Still trying to wrap my head around houses with no AC! (Oakland: real estate, motels)

[katwithak]

My husband, who lived in Monterey before we met, keeps telling me there is no need for it, especially since we are going north redwood coast. I keep shaking my head in disbelief at every real estate listing without central air conditioning, which is all of them, lol.

I did notice some with central heat though, but Humboldt Bay area rarely freezes along the coast, correct?

Don't get me wrong, I have lived in older ones without it but most have been upgraded over time, or at least window units added. I haven't noticed anything like that in my research.

[Dane_in_LA]

If you're living on the coast, not needing AC is a privilege you pay for.

[freepelican]

Some motels on the west, at least central CA coast northward, will laugh if you ask for "air conditioning." They just tell you to open the window :-)

Almost always, the prevailing wind is from the NW or SW. However, on rare occasions, you will get an east wind that will blow in some hotter air. On these few days, you might wish you had an air conditioner, but it's very temporary and still nowhere near as bad as inland.

[nightlysparrow]

If I was moving to Humboldt, I'd skip the ac and install whole house dehumidification. Don't like mildew or mold.

[katwithak]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

If I was moving to Humboldt, I'd skip the ac and install whole house dehumidification. Don't like mildew or mold.

I saw some mentions of mold and mildew issues, supposedly from humidity there. I am used to living in river city humidity, but the AC does dehumidify so maybe that helps prevent it. A good scrubbing keeps it away also though.

I have wondered how big an issue this is there, in the homes without a central ventilation system to keep the air moving, but they all have so many windows I figured just throw them open to enjoy the mild temps.

The main mold/mildew I have noticed is along the bottom of structures. It really almost looks like flood damage and I know there are some flood plains zoned so thought that was the issue.

It will definitely be easier to tell when looking in person instead of pictures if a house has a problem with it.

Thanks for the tip, it is a possible cost to be considered now.

[DCMann2]

You definitely don't need AC in your house in coastal Humboldt. Heat, yes, AC, no. Temperatures in summer are generally in the 60s, rarely the 70s, and even more rarely it'll hit 80. Locals start complaining if the mercury climbs out of the 60s lol. And a dehumidifier is definitely helpful as well; I bought one recently and our house has been much more comfortable since I picked it up.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by katwithak

I saw some mentions of mold and mildew issues, supposedly from humidity there. I am used to living in river city humidity, but the AC does dehumidify so maybe that helps prevent it. A good scrubbing keeps it away also though.

When I visit my friend in Eureka, all her clothes smell vaguely of mildew. Even the seats in her car do. I think it's pretty pervasive because of the frequent fog. Then again, I have a super sense of smell.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

My daughter had a house in Salinas (by Monterey) and it did not have A/C. Occasionally, she'd wish she had it, but not often.

Then she bought a house in Oakland, and same story.

I lived in Santa Clara, and I was happy to get my window A/C unit. The building did not have A/C when I moved in, but after several years, they started installing window A/C units.

Just know that you can always put a window unit in. In my apt in Santa Clara, I just put one in the bedroom window, as it was most important for me to be able to sleep comfortably. Then during the day, I had a big industrial fan that blew the cool air from the bedroom into the living room.

Anyway, window A/C units are cheap. This is the fan I used (and still have in my new apt in Redding where I DO have a/C). It's a great fan because you can turn it so it faces the ceiling, then it sucks the cool air from the floor and circulates it to cool a room really well. I used one of these before I got the window A/C unit and it helped a lot.

From here: Patton PUF1410B-BM Floor Fan - 3 Speed - Adjustable Tilt Head - Metal Grille - Rakuten.com Shopping



Enjoy CA!

[OwlKaMyst]

The average temperature in Humboldt Bay is 64 degrees. The three years I lived there, I wore a sweater every day.
No need for an AC.
Being on the coast means fog. The redwoods are considered a rain forest, so there is a lot of water in the air. Mold can be an issue for homes that don't see much sun, and those that are I top of an underground stream. A friend who lived near the top of Humboldt Hill had a pump under her house to remove the water. She had mold trouble if not careful. I lived a few miss away, in a more sunny area and had no mold except for the back room that never saw the sun, and the heat could not reach.
If anything, you will want central heating.