Air Conditioning Systems. Who needs them?

You’re lucky to get 1 week of the summer in Britain where you could really justify costly home air conditioning systems. Of course, back in the good ole US of A, air conditioning systems are not necessary for all climates and locations either. For example, they are very rarely used in San Francisco where I live, because the weather is typically mild. Even though it can get very hot for a few weeks in the summer, it is usually not so bad that the expense of owning, maintaining, and running an air conditioning system is warranted. Even in Berkeley and Oakland, which are farther from the water, and so get very hot – sometimes more than a hundred degrees – at some points, there are few air conditioners. I know, because I work in a coffee shop and during the summer it gets hot there!

The only places where you really need an air conditioning system are in places where it regularly gets into the 90s, or a place where it is slightly cooler, maybe in the 80s, but gets regularly very humid. If you live in Arizona or New Mexico, air conditioning may be a necessity. This is especially true if you are old or have a serious health condition. In heat waves during the summer, there is often a high death toll, because some people simply need to keep cool down or else they will die. So, if you are one of them then please, get an air conditioning system.

Some places experience extremes of weather with blistering heat waves in the summer and sub zero temperatures during the winter months. It’s expensive to live in such climates as the inhabitants need to invest in both heating and air conditioning systems.

Air conditioning systems come in several types. There are also the portable air conditioning units which are growing in popularity. Just move them into the space that needs cooling. In South East Asia they have the poor man’s units which you load with ice in a trough at the bottom of the equipment and whirling fans drive the cool air out at the top.

Common in North America, are of course the window mounted systems. These have a few advantages, but also a few disadvantages. One advantage is that they are cheap, and you can often find a second hand bargain in pretty good shape for as little as $40 or even less. They are also quite easy to maintain which keeps air conditioning repair costs at a minimum.

As they are relatively easy to install, it makes them kind of semi portable air conditioning system and although repositioning them is a bit of a hassle, it’s perfectly achievable. All you do is just mount them in the window. This means that they don't need to be attached to a full central heating and air conditioning system by a professional, which of course would costs much more.

The disadvantages of window mounted air conditioning, is that it only cools one room. If you want to cool several rooms, then the cost quickly adds up. Also, they can be quite dangerous, since if they are improperly mounted, they can fall and injure, or even kill someone!

Another advantage of window mounted systems is that they are easy for dad to maintain. Basically, all you have to do is scrub out the coils from time to time to make sure that mold is not growing in them, and take them in during the winter so that frost does not build up on the coils, if you are in some place where the temperature regularly drops below zero. But really, the best systems are central air ones because, even though they cost more, and have to be professionally installed and maintained, they cool the whole house at once. Unless you have a very small apartment, this is an obvious advantage.