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#177697 - 07/26/09 11:11 AM Doing without Air Conditioning
bws48 Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 08/18/07
Posts: 831
Loc: Anne Arundel County, Maryland
This summer the DW and I have been doing without the A/C a lot. I sat down this morning and found an article in the New York Times about others doing the same. I also found out that our own Martin Focazio was way ahead of me and was interviewed by the Times, with a nice photo (see page 2 of the article). Marty leads the way again.

The link is:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/garden/23air.html?hpw
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#177704 - 07/26/09 12:31 PM Re: Doing without Air Conditioning [Re: bws48]
Dagny Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/25/08
Posts: 1918
Loc: Washington, DC
Interesting article, thanks for posting the link.

But I could never do it. The a/c protects my art collection and pup (an Arctic breed).

DC is barely tolerable with a/c. Opening the windows would also let in a lot more city noise, and pollen.

There's good reason British Embassy detailees in DC, pre-a/c, got hardship pay.

The weight loss component will get peops' attention. Fewer carbs as well as fewer calories?


“We spent an entire summer getting to know our kids by sitting outside trying to keep our electricity bill down,” said Ms. Holmes, who estimated that the family saved $2,100 last summer; they are repeating the experience this year. “It was very therapeutic and we got closer. We also got thinner — all of our diets changed because we were eating a lot of grilled food. And by the time fall came around, with the change in the economy, we had learned to live off less.

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#177720 - 07/26/09 03:35 PM Re: Doing without Air Conditioning [Re: Dagny]
Todd W Offline
Product Tester
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/14/04
Posts: 1928
Loc: Mountains of CA
Just AC unit in the office here. Temps during summer in the mid/low 90s mostly. Luckily we have big trees and come 3pmish the sun is not on the house anymore at all, and the deck is much cooler... Then depending on how hot it was we can open up anywhere from 5pm to 7pm and start cooling the house. Living room and kitchen don't get more than 81 but upstairs and if left uncooled the office reach upper 80s. Basement stays a nice 65 or 66 though!

I thought we had a big deck until I saw Martin's... talk about nice space!
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#177725 - 07/26/09 06:19 PM Re: Doing without Air Conditioning [Re: Todd W]
Tom_L Offline
Addict

Registered: 03/19/07
Posts: 690
For many, many thousands of years humanity survived without A/C. I've been to a few Third World countries where 100+°F is the order of the day, pretty much all the time. Almost nobody can afford A/C yet life goes on. Just the way it did for a long time.

If you think you can't live without A/C then I don't quite understand what you are doing on a survival forum. Survival is all about getting through hard times. I don't see myself as a tough person and I can't stand heat as well as cold. Still, I've done a lot of hard manual labor in scorching heat, even hiked and climbed mountains with a heavy rucksack for fun... I have no A/C in the apartment and while it's not that far from 100° F these days I see little need for it.

I mean, this is just the way life is. You can't expect it to be nice and comfy all the time. Sure, make it easier for yourself where possible but not to the point that you grow dependent on all the things that make your life comfortable. On a few hottest days of the year I would appreciate having A/C. But I can do without easily and moreover, if it saves money and doesn't put any more unnecessary strain on the environment, I really don't need it. I even tend to turn off the A/C at work because I feel it's a real waste of resources. YMMV. wink

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#177727 - 07/26/09 06:31 PM Re: Doing without Air Conditioning [Re: Tom_L]
Todd W Offline
Product Tester
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/14/04
Posts: 1928
Loc: Mountains of CA
82*F
35% Humidity (High)
10" Fan 6ft behind me blowing one... and i`m fine smile

Living room / kitchen much cooler.

Gotta love a house w/no hall ways other than the stairs.
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#177728 - 07/26/09 06:42 PM Re: Doing without Air Conditioning [Re: bws48]
Blast Offline
INTERCEPTOR
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 07/15/02
Posts: 3760
Loc: TX
Eh, we've had our AC set to never drop the house temperature below 81F for years. On weekends it doesn't go below 83F.

-Blast, shrugging.
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#177735 - 07/26/09 07:55 PM Re: Doing without Air Conditioning [Re: ]
Todd W Offline
Product Tester
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/14/04
Posts: 1928
Loc: Mountains of CA
During winter I like it around 70.. much cooler = much happier than it being "stuffy". The living room gets to mid 70s just because that's where the fire is smile

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#177741 - 07/26/09 09:27 PM Re: Doing without Air Conditioning [Re: Todd W]
Art_in_FL Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/01/07
Posts: 2432
Here in Florida a whole lot of people feel that AC is a necessity. I always figured it was the height of irony to both move to sunny Florida and decide that you can't handle temperatures above 68F. I never feel right in a place that is that heavily conditioned.

I lived here for most of thirty years without AC. When the temperature and humidity got high you went down to shorts, ran a fan, and drank iced tea. Older now I run it some to take the edge off. It is set to run, and keep the humidity down, set at 83F. Pretty comfortable once your used to it. Nighttime I roll it down to a chilly 77F.

When the outside temps are below 88F day/ 78F night I turn off the AC and keep the window open and might run a fan.

People lived in Florida long before AC became common. Once you get used to it it isn't bad.

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#177743 - 07/26/09 09:59 PM Re: Doing without Air Conditioning [Re: ]
Todd W Offline
Product Tester
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/14/04
Posts: 1928
Loc: Mountains of CA
Originally Posted By: IzzyJG99
Originally Posted By: Todd W
During winter I like it around 70.. much cooler = much happier than it being "stuffy". The living room gets to mid 70s just because that's where the fire is smile



I don't use my heat during the winter. Of course that's possible in Florida, but not everywhere. I enjoy the cold and the cold in Florida tends to bring about nice thin fresh smelling air. So it's good to air out the house.


Yeah, you sound like me... I'd rather just put on a sweat shirt in the house than crank up the heat wink and often find myself in t-shirts outside in winter in the snow.... I`m just a "hot" person I`m told.

We have radiant heater in the office and in the bedroom but find myself only using the office one... the upstairs stays toasty during winter that's for sure, sometimes even requires an open window to let in some crisp snow air.
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Self Sufficient Home - Our journey to self sufficiency.

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#177753 - 07/27/09 12:12 AM Re: Doing without Air Conditioning [Re: Tom_L]
Dagny Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/25/08
Posts: 1918
Loc: Washington, DC
Originally Posted By: Tom_L

If you think you can't live without A/C then I don't quite understand what you are doing on a survival forum.



Did someone here say they would literally perish without a/c?

Pretty sure I could survive without the Internet, cable, electricity, showering every day, appliances, a/c and Thai takeout.

Given a choice between death and life without these things... I could probably get by with Chinese takeout.

But I'd much rather live with these things, enough so that I will cut back elsewhere. Especially during DC's summer swelter. But hooray for those who find an a/c-less life hardly a bother, worthwhile or even delightful. I grew up blissfully happy in Oregon and California without a/c.

Thai takeout is actually more of a winter and shoulder season thing.

Yes, I demand these comforts in the city in my everyday life in which survival normally hinges on not getting run over by a taxicab.

There are probably few on this forum who camp more than I do -- without these conveniences -- or who hike more than I do, in the woods, where there is no cell reception. Or who live closer to a bigger terrorist target.

Yet, this survival forum interests me. Funny that.

Just thinking about losing a/c requires pouring a large glass of sweet tea. Ciao.





Edited by Dagny (07/27/09 12:16 AM)

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