Air conditioner poll-- who's getting by without?

I've been close to installing my window units several times now, but then we cool off and things are reasonably bearable again with windows and a box fan. Looks like we're supposed to get back down into the 70s in a few days . . .

Who all's getting by without AC, and who plans to do so through the summer?

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Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on June 10, 2012 at 9:55pm

You may be on to something here. I'll tell you what - rolling two or three 100 pointers in a row is a truly amazing feeling. I can't say that I'm that excited when sitting in a dwelling cooled by central air. But yes, modern HVAC is a truly wonderful thing.

James BlackHeron said:

Or maybe Skeeball.

Ride your bicycle said:

No Pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater.. Than central air.

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Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on June 10, 2012 at 9:56pm

Don't you need to get home and eat/make dinner before the sun sets around 8:30? I get hungrier way, way before that.

Jeff Schneider said:

My condo is top floor, east facing, and gets hot. It's also hard to get a breeze through it since all the windows are on the same wall. But I haven't used AC for several years. My strategy is just not ever to be there until well after sunset... That's not hard, given how great summer evenings are for biking.

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Permalink Reply by neozen on June 10, 2012 at 10:01pm

snagged an apartment with a ceiling fan in every room (aside from the bathroom of course). been fine for two years now.. imagine I'll rough out this one too. On hot days just go by the lake... usually much cooler (+ there's usually a breeze).

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Permalink Reply by Joe TV on June 11, 2012 at 12:29am

Without reading prior comments, I'd like to chime in that I haven't put my window unit in, and actually, I haven't even thought about it. Last night I did feel a degree or two above desirable, but by now means stifling. I just stuck one leg out from under the blanket and was out. I am on the first floor, have mostly east and virtually no southern exposure. I generally keep the blinds down, which keeps a lot of the heat out.

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Permalink Reply by Adam "Cezar" Jenkins on June 11, 2012 at 7:39am

I have a newborn this year, and he is not a fan of heat. It makes hims sick. It's the norwegian blood. So I've run the air several times. Luckily my condo seals up pretty well.

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Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on June 11, 2012 at 5:16pm

So far, I haven't even turned mine on in my bedroom. I just sleep with the windows open

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Permalink Reply by Reddog (Cliff) on June 11, 2012 at 6:28pm

I live in a garden apartment and it stays resonably cool down here for the most part. But I do not have air conditioning, and really couldnt afford it anyway. So I get by with fans.

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Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on June 11, 2012 at 7:30pm

^^Couldn't afford the increased billing, or the actual unit? IIRC, ComEd has a fairly liberal assistance program for those who need it.

Even in the worst of the year, which is August, our electric bill was only $80 - which is only a premium to the $40 we'd pay anyways for lights, etc.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on June 11, 2012 at 7:55pm

Need to run it most of the summer. My better half suffers from asthma and allergies. When the humidity gets up there, like today, she pretty much stays locked in the house. At least we changed out the 40 year old central a/c unit and furnace for a new one last year. Cut our usage cost almost in half.

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Permalink Reply by April on June 11, 2012 at 8:11pm

We sealed off our air conditioner when we moved in and haven't looked back. Small steps to a better planet. Cold water, lots of ice and box fan or two work just fine.