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How in the world did people deal with the heat of August without air conditioning? Lots of ways, both time-tested and experimental.
Cooling homes was not the intended purpose when Willis Carrier invented modern air conditioning in 1902. The earliest air conditioners were for industrial quality control; the comfort of the workers was incidental. However, artificial climate control made steel and glass skyscrapers practical. Home air conditioning became widely available after World War II and ushered in the age of suburban tract housing. It also spelled the demise of some old-fashioned architectual details and social customs.
A look at some of these architectual details, after the jump.
The oldest method of home climate control is living underground. Our cave-dwelling ancestors enjoyed temperatures in the 50s both summer and winter. This dugout house found at Shorpy was both inexpensive to build (but labor-intensive) and cool in the summer. Although no one wants to live in a pit, this method of cooling survived in the use of deep spacious basements, split-level homes, and houses built into a hillside. The lower levels stayed much cooler than modern homes.
Underground level climate control is still in use, as we see in the extensive underground workplace called Subtropolis. More new buildings are constructed underground, or partially buried, every year.
The effect of cave living was somewhat duplicated by the use of thick stone, adobe, or traditional brick outer walls. Air conditioning allows the use of cheaper and lighter materials. Thirty years ago, it was unheard of to cancel school due to heat. My school had no air conditioning, but it had thick brick walls, high ceilings, transoms, ceiling fans, and if all else failed, plenty of trees outside to hold classes under. We also walked six miles, uphill both ways. That building is still there, although the school has moved to a new climate-controlled facility. The school pictured is in Hendricks, Minnesota, but resembles the school I attended.
Rooms with high ceilings benefit from the tendency of heat to rise. If heat gathers in the top third of a room, then a ten-foot ceiling will make a room relatively cooler for most people. Ceiling fans accentuate the effect by pulling air up during the summer, and pushing warmer air down in the winter. Older homes with more than one story took advantage of the stack effect, as open stairwells vented heat upstairs. That’s why upper floors were only used at night, with the windows open. Some houses even had a tower or turret to act as a windcatcher or heat exhaust vent.
Shade trees planted on the east and west sides of a home block the summer sun before it warms the home exterior. They also cool down breezes slightly before they enter the porch area. Awnings and widow overhangs provide the same effect, and let more sunshine in during the winter, when the sun hangs lower.
The front porch was an alternative to hot homes, and became a means of social interaction. If you weren’t sitting on your own porch in the cool of the evening, you could stroll the neighborhood and visit other familes sitting on their porch.
On hot nights, the porch was a cooler place to sleep. Apartment dwellers would sleep on the fire escape when it was unbearably hot indoors. The widespread use of the automobile, television, and air conditioning killed the front porch as a social institution.
People had other personal methods for keeping cool, such as hanging wet laundry in doorways, sleeping in refrigerated sheets, and keeping one’s underwear in the freezer.
Years ago when air conditioning wasn’t universal, we were sometimes miserably hot. But “miserable” is a relative term. We didn’t know what we were missing, and we were used to it. We were never as miserable as someone in a small modern home built for artificial climate control when the air conditioner fails!
I loved reading this article, sitting here in my 100 year old dorm with no A/C. It really isn’t that bad and you get used to it pretty quickly. Unfortunately, we’re not allowed onto the fire escape because it’s so old, otherwise we might be sleeping out there. Can’t wait-by the end of the week the heat index is supposed to be back up to 110.
posted by Katie on 8-20-2007 at 8:24 am
I always wanted one of those homes with a big porch on 3 sides and a turret! Really. Even now, I would love to have a turret room as my study.
When I was a kid, no AC, living in the “city”, we had picnics outdoors for our evening meal! Pretty interesting considering we lived in the projects. (OK, Milwaukee projects, but nonetheless…) We had cross-ventilation. Shades were down to keep out the midday sun. Our building faced N-S, so the cross-ventilation was wonderful. There was a tree in the back and a tree (eventually) in the front.
