Living Car Free - What about going A.C.-free?

I moved into an apartment that doesn't have central air conditioning. I'm thinking about not getting an air conditioner at all. Will this save money and coal, considering that I'll probably have to use fans more? Any tips for being comfortable without A.C.?

I'm in an area that gets quite hot in summer, but the humidity is low. I'm fine without air conditioning.

First, I leave some of my windows open all day and all night during the warm months. This might not be a feasible solution for you, depending on security issues where you live. Alternately, have all the windows open during the night and then get up early, close the windows and close the curtains.

Second, have a jug of cold water or solar tea in the fridge. Drinking cool liquids can help a little.

Third, I know where the cool beaches and parks are. After work, there are some places such as a few shady beaches and treed parks where I can go to escape the heat.

Fourth, your body will get used to the heat, given some time.

I leave my windows open all night, but shut them all in the morning before heading to work, and draw all the blinds, of course. I don't open the windows in the evening 'til it's cooler outdoors than in. I have a small AC in my bedroom that I crank up about an hour before bedtime, door closed so that it cools only the bedroom, and turn it off when I retire (damn thing's too loud to sleep to).

Temps here likely similar to Lancing, but probably lower humidity here. I probably used the AC 10-15 nights last summer.

It isn't real hot here, but humidity almost always comes with the heat, so even 85 degrees can be uncomfortable.

I do know that riding a bike in the heat has made me more immune to it.

I was born in Atlanta GA, grew up in muggy NH and near Boston, with a stint in Utah.

I have been round heat and/or humidity all my life... her ein Hungary it can get hot in summer but not too humid.

I have never had AC, I have never had ac in a car until now..

there really is nothing to worry about. Just go about life. You will be fine.

But if you are really worried, do what they say aove, drink lots, take a swim, sit in teh shade... if your house gets blasted by the sun, keep those windows and blinds/shades closed during the day. If you water your lawn at all, do it in the evening and open the windows ... keep several window open the cross draft will cool the place down in no time and the cool air coming off the just watered lawn is great.

on the rare occasion you are in your car, open the window and do not use the AC there either.

Robi

Oh, I'm also fan free at home. I go for a one-minute cool shower when I get home on hot days. Really hot, 100+ F days I'll hit the movie theater, etc 'til it gets dark.

In southern climates with high humidity you could live without AC but it wouldn't be comfortable for you or guests. Just because you don't mind sweating doesn't mean the people around you want to experience your sweaty odor.

The design of your home can make a difference. In the south before AC was invented or ubiquitous, home interiors had twelve foot high ceilings. The heat would rise and the lower portion of the home was a bit cooler.

My apartment in the north doesn't have AC. In summer the humidity is very low. It does get hot and I would prefer having an AC for one month per year. Last summer was cool. The one before had record high temperatures (114ºF).

In addition to opening the windows at night and closing them near dawn, I put aluminum foil on all of the windows. It keeps the apartment five to ten degrees lower than without it.

The way I do it is to get liquid dish washing detergent and spread it on the glass. Then I unroll the foil and put the shiny side facing outside. The soap creates a sticky surface so that when the foil is applied there is no air between the foil and glass. I trim the edges to overlap the glass by a little bit and then tape the edges to the window frame. On larger windows I tape together the overlapping foil on the glass.

If you want to remove it in the fall just peal it off and wipe the windows with water to clean them. This procedure does take a while. My comfort is worth it.

I live in the desert at 500' elevation. We average 60 days per summer over 110 degrees, and around 135 days above 100. The majority of evenings in July and August don't get below 85. Yes you can acclimate, but the body can only handle so much heat and your core will get too hot. So it is a must like furnaces are a must up north. But thankfully with the dry air we can use evaporative coolers. They work well when the dew point is under 40, and can bring the temp down 25 - 30 degrees from the outside temp. So they work fine until that 110 and up range. So back east they would be useless, too high of dew points.

It gets pretty humid in Toronto during
the summer but I find AC is usually set too high in malls, offices and stores. It's at first a relief coming out of the humidity and into the extreme cool. But after 15 minutes, it's just too cold for me. At home I'm happily comfy with a fan moving the air around and get too chilled with AC. I'd be singing a different tune if my mom lived with me. She's on the cusp of elderly and starting to find the humid dog days of summer a real challenge. When she does move in with my family, I will instal AC in her room and the living room. That way I can keep her around longer (and with less complaining).

