I don’t think we had air conditioning when I was a kid. But, it’s the first the the HH asks when we {okay, I} am looking for a house. “DOES IT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING?” The house could be in Minna Freakin’ Sota and he’d still ask. He’s hot, what can I say? 😉
I’ll admit, as soon as the HH leaves for work, I turn off the air conditioner. As someone who keeps her winter coat on until the temps hit 72, I just don’t see the point of me wearing a sweatshirt all summer long in the house. Still, right before he comes home, I crank that bad boy down again if I need to …it’s the compromises that make the marriage, right?
Our culture is kind of spoiled when it comes to temperature control. I need a light jacket every time I go grocery shopping, because the expectation is that you are going to walk into a COOL climate controlled building. With the energy crisis and COST of air conditioning, though, I don’t think it is crazy to start thinking about how “comfortable” we really deserve to be. {If you live in one of those crazy desert climates, disregard, I know living without air conditioning is like living without heat in the winter–it’s impossible}.
I know we can’t go backwards and live like our grandparents–because I am sure they have horror stories about the hot summer nights/days, but surely we can strike a happy medium? According to an article on treehugger, we can potentially have our cake and eat it too.
We just need need to build smarter. There are technologies like insulation, solar power, heat diffusing windows, paired along side a little more “discomfort” that we could use.
Do you think we are over-reliant on our air-conditioners? What other ways to you beat the heat in the summer?
~Mavis
Carla says
I am 59 years old. When I was growing up we had a window unit in our living room. If it was too hot to sleep in our bedrooms we could sleep on the floor. It was only turned on on very hot days.
I am thankful for AC but I don’t love it. However, I live in Kansas and we have very high humidity so I use it more than I would like to for comfort sake.
Whenever the temp/humidity are livable I turn it off and open up those windows.
I always need a sweater at the movie theater and other places because I think they are kept too cold. And yes men always seem to want it lower than women.
Deborah says
Umm, people in desert areas have water cool fans. No humidity. LOL I must admit that I’m spoilt to AC. BUT, we keep it between 78 and 80 in summer, and 68-70 in winter. I think I could live without it. I did during my childhood, but now with the weather in the triple digits, don’t think it’s gonna happen anytime soon.
Laura says
We’re in WI. Our house is cold year round as my hubby likes it that way-he is almost always too warm. When I complain he just reminds me that I can always add another layer, but there is only so much he can (or should) take off! 🙂
Mavis says
Haha. He does have a good point!
Tracy L. says
HAHA!!!! This is EXACTLY what I say!!!! And it is so true. And since I’m the one who needs to keep moving and accomplish all the household tasks, I need it cooler or I’ll get sick. So, ours is set at 70. And I will DEFINITELY turn on the AC way before I’d turn on the heat! Those that are complaining they’re cold aren’t moving fast enough!!
Erika says
This is me too! We’re set at 68 for our Alabama summer (same when we lived in AZ) because I run hot. We’re also in an older house with crappy insulation so I think it’s actually a bit warmer than the thermostat says. In winter, house stays at 65 or so. In spring and fall, we definitely open up the house when we can, but since I don’t have to deal with the heat and humidity, I’m not gonna 😉
Jaynie says
My husband and I were just talking about something similar when driving through the Southwest not to long ago. Driving through Texas and New Mexico and there are all these McMansions. I can’t imagine what it would cost to air condition them. In the old days the houses were built according to the weather in the area and how to give you the best living conditions. The Southwest had adobe and hacienda’s. The South had large porches and the doors and windows were situated to draw air in and through the house. Peoples activities were different also. I remember sleeping on the porch at night when it was to hot. Everything all but shut down in the heat of the afternoon, most of the work being done in the early morning and when people came back out in the evening. Now with climate control you see people wearing shorts in the winter and sweaters and coats in the summer. Don’t get me wrong I like my air conditioning, but it’s like something is being lost.
Rosaleen says
Ha, ha, Mavis! Every time you dis air conditioning, I think, “Just wait until you hit menopause!”
