Do I really need AC yet?

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Anubis

No Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
78,712
427
126
tbqhwy.com
meh i put a window unit in the bedroom, someone is coming to look at it tomorrow, i know the issue the fan on the outside unit is no longer spinning. not sure why as it worked fine 2 days ago
3rd floor of an old house with no roof ventilation (no softs or ridge vents....stupid) and poor small windows

it can be 70 outside and itll be 80+ on the 3rd floor unless the AC is on or you do some creative fan setup to move air in and out.
the amount of electronics up here has some to do with that but even without them it still happens
 
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Gunslinger08

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
13,234
2
81
My comfort is worth a lot to me. I know that a lot of people don't use the AC much to either save money or because the heat doesn't bother them. I hate being hot and I will thankfully fork over extra cash to the power company to keep my house cooled to 72 (or cooler to sleep). I'd rather cut money out of the food and entertainment budget than live and sleep in an 80 degree house.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,150
10,612
126
I despise the heat, but I despise spending money even more, so I haven't turned on the ac yet. It peaked at 79F in the house today with a 100F outside temp. I have a lot of tree cover, so it helps keep the wretched sun off the house. The ceiling fans are keeping things cool enough, and the cats are doing ok. Once we get a few days of sustained heat, I guess I'll have to turn it on. If energy were free, I'd set it to 60F, but as things are, it gets set between 78F and 80F. Keeping it warmer in the house makes going outside less unbearable.
 

SlitheryDee

Lifer
Feb 2, 2005
17,252
19
81
My comfort is worth a lot to me. I know that a lot of people don't use the AC much to either save money or because the heat doesn't bother them. I hate being hot and I will thankfully fork over extra cash to the power company to keep my house cooled to 72 (or cooler to sleep). I'd rather cut money out of the food and entertainment budget than live and sleep in an 80 degree house.

I find it funny that the people who do everything they can to minimize electricity use in the summer are often the same people who spare no expense to stay warm in the winter. Even here, where the "winter" has gotten so mild lately that I start looking at the cool side of the a/c switch at times during it, there are people who gladly pay outrageous gas bills to keep warm. Its strange how different our temperature tolerances can be.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,150
10,612
126
I find it funny that the people who do everything they can to minimize electricity use in the summer are often the same people who spare no expense to stay warm in the winter. Even here, where the "winter" has gotten so mild lately that I start looking at the cool side of the a/c switch at times during it, there are people who gladly pay outrageous gas bills to keep warm. Its strange how different our temperature tolerances can be.

I didn't use central heat at all last winter. The coldest it got in the house was 48F if I remember right, and a fire took that chill off. With colder winters, I set the thermostat to 56F.
 

SlitheryDee

Lifer
Feb 2, 2005
17,252
19
81
I didn't use central heat at all last winter. The coldest it got in the house was 48F if I remember right, and a fire took that chill off. With colder winters, I set the thermostat to 56F.

Neither did I, but I think the coldest it got in my house was low 50s. It was mid 60s most of time, which it where it will always be as long as I can afford it. Honestly, my electricity bill will run between $150 and $250 per month through about September, and I think it's totally worth it.
 

BladeVenom

Lifer
Jun 2, 2005
13,365
16
0
meh i put a window unit in the bedroom, someone is coming to look at it tomorrow, i know the issue the fan on the outside unit is no longer spinning. not sure why as it worked fine 2 days ago
3rd floor of an old house with no roof ventilation (no softs or ridge vents....stupid) and poor small windows

it can be 70 outside and itll be 80+ on the 3rd floor unless the AC is on or you do some creative fan setup to move air in and out.
the amount of electronics up here has some to do with that but even without them it still happens

Add some roof ventilation. Wasn't there even a thread a few days ago about ridge vents?
 

OVerLoRDI

Diamond Member
Jan 22, 2006
5,490
4
81
I wouldn't worry too much about the cat. Cats are very good at temperature regulation. Also you have to consider that they have more surface area/internal body volume than humans do. It is easier for them to disperse heat than humans, and thus can survive hotter temperatures without much trouble.
 