[QUOTE=Smallwheels;10769166
The design of your home can make a difference. In the south before AC was invented or ubiquitous, home interiors had twelve foot high ceilings. The heat would rise and the lower portion of the home was a bit cooler.
[/QUOTE]

And in the north, it was the opposite. We lived for a while in a Colonial-era house with 6.5' ceilings. Eight fireplaces. It was designed for surviving winter.

We don't have AC, but we do have fans. Our new house even has a couple of ceiling fans. And summer here can be pretty brutal with heat and humidity, especially July-August. So you can get by without. There are days when we kinda wish we had it, but the extra expense isn't worth it. As mentioned above, there are ways to mitigate it. If you really need it, a window unit for one room is a good way to go.

I live in the humid deep south. It can be done, but not all structures lend themselves to it. Most of the houses I lived in AC free were of the older design and for the most part were at least partly shaded by large trees. No AC and only fans will save money. You can save some by using a window unit only in the bedroom when sleeping. I have done that in the past. The other thing I do is put ceiling fans in every room. Keeping air moving is the key to staying cooler. I would also take a shower right before bedtime and sleep in front of a fan, some people can't stand to have the fan blowing directly on them.

Aaron :)

At night, open all the windows and put fans in some of the windows so that the fans are blowing outward. We could usually get the temp by morning down to about 5-8 degrees F of the outdoor low. Bright and early we would close the windows and shades. We used ceiling or floor fans to keep the air circulating within the apartment while we were at home. That helped make if feel cooler. Avoid cooking or anything else that creates much heat. I've survived many a Midwestern summer this way.

I leave my windows open all night, but shut them all in the morning before heading to work, and draw all the blinds, of course. I don't open the windows in the evening 'til it's cooler outdoors than in.




First, I leave some of my windows open all day and all night during the warm months.


I do this a lot through the summer. The nighttime temperatures are often below 75F. I think the secret might be in the placement of the open windows. If you can get a good flow going east/west and north/south, you might be able to exchange air quickly...

However, for my house, when temps go above 78F in the night, this doesn't seem to work as well.

On those nights, I am tempted to set up a tent and sleep in the backyard (a balcony might be even cooler if you live in a second story apartment.). Fortunately last summer was very mild here and even when it isn't mild, the higher temperatures last only a week or so.

I am in the Los Angeles area and some times in the middle of summer it gets REALLY HOT for about 5 days. I just deal with the heat in the house because I know it will not kill me in my sleep. I don't want to use it because it will take 5 hours to cool down the house and by then, it is time for me to get up and out in the morning. I also don't want to pay more than needed on any bills.

I hate AC. Heat & humidity are my friends.

Air conditioning is almost nonexistent here in residences. After you live for awhile without air conditioning it becomes difficult to be in a place with it. I know it sounds strange, but I just can't handle the drastic change in temperature anymore when i go from a cooled room to outside.

Zoltani,

I know how you feel.... all the places I worked in the US had AC. and it was horrible to go from hot outside to cold inside to hot outside.....

so much easier to just get used to it... and I for one, handle the heat very poorly...... but I still prefer no AC.

Robi

For maximum efficiency with the fan, have it blowing out of the window, with a good tight seal around it. With other windows open, it more effectively sucks the heat out of the house.

And of course, if you rig it to take advantage of prevailing winds so the fan works in the same direction as the wind is blowing, that helps too.

I am a huge fan of lower utility bills. I purchased a new AC about 3 years ago which was much more efficient than the previous one. I use it as little as possible. My 1959 ranch came with an attic fan which I love. Depending on the humidity I will open up the windows and turn on the attic fan on when its up to about 85 D rather than run the AC, it really creates a breeze. I find that unless it's real humid the AC doesn't really make me any more comfortable than moving the air around. I could live with no AC. I would however, be less productive on really hot humid days.

Will this save money and coal, considering that I'll probably have to use fans more?

You will save a lot of electricity by using fans instead of air conditioning.

Generally speaking, you would need to run 10 or more fans at a time to use the same amount of electricity as a small air conditioner. This applies to the relatively large (20 inch) household fans - smaller fans use less power but I wouldn't recommend them because they won't do as much for your comfort.

If it is cooler outside than in, I recommend having a fan in the window pushing cool air in. If you want to, you should then have another fan pointed at yourself.

If you wear a damp towel on your shoulders and back, it can cool you off too.