It is hotter now than when we were kids and I remember suffering then with just window fans. I do turn off the A/C as much as possible to save energy. I also hang-dry our clothes and linens, again, trying to save energy. Try installing some ceiling fans. We find that we can keep the thermostat higher using the ceiling fans to circulate cooled air. Another trick is to open the attic door to let hot air escape and be sucked out by the attic vent fan.
BeckyM says
I was just discussing this with my mom the other day. It seems to be the new thing to hate air conditioning. Do people hate heated houses in the winter too? We alter the air in our homes (businesses) in the winter so we can be comfortable. Why is it bad to do the same thing in the heat of summer? I’d say if you’re going to be against one, you have to be against both because it’s the same thing in my book. You can just as easily die from heat stroke as you can hypothermia.
Just my $.02. 😉
Mavis says
I like your 2 cents! 😉
JC says
We are lucky and despite having central air in our new place we haven’t had to turn it on, and my fiance is pretty hot too. Apparently the previous owners planted trees in all the right spots who while the entire house gets sun throughout the day it’s never enough to really heat the house up. We haven’t been there in the winter yet so we will see how that set up works when its below 0.
Mavis says
Trees are the best natural shade and air conditioner!
sheila says
I hear you, but there is definitely a happy medium. Where I live, temps go from -20 to 110 throughout the year. I grew up in a 100 year old house with only a window ac and it was pretty miserable. You couldn’t even venture upstairs. I’m comfortable at about 76-78. I can’t entirely live without ac, but crank it down to 68 or below? That’s just rediculous. The hubs will literally wear long Johns in 100+ temps because they keep the ac so cold at work. We are planning on building sometime in the next year or 2 and I’ve been researching “passive” homes…makes a lot more sense than “green” homes. I’ll definitely suppliment with central ac, but implementong design standards that reduce power consumption in the first place just makes sense.
Lee Ann says
AC is a must if you live here in the South. Just saying
gina says
Yeah, people didn’t live here in South Florida year round until there was the invention of air conditioning!
But we have zero heating costs…
Linda says
Amen!!!!! And if you’re in the middle of menopause and living in the South- you’d sale your soul for the comfort of AC!!!!!!! ; )
amy says
I love my air conditioning…but then again, I live in an area where it often gets over 100 degrees for weeks at a time. (we get super cold weather too!) Yay! Utah!
Irene says
I think ac completely separates you from your environment to the point that you become oblivious of reality. I think ac is necessary in some places, and if you can’t sleep at night, getting a window unit is a good option.
Without ac you also experience the heat differently. And not in a bad way. We eat more Popsicles under the awning, bbq outside so the kitchen doesn’t get hot, sit outside late in the evenings when the temperature is just perfect, and have weekend afternoon siestas. I wouldn’t skip these summer things for climate control.
Nancy says
We do not have AC in the house. If it is too hot, we sleep in the basement. We have 2 BR in the basement along with a living room and bathroom. We could live down there, except no kitchen. While I love being outside on the deck, my DH spends all evening out there most nights, mosquitos seem to love me, and I can’t be out there more than 10 minutes without getting bitten. We live in Eastern WA, so normally just have a couple weeks a year of real hot weather. Not this year though. We have been living in the basement.
Ranee says
I am the same as your husband – I am hot most of the time, and I live in Minnesota (Minna Freakin’ Sota)! We don’t have many temps in the upper 90’s or (thankfully) the 100’s, but we do have a lot of summer days in the mid to upper 80’s and often lots and lots of humidity. I also leave my thermostat at 65 to 68 degrees during the Winter months. I am one of the last people to turn on the furnace and one of the first people to turn on the air conditioning. If I had it my way, I would live where there are 2 months Spring, 2 months Summer, 5 months Fall and 3 months Winter. (with lots of snow and no I don’t ski – just love the snow) I do keep my thermostat higher on the air conditioning than most people and it’s mostly just to keep it comfortable – not cold. I am looking forward to Fall and Winter – as I do after every Summer in Minnesota.