I still don’t know how my mother did it in the 50s. Basement was where she did the laundry. Three bedrooms on the 2nd floor. Wooden floors that were HAND-waxed. And no AC. Somehow we all survived!
posted by WizardBoy on 8-20-2007 at 8:37 am
So air conditioning is the reason new houses don’t have front porches. Damn you AC!
posted by Robb on 8-20-2007 at 8:49 am
You poor people in the states. I live in England and I’m wearing my winter jacket home tonight. We had three days this year where you didn’t need to wear a jacket. Wanna trade?
posted by Ari on 8-20-2007 at 9:35 am
Here’s a tip I learned from Ben Franklin, a technique he furthered into designing refrigeration, if memory serves. Soak a shirt in cool water halfway wring it out. Wear it. In the 15 minutes it takes to dry in the heat, you’ll be feeling cooler than Fonzie.
posted by Johnny Cat on 8-20-2007 at 9:47 am
Its still pretty common in summertime for people to sleep on the street (in lounge chairs) here in Shanghai.
The temperatures here hit 40+ degrees in summer, even at night, and electricity prices are high compared to salaries.
Its not unusual to have electricity bills that approximate monthly local salaries in summer here.
posted by Lawrence Sheed on 8-20-2007 at 9:48 am
For a quick lesson on how it really feels in an “AC”-less world, one only needs to travel to southern Europe in mid-summer. Combine striking French train workers (that 35-hour work week is awful demanding), overly booked trains (everyone trying to get out of France at once), and no air conditioning; what do you get? Hades on wheels!
posted by B on 8-20-2007 at 9:54 am
Great article Miss C! You know I often wonder why so many people find 65 degrees indoors perfect in summer, but shiver when its 65 degrees outdoors otherwise!
Ari -
I’ll be glad to arrange a trade. It’s 99 degrees in the shade here in NC, and my A/C is out. I can’t remember the last time it rained, but when it finally does I’ll be breathing steam. And I’m going to job interviews in a gabardine suit that’s wilting! I could swim across the Atlantic about now.
posted by Allison on 8-20-2007 at 12:04 pm
I live in the Caribbean, and no home has A/C. Some people are without power from Dean, so not even a fan or ice. And water, its always warm. I found the best way to deal with the heat, sweat a lot or go to the beach. Who needs A/C when you got the beach?
posted by Laura on 8-20-2007 at 12:20 pm
The High School I went to in Mobile Alabama was built in 1927 and although it was the first in the state with an indoor swimming pool it was the last to receive air conditioning in 1997. Same qualities as some in this article though: gorgous vaulted ceilings and two ‘towers’. By 98 the ceilings were low and ugly and the beautiful arches and ceilings along with their antique light fictures were hidden away.
posted by josh on 8-20-2007 at 12:32 pm
Orson Squire Fowler (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Squire_Fowler) , the “leading” American phrenologist of the 19th century, was really into Octagon Houses. One can dismiss the “science” of his phrenology today, but the cooling advantages he identified for octagonal houses he were pretty correct. In the summer, the cupola at top could be vented and the “chimney effect” keeps the place rather cool. There are some other nuances, as well — check out the book below.
There are a couple octagonal houses in my hometown. There were somewhat popular in the 1850s, generally as a result of Fowler’s advocacy. Look in books.google.com to find his complete book on Octagon Houses “The Octagon House: A Home for All” as well as a bunch of books of phrenology and psychology. Interesting stuff.
Straight Talk from Sid.
posted by Sid Morrison on 8-20-2007 at 1:18 pm
Porch culture was super important where I grew up; 1970’s in the Ohio River valley was super hot and humid. We used heavy curtains to keep out the heat in the morning and afternoon; curtains came open in the evening and an exhaust fan on the upper storey pulled out a lot of the heat. I used to mourn for people who had air conditioning; they became prisoners of the indoors.
