The “Water Cooler” is a feature on CLAYCORD.com where we will ask you a question or provide a topic, and you will talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
Do you remember life before central air conditioning in your home or air conditioning in your vehicle? Also, do you think you could live without central air in your home or air conditioning in your vehicle now, or is it too much of a necessity?
Talk about it….
56 comments
Nope!
I love hot weather! I could manage w/o AC but not my wife. She probably crucify me if either was missing in both vehicle and residence.
AC in a car is a must. AC in our south PH home is a nice to have, but not an absolute necessity. Our central AC unit is sized and zoned just to cool off the core area of the first story. Have used it just a couple times this year for about 12 hours total. Entire house almost always stays very pleasant from nighttime cool breezes.
Just curious Mary – does your spouse agree with this conclusion?
@Rollo Tomasi – Yep, and I’ll explain. Jim will agree that AC in a vehicle is a must. He will also agree that central AC use in our PH home is very seldom necessary. Jim, after all, is both my husband and the CA licensed architect who designed our remodel/addition for our fixer upper home in 2000. Energy efficiency considerations were a must, as well as considerations for mobility and aging, among other things. (We plan to live here until we die.) Walls are 2X6 construction, R-19 insulation. I think R-8 was code then, maybe less. Interior walls also insulated. Upstairs has a wrap around veranda, french doors, and large windows to capture our cool night breezes. Ceiling fans throughout the house (and efficient window fans upstairs for evening and night) are used as needed. I love to cook and bake, and have a very efficient exhaust fan over my range. Similar energy efficiency steps taken to consider heat needed in winter months, too much to explain here.
5 foot wide hallways to allow for possible mobility issues as we age. Low slope rise and run of steps upstairs to allow for the same. We both have separate home office spaces, both licensed in PH. So many people said this was all wasted space when we did our remodel and addition. Best money ever spent. We’re set for the rest of our days, which I hope are many. I love my home.
Mary, I loved reading about the wisdom you used when the two of you were planning your home addition. The wide hallways (and doors, too…..did you remember those?) are a MUST, as is at least one bathroom with a walk-in shower. Wishing you many happy years!
Are you planning on putting in an elevator as you age.? Stairs are the biggest complaint I hear from those aging in place, and a major reason for finding it necessary to move, as well.
Wow, that’s impressive Mary. The reason I asked is that my spouse and I rarely agree on what temperature is comfortable, which aligns us (I suppose) with most couples. It boggles my mind that it can be 82 degrees out and if there’s a breeze she’ll claim it’s “chilly”.
Mary Fouts, Wow! Cudos for the planning!
This may or not be of interest. I lived in a townhouse once (up and down stairs). During the summer, I slept at ground level, the bedroom upstairs was an oven. This worked out nicely.
@Antler – Yes, in the addition, we captured the wide doors as you mentioned. We were told “Those are the most expensive doors, why are you putting them in?” The 2 bathrooms upstairs have ‘regular’ showers. The 2 bathrooms downstairs have a tub/shower combo (one from the original house) that could both be easily redone to have a walk-in shower/bath. We left the design that way to change if necessary later in life. (I am 53 years old now, Jim is 60).
Part of the home planning was due to me. I was born with severe scoliosis. A spinal fusion in my teens (wore a body cast for 9 months at the age of 16) fused almost my entire spine plus a steel rod in my spin, plus extensive bone taken from my right hip to anchor the rod, means severe arthritis upon aging in my lower back and hip area. Nothing I can do about it, but manage it. For me, it hit about 2 years ago. I take herbal cats claw to help with the discomfort, no prescription arthritis pain meds, with which I had bad side effects. Switched to walking instead of running/jogging for exercise. Gardening/weeding (that I love) is fine, I just have to remember to take frequent sit down breaks.
Live every day in the present, as each day is truly a gift! Mary
@Rolllo Tomasi – Regarding temp differences, Jim and I have figured it out. Jim likes things a bit cooler, but not so much that it makes a difference. My side of the bed, year round, includes 2 additional cashmere blankets. I also wear fingerless cashmere blend gloves on my hands to help with arthritis, and keep a knitted watch cap to put on if I get cold. Or just want the comfort of the cap.
I actually like the air around me to be “chilly”. But I like my clothing to be warm and comforting. Been that way for years. Like it plenty cool if possible, with warm clothes. Guess it’s a possibly a psychological comfort issue. Whatever, it works for me.
Except on three or four successive days of 95 degree plus days we survive just fine without AC. When it does run it’s less than an hour total in late afternoon. We open house up at night and run a 20″ box fan to dissipate latent heat from building materials of the house.