Re: fans pointing in or out--

I'd say it depends on how far you are from a basement or crawl space under the house: if you can get air seeping in from a space that is cool because it's in the ground, then you might want the fans pointing out. If you're in a second story apartment, that's probably not going to work.

So if you're in a 2nd floor or higher apartment, and the temperature outside is cooler than inside, then point the fans inward. that way the air in your whole apartment will move around. if you point the fan out, only the air near the fan will get moved around.

Ceiling fans rock it hard. Change direction depending on if you want cool air sucked up or warm air pushed down. Combine with a window fans and/or a cross breeze, FTW.

Fan management. I would place a window fan in a sunny window blowing out, and a window fan in a shady window blowing in. When the sun moves to the other side, flip them.

A ceiling fan running also helps alot. The trick is to air moving.

I also kept a cool bathtub full on the hottest days. I'd just strip and sit in the tub until I was cold. Get out and and I was good for about an hour.

Right now, we just have a little window AC in the bedroom, because my wife has let herself so fat she cannot dissipate heat well. But I am fine without AC. Humans lived for 10,000 generations with AC, you can too.

It isn't real hot here, but humidity almost always comes with the heat, so even 85 degrees can be uncomfortable.

I do know that riding a bike in the heat has made me more immune to it.Yes, it is partly a question of adaptation. If you use air conditioning you adapt to it and have a harder time without. A generation ago most houses in Toronto had no airconditioning and everybody managed. Now almost everybody has air conditioning and can't manage without it.

We got by last summer only using an AC unit in our 2nd floor bedroom at night. I have VERY noisy neighbors who stay up late getting drunk and generally being obnoxious on the front stoop, so opening the window is not pleasant. The first floor of our rowhome stays very cool during the summer months, except in the worst heat waves. We don't use AC on the first floor at all. If I could find a way to sleep on the first floor too, I'd do it!

Thanks for the many great tips! I'm going to go with a couple fans for now. I do sleep during the day, until about 10 AM, but the fans will help cover up the noise coming in the open windows.

I moved in last August, so I experienced a little warm weather here. I had some luck with the exhaust fan idea at night, and closing the windows during the day. I might get a timer for the exhaust fan so it will start cooling before I get home around midnight. I have a ceiling fan in one bedroom, but the ceilings are so low that I'm scared of decapitation if I sleepwalk. :eek:

The rooms don't have to be a lot cooler, just lowering the humidity makes a huge difference. Air conditioners take the humidity out of the air. So the smallest window A/C unit will be useful, even in a big apartment. I've walked indoors from a 90 degree humid day to an 82-84 degree room with lowered humidity and really noticed the difference. The place had one medium window A/C to sort-of cool the whole first floor, maybe 800-1000 square feet. You don't have to run it all the time, either.

The rooms don't have to be a lot cooler, just lowering the humidity makes a huge difference. Air conditioners take the humidity out of the air. So the smallest window A/C unit will be useful, even in a big apartment. I've
So you could also just buy a dehumidifier instead of an A/C.

So you could also just buy a dehumidifier instead of an A/C.

+1 This is what I do in Korea. It gets pretty hot in July and August plus its very humid. Most new apartments have AC in them but old ones like mine have nothing. Luckily I am in the basement so it stays pretty cool anyways.

14 years of being simmered in the Florida heat is cause to hate hot and humid conditions for the rest of my life. It's the California coastal climate for me, thank you..
I get to be a real grump when it's hot and humid. Don't think my wife could tolerate me w/0 air conditioning.. In fact, heat will keep me off the bike faster than the cold. That is how much I hate the heat.

Summer is the only season of the year I hate. If I don't have an AC, I sleep very poorly. I'm sure I could get used to it, but screw that. I'll take the AC.

I live in SFL. I sleep with a fan. I rarely use the AC (in my soon to be repossessed car) because it eats up gas. I think over time the body gets accustomed. I love the windows down. My passengers do not.
I have lived in many parts of FL my entire life. I am unable to exist in cold climates. I love the heat. I love the sun.

Keeping cool water, ice helps. When I get hot-I drink water. Sodas and fruit juices dont help me cool down.
I also suggest wearing light colored, sleeveless clothing. I wear sandals if I am not at work.