Of course, I got the hell out as soon as I could and am enjoying living on the cool Northern CA coast. But I still use curtains and closed windows during the day to keep my place cool in hot weather. :)
posted by Renee on 8-20-2007 at 1:39 pm
Time to join the Professional Porch Sitters Union. There are no dues, and attendance is optional.
Seriously, we lost a bit of our cultural identity when AC and TV took us off the porch. What do you thinks we’ll have to say about the internet in a few years?
I notice that the PSSU doesn’t have a website.
posted by Tom on 8-20-2007 at 1:45 pm
This was really interesting. My AC in my house doesn’t work so I just plug in a fan. When it was over 100 F I would spray water on my face and it helped. I also heard if you take a hose and spray your window screens (windows shut) and then open the windows this will help cool the room.
I have always wanted a front porch to sit on. The good old days…
posted by G on 8-20-2007 at 2:06 pm
It’s a crying shame that the current “McMansion” style of architecture for homes is so popular. I believe the official name is “Modern Tudor,” but “Bland and Useless” would be a better moniker. These red or gray brick monstrosities all look pretty much alike, and their architecture and landscaping is all about looks (and conformity) and nothing about practicality. Most have no windows on the sides because they occupy almost every inch of their tiny lots, and in some neighborhoods, the neighbors could actually shake hands with each other if there WERE windows on the sides. Windows are usually crappy single-paned ones, too, so they lose heat in winter and let it in during the summer. Cross-ventilation? Maybe, but nobody I know who lives in one of these things seems to know that you CAN open a window. A lot of the McMansions have very high ceilings, which just wastes A/C down here in Texas in August. And insulation? What’s that? Builders in the South seem to think that insulation is only for homes north of the Mason-Dixon line. Many of my friends have electric bills in excess of $300 a month right now. My house is 40 years old, and has 8 or 10-foot ceilings, depending on the room. It’s only about two-thirds the size of a typical McMansion, and we put in energy -efficient windows, extra insulation in the attic, and have gas heat for winter. My electric bill for July was $58—admittedly, the lowest I’ve ever had in summer–but not, I think, a total fluke even though Texas just had its wettest, coolest spring in more than 50 years.
posted by ansav on 8-20-2007 at 2:31 pm
Where I live, the front porch is making a comeback. Lots of new construction includes front porches, and I’ve seen several homes near me (houses are around 50-60 yrs old) that have had porches added. And people actually use them. Makes going for a walk in the evening kinda nice.
When my kids complain about some of their inconveniences (not having a cell phone, having to mow the lawn, having to run the snowblower, etc…) I remind them that they should be thankful they don’t have it as tough as I did when I was a kid. They look at me like I’m from another planet and say it was different back then. As if they’d know. My only hope is for me to get smarter as they grow older (like my Dad did.)
posted by Dave on 8-20-2007 at 7:54 pm
I own a nearly 100 year old house and it’s the only one on my block that has an open front porch. Every other house on the block had at some point (1930s or 1940s) blocked up the front porch and made it an extra room. I live in Minnesota and it gets mighty cold here in the winter. I love the character of my house and I wouldn’t get rid of the front porch for the world. I also have 10 foot ceilings even in the upstairs. But yay me, the previous owners added central air. So some days the downstairs is intolerably cold (with the thermostat at 78!) and the upstairs is hotter than Hades. It’s sad when you need a wardrobe change to go up or down the stairs. (Yes, I love my house but the only bathroom is on the 2nd floor so there is much climbing of the stairs during the day). I can’t wait for September when I can leave the air off, the windows open, and the house will be tolerable.
posted by CentreChick on 8-20-2007 at 11:40 pm
Two summers before we got A/C we had a heat wave where the temp went to 120*F which in my area is about 25 degrees above “IT’s Too Damn Hot*F”. One afternoon I felt like I was getting heat stroke anytime I moved away from the fan. I went downstairs to the garage where it was cooler, climbed into the back seat of my car and took a nap until sundown.
