and heat appears.

Terry, is there another Montreal I am not aware of?

Alex

[Boogie]

I've had central air for a few years I cant even imagine living without it good central air conditioning.

seriously.

I'd fucking die.

[juggernaut]

I think its funny you went so long without one. I remember the first time I met my wife. It was in Romania and durring a heat wave. August 03 I think. I remember the news said like 2000 people died that week in France due to it. But anyway the wife did not have A/C I was dieing. No Screens on the windows an bugs would fly in the house all night if I left the window open. She kept saying Americans are weak. lol. Well next day I wanted to drop the cash on a unit, she would not have it. So I got two fans of which she hated as thew wind blew on her face at night. I also bought some screen an stable gun. Ok so we get that issue fixed. Now I told her when she gets in America she will love the AC. Her comments was that it would never matter to her. Now when I shut off the unit. SHe complains that its too hot. lol. I just say but we are weak, we are trying to get strong, we dont need the AC. Come on lets keep it off. Well 1 new thermostat last week and she read the instructions. So I can not shut it off now. lol. Yeah weak and comfortable Americans lol.

[MadMax]

I keep my AC set on "meatlocker." I've always worked in hot shops, and I like to feel the sweat crystallize when I walk in my door at the end of the day

[terry]

Originally Posted by AbsolutePorn

Is it that hot around there?

So far the Montreal area has been a killer... cant wait to see what July and August will bring!!