Cool runnings!

[johnboy]

You southern guys might laugh but we finally had a/c installed in the house. Our furnace was an original to the house and at 22 years old I figured it was time to replace. Last winter was longer and colder than ever before and I had had enough listening to the old beast kick in. Sounded like a jet engine taking off.

Temps here during the summer months are probably not what you all would call excessive (30c or 86f) but that's really uncomfortable for this Canuck and his dog.

So we figured that as long as we were replacing the furnace we might as well go all the way and have a heat pump installed at the same time. Plus Costco had a deal going with Lennox that got us a $1500 rebate so why not?

They got finished a couple of days ago and man is it nice! Cool! :fine

[quercus alba]

us southern guys hate the heat too.

[Hombre]

Congrats. Been thinking of doing ac myself. We get kind of similar temp to you and really don't need it but a few weeks out of the year, but those few weeks sure would be nice.

[Old Den]

I'm with you on that we get maybe a month of hot weather but it's no fun and can't sleep at night. I've been looking at doing the same thing.

[jb]

We built our house 32 years ago and figured the 5 days a year we needed AC just wasn't worth the cost. We've spent many a night over that time with the ceiling fan and floor fan blowing on us all night.
The last few years the wife's allergies have gotten worse and Dr. mentioned how a good AC unit would help her condition.
We had a 3 ton Carrier installed around the end of May and have noticed a great improvement for her and how comfortable the house is when the temps get over 80 and the humidity climbs. It's nice, but if it were just me, it'd still be fans.

[airbud7]

Good Deal but I didn't think a heat pump worked very well in winter that far north?....Must have a Big backup emergency heat strip?

[johnboy]

Our winters and summers are usually pretty moderate with no extremes in temps (max around 85-90f and mins around 5-6f) so the heat pump should work fine. I also have a natural gas furnace to back it up in the colder weather. We'll see how it goes this winter. Last year was the hottest summer and coldest winter I've seen since we moved here 12 years ago. Damm you, Al Gore!

[Captain]

This was the temp at the SC farm at 7PM Thursday night.
It's is God awful with the high humidity.
And I lived here from 1957 till 1977 without AC. But I don't want to do that again.
9139

[quercus alba]

1957? I was born that year, maybe you should change your moniker to Methuselah

[Thumper]

I was born and raised in Florida and my parents never had an air conditioned house until shortly after I'd moved out on my own. That seemed to be the norm for me. The 6 years I attended (Elementary) school and 3 years in Jr. High, we didn't have a/c ... just a single oscillating fan in the back of the class. You never really felt it, it would simply circulate the air a bit. Come to think of it, we never even owned a car with a/c. Nothing like cramming all 8 of us into the family station wagon for a road trip in the middle of August! These days I'd die without a/c.

BUT, just like the Yankees do, I didn't have a/c in my L.A. house either. We'd have a short heat wave occasionally when I'd wish I had more than a box fan, but it was generally cool enough that a/c wasn't necessary. It would sometimes get hot, but hot with no humidity ain't really all that "hot".

[Thumper]

Airbud, I thought the same thing about the heat pump. I have a heat pump also and have a heat strip (couldn't even tell you if it works) for emergencies. Normally that's what people with heat pumps use, but up north, they need a furnace as backup. Running a heat pump in freezing temps doesn't do anything ... and to rely on a heat strip would put 'em in the poorhouse.

[BarryBobPosthole]

We've stayed in a lot of houses in the Caribbean that had no a/c or had only small units in the bedrooms. A ot of it had to do with the designs in the houses. When they're designed right, you really only have to deal with the heat of the day and its pretty comfortable most other times. Of course, we sweated our ass off for the first day or two before we acclimated. One place we stayed in St Lucia had no 4th wall in the main living area. It was open to the elements. Keeping the birds from eating our bananas were the biggest issues.

The Pacific is different. The places I've been there are quite comfortable without a/c.

BKB

[Thumper]

Yeppers, the Pacific itself is a lot cooler and acts as a natural a/c with that sea breeze. Being acclimated is a major factor. I have a buddy here who lives "off the grid" and he's never had a/c. Every time he gets in my truck, he pulls on a sweatshirt to put over the two shirts he's already wearing! I about freeze him to death! I can relate, I lived in a small village in Thailand for 3+ years. I not only didn't have a/c, I didn't even have electricity or running water. When I returned to the States, I about froze my nads off ... and it was the middle of August!