posted by Tdave on 8-21-2007 at 12:12 am
I find myself feeling sorry for everyone without a front porch. The neighborhood where I live has as many porches as houses, and its great. Though, lately it’s been too hot to sit out on it for too long. I think I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to about my neighbors, which is the only continual downside.
posted by Annie on 8-21-2007 at 12:18 am
When I was a young child, born in 1957, we didn’t have air conditioning. We lived in a small town in West Texas, and believe you me, the summers were hot. We were out of the house early in the morning, playing, my 2 brothers and me. We stayed out pretty much all day. Except for going to the bathroom, or eating. We would play out all evening after supper till bedtime. Sometimes that meant sleeping outside, which was an adventure. We didn’t have a front porch, but we did have a big back yard, with alot of lawn chairs for everyone and anyone to sit in. Life was good, safe and better than its ever been. Winters were cold too. Snow and ice, which I have always loved. Winter is the best time of the year. Now, with all of the global warming, summers are even hotter and winters here in Texas, aren’t as cold. Boy, I would go back in a minute if I could. When the days of fall arrive, my ac goes off and stays off. Windows and doors are open. Stays open as long as we can, till spring rolls around, then we are opened up again. Ahhhhh….the good old days!
posted by Rebecca C de Baca on 8-21-2007 at 12:44 am
Before she passed away, my mom wrote an essay for a contest sponsored by the Arizona Pioneers’ Historical Society about what it was like to live in southern Arizona in the summer before mechanical air conditioning. She won the contest.
It was the late 30s/early 40s, and it gets beastly hot in Tucson now, just as it did then (although it’s worse now with the heat island effect).
Her dad, my grandpa, built a house in 1939 with double cement block walls, stucco exterior, and as many windows as he could afford. Granted, once the heat worked its’ way thru the walls the place was an oven, but it was cool from early morning to mid-afternoon.
They would hang wet sheets on the windward windows. They planted shade trees on the southern side of the house. And most nights they would sleep outside under a ramada made of mesquite branches interwoven to make a roof - hot air would rise and cooler air be drawn in.
I grew up in this house, and remember the glorious day when Grandpa came home with an evaporative air cooler (AKA “swamp box”) which drew outside air across porous pads of aspen shavings which were soaked with water from a recirculating pump. We were in HEAVEN! Yes, it had a tendency to stink and dump water on you when you walked under the vent, but it was cool. My friends used to like to come to our houe just because of the cooler. In fact, they probably WERE my friends because we had the cooler. :)
My mom touched on other ways to keep cool - soak your shirt and straw hat in the horse trough, wear them dry, repeat. She also wrote of an early auto air-conditioner; a tubular beheamouth that attached to the outside of the car hung on top of a window and cooled air by spraying water from a reservoir onto a passive (i.e. air velocity driven) circular fan. The sibs would play rock/scissor/paper to see who got to sit under it. The loser sat under it - it sprayed rusty water on anyone in the vicinity.
Mostly, she said, they just dealt with the heat and weren’t worried if anyone saw them sweat. EVERYBODY sweat.
Best way to get cool - go to the Fox Tucson Theater for the double-bill, newsreels, and cartoons. The Fox had central air.
Swamp coolers only work in places with low humidity but are still quite popular in the desert southwest - use a lot less electricity than refrigeration and are good for most of the hot season.
Re: the McHouses. Yeah - they amuse me too. Around here (west central SC) the mindset seems to be build poorly-insulated brick-over-frame houses, build them as big as possible, clear-cut the land of trees prior to construction (shade is vastly misunderstood these days), then bitch about the $600 electric bills.
Doc
posted by Doc on 8-21-2007 at 8:13 am
Always been surprising to me how the vast majority of people, it certainly seems, would prefer to be cold rather than hot.