BladeVenom

Lifer
Jun 2, 2005
13,365
16
0
I wouldn't worry too much about the cat. Cats are very good at temperature regulation. Also you have to consider that they have more surface area/internal body volume than humans do. It is easier for them to disperse heat than humans, and thus can survive hotter temperatures without much trouble.

Humans have the best cooling system, lot of exposed skin and sweat glands. Cats have to pant when they start getting hot.

I was playing with my cat today, it didn't last long. I barely broke a sweat, while it was panting heavily and had to go lie down.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,630
13,820
126
www.anyf.ca
my AC died yesterday
it was 97 in my house today when i got home from work

its still over 90 inside, only 83 outside

not fun times

That's brutal! I would seriously consider going to sleep inside walmart in a tent setup in the camping department right before they close. :biggrin:

That or buy out all the ice from the gas station and lay it all out in trays around the house with fans blower over it. I'm guessing it would not last more than an hour at that temp though. Blocks of dry ice would maybe be a better option, just need to watch out with all that CO2.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,630
13,820
126
www.anyf.ca
I find it funny that the people who do everything they can to minimize electricity use in the summer are often the same people who spare no expense to stay warm in the winter. Even here, where the "winter" has gotten so mild lately that I start looking at the cool side of the a/c switch at times during it, there are people who gladly pay outrageous gas bills to keep warm. Its strange how different our temperature tolerances can be.

Haha yeah, I find it's easier to try saving on heat in winter than trying to save on cooling in summer. I have a portable AC unit that uses 14.5 amps, and I will let it run for hours or even all day if I have to just so I can stay cool in my office, and it sorta does the rest of the house too. In winter on the other hand, to save on gas I often set the furnace to like 15c and if I'm cold I just go work out real quick and I'm good for a few hours. That's the thing, if you're cold it's easy to warm up, but if you're hot it's not so easy to cool off.
 

Anubis

No Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
78,712
427
126
tbqhwy.com
they fixed the AC today, couldn't find anything wrong, dude figures some condensation dropped on the internal water sensor and shut it down, he reset it and moved it so it cant happen again
 

Geekbabe

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Oct 16, 1999
32,229
2,539
126
www.theshoppinqueen.com
My comfort is worth a lot to me. I know that a lot of people don't use the AC much to either save money or because the heat doesn't bother them. I hate being hot and I will thankfully fork over extra cash to the power company to keep my house cooled to 72 (or cooler to sleep). I'd rather cut money out of the food and entertainment budget than live and sleep in an 80 degree house.

QFT! Going off to work after a night spent tossing and turning on sweat soaked sheets is not my idea of quality living.
 

HydroSqueegee

Golden Member
Oct 27, 2005
1,709
2
71
its going to be 104 tomorrow here. 1 zero fucking 4. thats god damned hot. my AC will be going full tilt.

thank god i put up the new ceiling fans. really need attic insulation.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,630
13,820
126
www.anyf.ca
The temp has been perfect here lately. I sometimes fire up the AC in my office as it gets hot in here with my core i7 machine but other than that it's been bearable. Too bad I screwed up my knee so I can't do much outside. Would be perfect to go for a walk and stuff. 75F in my office right now. A tad on the hot side but not too bad.

I'm just glad we don't get the 100's here, that's just insane. I hate sweating and nothing you can do about it.
 

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
I like my place around 75. When I came home one day and my place was 79, I turned on the A/C immediately. Have only seen it hit 80 once so far this year from being off all day til I get home from work. Even my 825 sq ft place the A/C (central) runs for like 2 hours straight to get down to 75 on days where its 95F outside.

Being comfortable FTW.
 

Cookie

Golden Member
Jul 3, 2001
1,759
2
81
I don't know whether to be a little jealous or a little glad. I was chilly enough last night in my house to get slippers on and a sweatshirt and used a blanket on the couch as I watched a movie. I pulled on an extra blanket before I went to bed, and last night when I was up at 4am I heard the heater kick in. Send me some of that heat plz.
 

MovingTarget

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2003
9,002
115
106
Just install the AC already. There is no better time than now.

When was your building constructed? Before or after air conditioning became commonplace? Seems a lot of builders/architects abandoned passive cooling designs a long time ago.
 
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