Miami--Is my City and I haven't used A/C in over 8 years. I have Ceiling Fans and use 'em a lot. My small condo is cacooned exactly in the middle of our bldg, it being practically dead center(3rd floor of a 6th story bldg) . I find that my Temps are pretty constant with no wild up&down swings. I leave my Large Balcony doors wide open and catch the breezes from the East (ocean) I live 3 miles inland. It works for me. And YES, you save a TON of $$$$ NOT using AC. My Bill runs me $25-$29 monthly and my neighbor who has the same size condo spends around $70 monthly as she runs her AC on high nightly. I would never live in a Condo on the top floors as they run several degrees hotter; older condos here in Florida don't have the newest most efficient Insulation and due to the Black roofs acting as a Solar Bank soaking up the Sun's heat, so you pay in more ways then one for that nice top floor view. On our Roof you can Literally Fry an Egg on our Black Roof at Midday and even several hours later in the evening, the Roof remains warm to the touch hours after Sundown. Caveat Emptor

Miami--Is my City and I haven't used A/C in over 8 years. I have Ceiling Fans and use 'em a lot. My small condo is cacooned exactly in the middle of our bldg, it being practically dead center(3rd floor of a 6th story bldg) . I find that my Temps are pretty constant with no wild up&down swings. I leave my Large Balcony doors wide open and catch the breezes from the East (ocean) I live 3 miles inland. It works for me. And YES, you save a TON of $$$$ NOT using AC. My Bill runs me $25-$29 monthly and my neighbor who has the same size condo spends around $70 monthly as she runs her AC on high nightly. I would never live in a Condo on the top floors as they run several degrees hotter; older condos here in Florida don't have the newest most efficient Insulation and due to the Black roofs acting as a Solar Bank soaking up the Sun's heat so you pay in more ways then one for that nice top floor view. On our Roof you can Literally Fry an Egg on our Black Roof at Midday and even several hours later in the evening, the Roof reamins warm to the touch hours after Sundown. Caveat Emptor
Interesting. I always thought you couldn't live in South Florida w/o A/C. What kind of temps inside the condo during the afternoon?

Gerv--it varies from 78-81 degrees. Righjt now at 3am its around 80. Due my being located in the Middle of our bldg, my temp never varies over 3-4 degrees. Usually it drops 3-4 degrees at night due to the cooler breezes. Works for me. Some will say you cannot do it but I'm proof you can. I'm single btw, I suppose if I was still married this would not work, no AC living lifestyle.

I live in Pennsylvania, and over 90 it does start to get uncomfortable, but we don't have AC. We just use fans and sweat a bit a night if it doesn't cool off.

I use the AC all the time, and it's a bit of a drag on the bills. I've never been much of a heat tolerant type, although I do agree that if you're going to spend lots of hours outside, just go without it.

In regards to AC use in a car... keep in mind your type of driving. If you're going less than 55mph, open the windows. Higher speeds, use the AC. The drag on the car from the open windows (above 55mph) pays a worse gas penalty than using the AC. I realize the irony of that statement, being in a car-free forum after all.

Sigh, I'm practically married to my car. I see it more than my fiancee. I drive about 35,000 miles in a year (the average car heavy person is half that)! I try to bike as much as possible when I'm home, though!

Of course one of the great things about a bike is that you Have AC all the time--exceot when you're stuck in a sunbaked intersection for a long time, or struggling to climb a steep hill at 6 mph.

I have lived in the mountains Near Lake Arrowhead Ca. and went without AC in the house for 19 years. No real need for AC living at 5000 feet. But I can't remember the last time I had a car without AC.

Even if I decided to not use AC for some ecological reasons every public building I have ever been in has AC. Many of those buildings are 100s of times bigger than my home. Like someone said earlier they may not use AC but when it gets hot they spend the day in a Theater. They are simply using someone else’s AC not giving it up.

I can see reducing the setting on AC but I haven’t considered giving it up.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/garden/23air.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/garden/23air.html

Great story!



Genma Holmes, a 42-year-old mother of three in Nashville, and her husband, Roger, declared their suburban ranch house a no-air-conditioning zone last summer as surging gas prices ate into the profits of their pest control business. Their children — now ages 17, 18, and 23 — were not amused, given that average summer temperatures in Nashville are in the high 80s with around 90 percent humidity.

“They didn’t look at it from our economic point of view,” said Ms. Holmes, who ripped the thermostat from the wall after her offspring repeatedly turned on the central air while their parents were out. “They thought we were doing something to them personally. They thought mom and dad were going through some kind of midlife crisis, like when we recycled before everyone started doing it.”

To defend against the heat, the Holmeses took some of the usual measures: long, cool showers at night, box fans in the open windows and grilling outside instead of turning on a hot stove.