I live in Phoenix, AZ, labored in the hot and the cold, lived with and without cooling, plenty of times I’ve had cooling, to live within my means, couldn’t run it. It’s not that bad, sweating is sexy, it’s healthy to sweat, lots of people pay to be made to sweat, we are very blessed to get it for free. Something tells me a lot of the people I see walking, or waiting for the bus, looking like human candles melting into the pavement don’t have A/C. When doing without cooling, my guests sure don’t stay long, or come back much, maybe a couple times to tell me how hot it is inside my home, as if I didn’t already know.
Just as surprising to me is how many people that really hate warm weather come, they tell me the reasons, but they don’t explain much, I mean if all you’re going to do is complain it’s too hot. More and more I’ve been forced to work away from home, and just spent the last winter working in NW Montana, now to me that sucked, getting six steps out the door and the cold makes your fingers and ears hurt, and no one complained about that.
Finally had to buy myself some insulated underwear, and a parka, and keep them on until mid-late June, and I’m not just joking. Funny thing though, the day it was finally warm enough to take them off, people started screaming about global warming. Boy, they sure calculated that hoax, well. People generally really do dislike warm weather, still surprising to me, but they do. They dislike it so much, if there was one hot day a year and someone said it’s our fault and it could’ve been prevented, facts at that point would be meaningless, they’d all look at each other, agree, and lose their cool over it.
Personally, I was disappointed to learn first any effect man is having is nominal below measurement, because that killed my plans to do things to help boost the temperatures. Looked like there’d still be the rise in temperature, which was occuring wothout question, just not related to human activity. Then I find out we’ve actually been in a cooling trend since 1998. Bummer, that’s like telling someone with cancer they’re cured, then a few days later when they almost dead not even bothering to tell them it was just a joke.
posted by Ratko on 8-21-2007 at 2:11 pm
my experience has been almost completely opposite of those described in the article and in other comments.
Porches and social interaction: my grandparents had a porch we would sit on when it was hot. They never interacted with neighbors. Everyone would pretty much keep to themselves and try not to intrude on the other person’s public privacy.
Trees, basements, and other pseudo-cooling. Just had a tree fall on my house. $6,500 worth of damage and that was cheap because there were no interior walls or structural problems. What I ever let a tree go up near my house again?. No. In fact, we are planning on taking down a bunch of trees that are within striking distance.
Basements may be cooler but you pay for that by increased humidity and corresponding mildew. Books, furniture, carpets are all ruined by this omnipresent fungus. if you have any allergies to mold and mildew, your basement is not a good place to be.
Cooling towers, ventilation: they just move hot air around. The best that will happen is you will get your house temperature down to about 5° above the outdoor temperature. You will still be hot. The heavy brick walls and high ceilings only trap heat. I remember entire days when I was sleeping through class after class because I couldn’t take the heat and swampy air.
In more recent times, my office air conditioner failed and despite living in a house with wonderful ventilation, I lost 12 weeks of work time because it was too hot to work during the day and not much better at night. All I could do was sit around in a daze and curse the General Electric repair people for their incompetence.
By the way, do not purchase anything from General Electric. Four years after we purchased our air-conditioning unit, they had no record of even selling that model let alone repair information.
unmentionables: mosquitoes. you really want a screened area. in addition to being disease carriers, mosquitoes can cause other health issues you don’t understand until you live with someone who is allergic to them. My spouse has dozens of ulcers on her arms and legs from mosquito bites. These ulcers spontaneously form and if she’s lucky, heal up in a few weeks.
Menopause. This is one of the best reasons for air-conditioning I can ever think of. My spouse’s bedroom is frequently set to Arctic and I have to fight to keep the air conditioning in my office at 78 or above.
Driving safety. A cool driver is a more focused and calmer driver. Driving with a window down reduces your attention and obscures your ability to hear because of the wind noise. Of course, the ability to hear and pay attention assails you are not being an idiot and using a cell phone or car stereo.
sweat stink. The smell of sweat is really quite unpleasant. In fact, it’s almost as bad a social offense as farting in an elevator.
air-conditioning has been a godsend and will probably be the last electric appliance I would give up for energy conservation.
posted by country mouse on 8-23-2007 at 5:52 am
I like air conditioning but there is one drawback. Right now it’s 78*F inside my house, it’s 70*F outside. That would be nice if it wasn’t so dang humid. I’m used to the dry air in the house. If I turn the A/C off and open windows, the humidity comes in and makes it uncomfortable.