Back in 1950s Parent’s house in Pittsburg had a large swamp cooler in mud room off kitchen in back end of the house with water flow to pads set perfect. Cooled house well, even on hottest days.
I absolutely need A/C!! My house used to be a box oven in the summer, couldn’t sleep, poached a gold fish!! Had the 1950-built house insulated and A/C installed in 2004 and haven’t looked back! It’s awesome!
Can’t live without it on this side of the hills. Gotta have it in Clayton. Once you head through the tunnel I don’t really think it’s necessary.
I could never live without central air in our home or my car. I like it cool. I grew up with central air (before it was popular) so it’s all I’ve ever known. I understand some people can’t afford central a/c – but those who can easily afford it, and choose to live without it… enjoy the heat! I also don’t understand why people set it 78. I get it – you’re trying to save money or maybe energy. But 78… why have it? Being cheap is not an option for us! Or maybe you’re cold blooded.
We do conserve energy (in the winter) by never turning on the heater. Our home is well insulated, and don’t want or need the heater in the winter.
First!
No AC in home for a couple of decades. It would be difficult to not have AC in a car. I enjoy AC when it is available.
In the 60’s People didn’t have Central AC for the most part. A wall unit in the living room became prevalent just before color TV.
Before that, neither grandparents (and thus both parents) had it. No Healthcare Ins. Ice box and cellar before refrigerators were invented. Ice cream was a real treat!
Don’t have it, love the heat.
I forgot, my pet Rattle Snakes love it too.
Nope…need it literally to live. I have MS and the heat just about makes my body useless. I’m blessed to work in an office with AC, my car has a great AC system & thankfully my home also has it!! My PG&E bill isn’t always my friend but I cannot NOT have it 🙂
Hey Sunshine,
Have you applied for the Medical Baseline from PG&E? You can get the form online at PG&E, and your doctor can confirm and send it in. Also, you can apply it for both A/C and Heat. It needs to be renewed every 2 years. I have it for my health issues, mostly for winter. It’s not a huge savings, but it helps.
I absolutely remember life before AC. Grew up in AZ on my grandparents’ ranch. They had a swamp cooler that worked amazingly well. Everything was closed up most of the day and opened at night when things cooled off. That was only on the first floor. I remember the second floor was an oven and the mattresses were hot-to-the-touch. Sprinkled water on them to cool off. Hated it. Don’t tolerate heat well now.
I grew up in the SE Washington where late summer would heat up to over 100 degrees (it’s the desert). We had a swamp cooler then. Later after my dad remodeled the house we put in a 25K BTU through the wall AC which did the job. This house has a 18K BTU through the wall AC even though the ducting was setup for central air. The previous owner didn’t think it got hot enough days to make central air worth it. I’ve found the same thing plus I had the shake shingles replaced with reflective shingles which keep the house cool in the summer.
It wouldn’t be easy on 100+ days, but we have done without in the past in the house. As Original G mentioned, open house up at night and run a 20″ box fan, works pretty good and we do it. Air dries out too much with A/C on all day, hard on the sinuses. As far as in the car,…rarely use it. Maybe if it’s 100 degrees, then yes.
As it is, we rarely turn on the AC in the house. Fans and night air are usually sufficient.
Not in Brentwood. I could probably live without in my car but absolutely not in my home. I grew up in Sacramento and still can’t imagine how we survived without AC. I think getting older has made me more intolerant of heat. And cold. And pretty much everything LOL !
I remember as a kid sweating like a pig. No thanks.
Never had A/C on the east coast or in New Orleans, and love the heat. I use the A/C now from time to time because the rest of my family are weenies. I’d rather be hot than cold! An overhead fan, a cool shower before bedtime, I’m good to go! Y’all are just coddled 😁 #Clayton
I not only can, but I do. Though on my wish list; a whole house fan and those reflective roof shingles Captain Bebops mentioned. And maybe a couple of those things that look like metal chef’s hats.
I can just WILT in hot weather. It’s why I moved from Claycord to Oakland at age 22 and stayed there 37 years. I never thought I could survive Summer back here in Claycord, but apparently I can. Maybe it’s because I’ve never lived in an air conditioned home before. I miss Oakland though. It’s very nice to have A/C in the car.
I agree! Oakland has the most agreeable weather!
Never had central air until I moved out here. I survived quite well in TN, KY, OH, ND, MN, WA, AZ (did have a swamp unit in AZ). I could do it again. As it is, I shut my air off once it gets below 80 in the evening and open windows.