Diana says
Great topic! I’m also a life-long Kansan, and not a fan of a/c, but use it when needed. When possible, I instead use ceiling fans and window fans, and let cross ventilation and shade do its thing. A cool glas of water, lemonade or tea, and wiping tap water on my arms and neck give quick, temporary relief. My central a/c usually comes on each summer for the first time around 4th of July. Something changes in the weather pattern at that time, that makes the heat and humidity oppressive and miserable. But that is during the day. When I can, I still open the house back up at night, so that in the morning I wake to fresh cool air coming from outside. I keep a quilt on the bed even in summer, and have to use it most nights. I have to carry a sweater to office buildings and theatres, because they tend to keep the a/c really cold in those places. I never go to Houston or Atlanta in the summer without a cardigan. They like their a/c in the South a lot more than I do!
We didn’t have a/c when I was little, and I do remember when we got our first window unit. It felt pretty darn good.
Michelle says
I think we are definatly too reliant on air conditioning! We recently moved into a rental. We’re lucky if we can keep it at 82 degrees. We keep the blinds closed. We have put up black out curtains. We have ceiling fans in every room and an additional fan in the living room. I know it’s hot here in Texas (102 today) but these things should help. I bet if the home were better insulated, had solar screens and better windows, the house would be cooler. Imagine if we were all able to do things like solar screens and insulation to our homes. Shade trees would help too but that takes years to be beneficial. 🙂
beth says
I have to use the AC at night. I would not feel safe having windows open when I am sleeping. The police in my city advise against leaving your home or going to bed with windows open. There are so many break ins through open windows in the summer.
Heatjer in MA says
Amen sistah! I live with a polar bear – the man loves cold weather. I totally turn the ac off when he’s away and turn it back on before he comes back to avoid any mantrums about the heat.
Here in MA we get 3 months in the summer that I’m actually comfortable so he takes pity on me and, is usually too hot but, takes one for the team and is flexible on using the ac.
I will say tho – that a late July/early August summer day in New England could make you beg for mercy with the heat and humidity. So, there are a handful of days that we say a prayer of thanks to the ac gods.
Debbie says
I grew up without AC and because of some my husband’s health issues we did not use it for many years when he was at home in the evenings and on weekends. Even now, some of the windows go up at night and we have window fans on the back side of our house. There are very few nights that we are uncomfortable and we live in the deep South. I often leave the windows open in the mornings, just because I do not like being so closed in. We have planted trees to shade most of the troublesome spots. When we walk on summer evenings, it seems as though most of the neighborhood is cloistered in the air conditioning, even when the temperatures are pleasant outside. That makes me sad, because I have great memories being a kid and of playing outside until dark during the summer time. Now everything is still and quiet except for closed up air conditioned cars cruising past to pull into garages opened by remote.
Victoria says
Summer is brutal! I lived in Alabama very briefly, left partly due to having to turn the AC on in JANUARY thanks to an 85 degree day. Not fit for humans!
I love AC, I’m so glad it was invented. I live in Wisconsin now, and still grumble through the summer. I’d move even father north were it not for my love of growing tomatoes.
Dena H says
I can’t live without central air. It doesn’t typically get into the 100’s in Michigan heck it doesn’t usually get into the 90’s much either. My problem is the humidity and the allergens. It’s always humid here. Without air conditioning I will be hot and sweaty while I try to sleep and that makes for my evil twin to an appearance. Ask my husband and he will tell you what a horrible thing that is!
Kim says
I do use the A/C but keep the temps between 76-80. I like it to mostly get rid of the humidity here in Michigan. I MUST carry a hoodie with me at all times any time I enter any type of building in the summer because they keep the air quite low for my comfort. If I do not have a hoodie, my Raynaud’s Syndrome turns my fingers, toes and nose into icicles!
Emma says
We live in Australia so up to low 40C in summer but we have no air con and don’t need it. Our house is mudbrick plus we have grown shade all around. Best was a trellis of kiwi on the west side which dropped the temp about 4•C inside. We are now training it outwards into a big arbour that extends around the north of the house too. We have ceiling fans at night and apart from when I was heavily pregnant it is fine. Would always build an alternative house in the future it’s amazing
Deb says
I grew up in Australia- Brisbane in fact so very hot and humid. I’ve since moved to Vancouver, Canada and can’t believe how dependant North Americans are on a/c. We had ceiling fans and for the most part spent a lot of time outdoors in the summer. I’m guessing it’s due to the higher electricity costs in Australia but most Australians don’t feel A/C is a must have.