And similar to what “Country Mouse” said about the grandparents porch. In my town the porch was considered an extension of the house, you let the porch sitter have their privacy. You would say “Hi” if you made eye contact with someone on their porch but then let the porch sitter initiate any conversation.
posted by Tdave on 8-24-2007 at 3:18 am
We searched for over a year for the house that was right for us…..it was not easy at all. I live in a very clustered *McMansionville* 2 million people area where prices tripled in 3 years making even the basic home out of reach. Three joining counties were on the list recently for being the highest in growth population. Add 4 kids and the need for more room….and it was torture trying to find *home*. I called over 450 homes and looked at over 150. Finally found the 1952, 2 story Tudor Ranch which was updated with air conditioning but still had the front porch, windows/ in the front and back to allow cross breezes, 1/4 acre lot, tucked away in the middle of the city and yes, I bought an antique bright barn red rocker for that front porch. I cannot handle the heat at all, never have been able to…but if you are careful with the bills….our bill never goes over $150 in the summer and this is using air almost daily and 6 people in the house. Most people DON”T have a beach to use nor can they just spray themselves with water, or have the time to wet every screen every hour…I LOVE my air conditioning AND old home!
posted by Lea on 8-28-2007 at 5:24 pm
well, in april it was 27 C, and I was sitting outside with a beer after work, we had barbys etc
august it rained, the whole damn month it seems
something isnt right
on a heat tolerance note, we went to turkey for a holiday , late august, it hit 45 C.
it wasnt so bad, you just couldnt move quickly
posted by andyf on 9-21-2007 at 6:41 pm
Note to CentreChick:
Here is why your A/C freezes the lower floors of your house, while leaving the upstairs volcanic…
Either your A/C or your A/C vents are either not properly installed or properly adjusted! Or it has not been serviced lately. (Or you don’t know how to use it…)
Here is some advice (I work for an HVAC company):
You need to shut off ALL vents (You could cover the registers with something….) on the basement and first floors when you use the A/C. Then, just open the upper story air registers. Don’t worry. Sinking cool air will cool off the lower parts quickly.
In the Winter, it is the opposite. Open the lower most vents full, and throttle back the top-most ones a bit - don’t close them completely! Also if you have a dehumidifier on your furnace, close that internal feed in the summer, but open it in the winter.
Another thing too: Ensure that your “air returns” to the furnace work properly, so that air can circulate.
Finally: You may need to clean your ducts and air returns. Depending on the construction of the house, and your talents and cleaning skills, a good shop vac with a very long hose can make this a most worthwhile DIY project…. (Better air quality, more comfort, and could save 5 to 10% on your bills.)
On the other hand there are a number of firms that will do this work for you professionally. The problem is that it costs several hundred dollars. Try the DIY method first, if you think you can do it properly.
If you DIY, then do so each year. If you go professional a good job should last 3 to 6 years, depending on a host of factors… It mmight even suffice for 10 years, though this is very rare.
Finally:
Ductwork, especially older ductwork, tends to have a lot of leakage along its length. This means that neither the hot air (winter), or the cold air (summer), gets to its intended destinations… it leaks out along the way. There are several solutions here:
You can get professionals to replace and upgrade your ductwork. Very expensive, very messy. Clearly a last resort. Alternatively:
You can get a professional to come in and SEAL the perimeter of your ductwork so that it does not leak. They can either do it externally, or internally. A properly done internal sealing is best.
A couple of pointers here: Professional sealing is very counter-productive unless a professional cleaning has been done first. So this fact makes this work expensive, though, it may save you up to 26% on your bills in the future, and of course, you will be more comfortable… Alternatively:
There is the DIY method. You can buy kits to held seal your ducts (the pipes) externally. They are expensive, and you’ll need to be handy with tools.