Now the car is a different story. Air is on almost all the time above 60 degrees
Grew up in Bakersfield so used to the heat. We don’t have central A/C or heating. Have a fan in each room and window a.c.. in kitchen which works great. Car a.c. nope can’t do without that.
I grew up in Concord without AC – it was horrible on those nights where it didn’t cool down, but yes, I could live without it if I had to…
But having spent some time in the midwest – not sure I could live without AC with that humidity – that’s true misery…
We dont have central air in our house but a friend gave us a portable A/C that is vented out a window and I just use it in the living room and works GREAT. We are senior citizens and I had a heat stroke last year and ended up in the hospital so we have to have it.
I absolutely can live without it. I can’t stand driving with my windows closed, it gets too stuffy. Sometimes I’ll drive with the A/C on and the windows open, but usually the A/C is off. Even in the winter, I like to have the windows open and when it gets too cold I will turn on the heater with the windows open.
At home, I also enjoy open windows with a nice cross breeze.
When shopping it’s a different matter, it feels good to walk into a nice cool store.
Well, since I don’ t have it and have never had it in the 22 years I’ve lived in Walnut Creek, i guess the answer is yes.
Couldn’t live without A/C. We live in the “Clayton lowlands” where it gets very hot. Two of our daughters also live in Clayton, but up higher and they are around 5 degrees cooler than us. We are fine at 77 or 78 degrees inside, but it would be over 90 without A/C. Also, the older we get, the less we tolerate the higher temperatures.
Certainly I could live without AC, but it’s nice to have it when we have very hot weather.
I don’t like it at night, so sometimes it’s uncomfortable.
No. Willis Carrier, the inventor of modern air conditioning, and I have a torrid affair during the summer months – even though he died in 1950. I might add that during the summer I have been known to thrill PG&E as well with the billing end of things.
There are plenty of things that I could do but choose not to do. Doing without air conditioning is one of those things.
I spent 10 days in Tennessee in July a few years back…… I’d have died without AC.
It’s not the heat. It’s the steam that’ll kill you.
Going without AC does build character, but character is overrated.
Some would say there are those who suffer with an extreme overabundance of character anyway.😂
For medical reasons, it is best for both of us that our home be at 73° in both summer and winter. We have two H/AC units (due to the house’s linear need of zones). We do have an especially fine insulating roof, thermostatically-controlled attic vent fans, and huge shade trees.
Because of the usually poor outside air quality these days, we have HEPA filters and do not open up the house at night. (Well, and what if those blasted leaf hoppers decide to sneak in around the screen edges again…… aaaaaaarrrrrggh!)
Brünhilda has a super air control system…. can even do Max A/C and a heated seat/back rest at the same time. She’s a good ol’ girl and recently has been helping me bring home multiple bags of potting soil and mulch. I can run outside, plant a 6-pack of flowers, and be back inside again very quickly…. so that’s the way we roll!
For the most part I just keep my windows open night and day, but yeah if it hits 100 or so, then no I can not live without A/C.
I grew up without AC in Nashville. When you are young you can do that. When you get older you needs change. We could not do without AC at our age now. In our 60’s we kept the temp at 68 summer and winter. Now in our 70’s it is at 78 in the summer during the day and 75 at night. The dogs were one of the reasons for the 68.
I have lived without AC, at one point or another, but it sucked. I am considering turning a bedroom, or a closet into a meat locker, so I can sleep soundly. Heat and sleep, in my case, seem to (perfectly) work against one-another. My body is one step away from full Chernobyl.
Grew up in Midwest and was miserable all summer. We run our wall unit A/C all summer long here, open up house at night.
Guess if mandatory power outages occur, we will all learn what it’s like to be without AC.
NO WAY!!!
I lived without A/C for 9 years………….and I live in Modesto!
We have all electric so no central a/c. I have the wall type a/c it works very well but it is noisy and expensive. I use four tower fans throughout the condo that rotate a delicious quiet breeze.
AC for me is a must. I have fibromyalgia and I cannot tolerate the heat at all. I have a small window AC unit in my bedroom that keeps me cool. It’s actually much cheaper to run the small unit in a closed bedroom at night then to run central or a larger unit to cool the entire home. Portable AC units cost more money than the small wall/window units- between $350- $450, however, if you are only cooling off one small room so you can sleep at night or not be terribly hot during the day it will save you money in the long run.
Selkie,
You should apply for a medical baseline exemption with PG&E.
Nope, I grew up in Clayton and our house had no air-conditioning. It could be hot a couple of nights a year, but it usually gets pretty cold at night. Just sleep with the windows open. My parents still own the house and live there with no AC. If It gets really hot, we just jumped in the pool.
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