lynne says
I, too, live in “Minne-Freakin’-Sota” ;-). We don’t have a/c. I figure for 1-2 weeks of the year, I can deal with the mid to upper 80’s that we get. We have a huge natural a/c to our East (Lake Superior), and that cools things off pretty good. It’s a matter of shutting up the house (windows & shades) when the temps warm up in the morning, then opening up everything in the evening when the sun is going down. Ceiling fans work great, too! I don’t like A/C, and am glad that I’m no longer working in an environ that has it. Lynne in MN 🙂
Earlene says
Well, I have air conditioning. I live in northern Wisconsin and it really helps. It not only cools the house down (77 degrees), but it helps keep the mold down as we have allergies. I grew up on Chicago and it was hot . We had central air by 1967. I lived without here on Wisconsin and with, love with much more! Just sayin!!
Angela says
Mavis – Do you know what the white bird house looking thing is in the picture of this article? There is a woman sitting down under a canopy and to the right, a white chicken coop? bird house? If you know what it is, I’d love an answer. I am planning a chicken coop and if this was a coop, I’d love to figure out the pros/cons. It looks quite different than any I’ve seen. Thank for the help, Angela
Tamara says
That is a Martin (bird) house.
Pam says
Most houses built for energy “efficiency” don’t take the idea of opening windows into account. They design an home that efficiently seals itself up to contain the heat or air that the owner is running. Hubby and I are in the process of building our home now. We had to design our own to get a plan that utilizes “old technology” like windows in the correct spots to create a cross breeze.
Cheryl says
As I live in Denver, the AC is on maybe 2.5 to 3 months out of the entire year…it really depends on the weather. I have 2 ceiling fans as well as box fans that get used a lot and my AC is usually at 75. When it is just a stagnant heat outside, the AC is on as I have a hard time breathing in the heat. But much of the time, the doors and windows are open to air out the house and dog smell…thank god for a shotgun house!
I grew up in the deep south and we had a window AC as well as an attic fan and the latter seems to be making a come back. I have also lived with a swamp cooler and will take AC over that any day of the week! I cannot sleep when it is hot…think triple digits. And when it is really hot and there is no air circulation I tend to get bad headaches. So other than July & August, the windows are open.
Melissa says
Love this article as I think about it all the time. Soon no one will be able to afford the cost of heat and/or AC because older homes and those that are low-income cannot afford to make great changes towards energy-efficiency unless someone helps them do it. We must adapt to not being the perfect temperature all day every day. Just like we can adapt our eating habits to not stuffing our faces so that other can have food as well.
sandra fisher says
When I read your mail, I usually read any attached articles and reader’s comments. I don’t do this on many I follow.
I really want to thank your reader who recommended the non-fiction book “having Our Say: The first hundred years.”
It was such an enjoyable book and I found out many things that weren’t in our history books!
Thanks again. Sandi
Shay says
I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a dwelling here in NE Tx without AC… whether it be central AC or window units. We would melt.
Stacey says
We are having an uncomfortable summer here in Vermont with lots of humidity. When we lived in Arizona we considered air conditioning a must-have, but here we’re just dealing with it. Lots of fans that are only on when we need them. I know that if we use a/c for a few bad days, we won’t be comfortable without it. We definitely enjoy the heating during the winter, though!
Deborah P says
I live in Ohio, known for its humid summers and my home does not have central air. We have learned which windows to place fans that draw air in and which to place fans drawing air out, and most importantly, when to switch the direction of the air flow. I also invested in heavy, black-out curtains that are great for blocking the harsh summer sun that heats up the house (they help keep in heat in the winter too). We do have a few window a/c units that are installed if the weather is predicted to reach and stay in or near the 100 degree mark for at least a week but I hate having to close my house up and miss out on all the glorious summer sounds. I think we’ve conditioned ourselves to be less tolerant of the heat and cold. My mother-in-law runs her a/c constantly and if she has to go out in weather above 75 degrees she complains of feeling sick from the “heat”.
Mavis says
Your system sounds like it’s working! And that makes me laugh about your MIL!