Failing that… if you buy some VERY good quality duct tape and use “2 or 3 strips wide” of it so that you have a wide covered/sealed surface, it can do a reasonably good job. But it is hard and time consuming work… And to do it, you need to have access to the ductwork. You will be told that duct-taping is not effective. This is partly true: Instead of 26% savings you might save 10%. And the tape will only last 5 or 6 years… possibly 10, if very well done. The other 2 professional methods noted are permanent, however.
I hope this free advice helps you to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient. Try the easy suggestions first.
And remember: the more reputable of the kinds of firms that I have noted (above), generally give free estimates. Sometimes they even give you some good, cheap, on-the-spot advice too!
Finally: Investigate any contractor before you use them. Ask them for references. Be sure you have a written contract spelling out what is to be doen, and for how much money, and when, and how long the job will take. Always get 2 or 3 estimates. The honest firms KNOW you will get several estimates. They do not mind it.
Good luck!
posted by Pierre on 9-28-2007 at 10:36 pm
I lived in an apartment for the last 3 years that had no air conditioning and no ceiling fans. You get really used to it. We just kept the windows open (crank out so you couldn’t even install a window unit) and got some light sheets for the bed and a couple of table fans. The one rule we did have though was no cooking in the oven before the sun went down! The heat from the oven being on for even an hour compounded with the heat from outside was just too intense!!!
posted by lulugirl on 10-26-2007 at 1:33 pm
Would prefer older home with high ceilings and porch to newer home
One problem with one modern home I lived in is that we weren’t allowed to install windows where we would logically get a cross-breeze due to zoning regulations. In some areas you can’t build a window facing your neighbor’s house depending on how close the side walls are so we only had the windows in the front and back, none on either side. My solution is to get an older home with a porch and high ceilings, with appropriate fans and it’s not bad. Cheaper than running AC non-stop. My college dorm didn’t have AC either but I had a corner room with one fan pulling in air, the other expelling air and there was never an overheating issue. If it got too hot then I would go to the cafeteria or library which was AC.
Even now in my townhouse I only run the AC on a limited basis and change the vents as recommended by the previous poster. If it gets too warm I just sleep downstairs. In the winter I have a separate heater in the bedroom only and close off most of the house. Keeps the bills manageable.
posted by picmajik on 11-5-2007 at 12:03 pm
I had no air conditioning for way to long! When you don’t have it you seam to get by fine though. But once you’ve had it theres no going back!
posted by Daikin on 12-4-2007 at 12:37 am
I have lived in Indiana and Oklahoma for most of my adult life.
In Indiana I had a screened porch that I could sit on and not sweat at all even when it was in the 90’s during the summer time. I loved the idea that if I didn’t want to sweat inside the house the porch was a perfect place.
In Oklahoma during the summer, I can’t even walk to my car without starting to sweat. It’s just the humidity difference between the two states that makes a huge difference.
I applaud all those who live/lived without ac and have come up with ways of keeping cool.
posted by Brian on 2-5-2008 at 12:02 pm
i think AC has made us a bit soft but it feel so gooood on a hot day. It has helped productivity and development especially in the south where I’m from.
posted by Texas Air Conditioning and Heating Guy on 2-29-2008 at 8:28 am
My parents grew up in Italy, never had air conditioning and today use it as little as possible. I’ve been to visit their hometown about 20 years ago and it’s something I’ll never forget. They has a fan at least but with a temperature of 100 degrees there was little relief. Being hosed down with water was it. Even in my youth here, that held true. We didn’t have an air conditioner when I was young. If we were that hot - go outside, hose yourself with water or play in the sprinkler, have something cool to drink and wait for Mr. Softie to come by with the ice cream. Fans, however were used at night when we slept.
posted by Andre Rollins on 5-6-2008 at 9:54 am