It was when the family put up an awning and fan over their patio — effectively transforming it into their living room, where they spent about three hours a night grilling, playing games and talking instead of going their separate ways — that they discovered the upside of an uncontrolled climate

“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. So when everyone started talking about how hard things are, we felt like we had already experienced the worst of the worst. It prepared us for the whole year.”

Like the Holmeses, many choose to go natural during the summer for economic reasons. Others find that this is a point on which finance, politics and habits intersect.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/garden/23air.html

Thanks, Al--great link. I didn't even know that I'm part of a nationwide trend:


Shipments of window air-conditioners from manufacturers to distributors were down 39 percent in the first half of this year compared with the first half of last year, according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers in Washington, D.C., and shipments of central air-conditioning units have been down 10 percent a year for the past few years, according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute in Arlington, Va.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/garden/23air.html

Excellent article and well done.

I work outside for a living so prefer not to live in an Air conditioned environment, my compromise has been to use ac in the bedroom only and to keep it at reasonable levels.

Aaron :)

Roody,

I would think this is almost a no brainer for ya. I understand it gets rather warm in your area but I can't imagine it is horrible.

I grew up in the keys. We never had ac out of choice. A fan or two for those no wind days and you should be set.

I always hated AC something just seemed wrong about it and it is hard for my body to adjust one way or the other... going in the store.. freezing, coming out and then I am sweating much worse than when I went in.

I vote go without

At this time of the year, I leave my upstairs windows open night and day. Air movement makes the place comfortable, even in the heat.

Yesterday evening, it was a little cool. The temperature outside was 5 C in the late evening and dropped to 2 C overnight. Inside, it was quite cool, but while I was up, I had a sweater on and when I went to bed, I had a heavy blanket to keep me warm. I've been out camping on colder nights than that.

In another couple of weeks, we'll have temperatures reaching the upper 20s and 30s. That will also be pleasant. Instead of a cup of hot tea, I'll be drinking unsweetened iced tea or water.

My neighbours, who depend on heat and air conditioning a lot more than I do, will complain about the warm weather while I'll be enjoying it.

Roody,

I would think this is almost a no brainer for ya. I understand it gets rather warm in your area but I can't imagine it is horrible.

I don't think horrible, compared to DC. But next week the highs each day are forecast to be 88F, and summer is still a months away.

My landlord just told me that he's going to bring me an air conditioner. I'll have it installed, but see if I can do without it--just as a personal challenge. I have lived through many summers without AC, but I've gotten spoiled the last few years.

One AC free day down for us. Normally when it gets above 85F outside, my partner caves and turns on the AC. This apartment is *great* at trapping solar energy, so we don't use much heat in the winter. But in the summer, it usually runs a good 5-10F above outside temperatures, which is hard on him.

(heck, once it starts getting above 85F outside, it can get hard on me to have inside air be 95F)

But yesterday broke 85F, and we didn't turn on the air. The forecast high for today is 88F. Part of what is helping is we've joined a CSA, and we're in Salad Explosion season. A bit of meat in a salad is just about right for a lot of meals.

Interesting. I always thought you couldn't live in South Florida w/o A/C. What kind of temps inside the condo during the afternoon?
This may have changed in recent years but as of when I was in college in the 90s, Miami was the only major city in the US to never have reached 100 degrees F.
I grew up in GA (close to Athens) without AC and while the summers did suck, you do sort of get used to it. I can get that NYC may be a little noisy, and apts a little less ventilated than in the southern countryside so you can't exactly live with ventilation coming from all directions which might make it a bit difficult.
As a kid, we never closed a window or door in the summer, just had screens over the windows and screen doors.

As a kid, we never closed a window or door in the summer, just had screens over the windows and screen doors.
That's what I do here. The windows and doors on the ground level are closed but upstairs, they are open. The house is warm but not hot, even when we reach the high 30s in summer.

Day two down. It actually hit 90F yesterday. However, I spent most of the day outside or hanging out in the building's basement doing laundry. Around about 10 PM, my partner was fantasizing hard about turning on the AC, but recognized the sheer stupidity of it, since the air conditioner is in the living room, and there's basically no real air flow from there to our bedroom.

We are greeted this morning with a lovely thunderstorm, and the air temperature dropping like a rock. When I checked at the start of the storm, it was 72.6F. In about 10 minutes, it was down a degree. It feels (to me at least) like a reward for not turning on the AC.