Swamp Cooler vs Air Conditioner (Denver: motel, allergies, maintenance)

[Legs1357]

Originally Posted by livecontent

As I wrote last year on this thread, I do not have air conditioning. I do not need it because I have a ranch with a full basement, on a shaded treed lot.
Livecontent

My aunt has a ranch on a semi-shaded lot and her basement is shockingly cool in the summer.
For everyone else, I would say my one exception to my "no AC is possible" is if you're living in an apartment complex. Chances are you don't have windows on both sides and won't be able to get a breeze going at all (a problem I had with my last apartment in a much worse climate. couldn't live there without it; yuck).

[WilliamPacker]

One other way to keep your house cool is to buy a good gas grill with side burners. If you can prevent cooking in your house, you'll obviously keep it much cooler.

[LisaCACO]

I think something is telling that people like to divide people into so called natives and non natives, lol.

hey, I grew up without air conditioning. never had it in my house til I was, let's see, 35. my part of silicon valley was the very dry part, the part that rarely received fog in the late morning, so I know semi arid. then I moved to LA- yeah, arid. so I know a bit about it.

here's part of the problem here in colorado, as I see it. many of the homes come with lovely HOAs that are less than thrilled about you as a home owner doing things like placing large trees and such. my hoa would have a fit, lol. (they regulate the type of trees allowed where ) People don't necessarily think about those things when they buy a home, and they should. however. there are things we can do as individuals, that I agree.

still, my comment stands for the guy who wants to know if it should be a dealbreaker or not.

now if you're going to buy a home here and are considering how green to be, then there are options. If you are going to put air conditioning in your home or have it, upgrade to the top of the line, most efficient air conditioner. it will save the environment. don't forget to upgrade your heater at the same time. Look at the house you're going to buy and see if you need that many windows and look at their placement (North and so on). Make sure you have energy efficient window treatments that are versatile (in the winter you want the sun, summer, not so much). Regular blinds suck and do nothing. other people have mentioned whole house fans etc. Watch where you put your washer and dryer and upgrade to HE ones. they use less energy and the dryer will run less. very exciting I might add. And watch when you do laundry. all that heat stays indoors-ick. (another reason why moms and kids during the day have warm houses). and a basic one I think we forget nowadays: spend time outdoors when you can. cooking outdoors, eating outdoors is great and saves all that heat from the house.

there are billions of things we can do to keep our houses cool. just keep in mind it's not a judgement on who is a better person for doing so, nor should it be a reason to divide people. as I stated before, people may have good sound reasons for doing what they're doing, and we may not know what that reason is. it's not our place to judge imho.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by LisaCACO

.... Watch where you put your washer and dryer and upgrade to HE ones. they use less energy and the dryer will run less. very exciting I might add. And watch when you do laundry. all that heat stays indoors-ick. (another reason why moms and kids during the day have warm houses). ..... it's not our place to judge imho.

We had a ceiling exhaust fan installed in our windowless laundry room, which is equipped with HE appliances.

We have A/C on the unit serving the upstairs (ground level) of our ranch-style home, the below grade level has a heating unit but doesn't need an A/C unit. Even in the winter, the downstairs heating system rarely runs. The house was constructed to Colorado's "Build Green" standards (as they existed in 2005).

It's not that expensive to add A/C to a new home being built. For extant homes, I'd look for one with A/C, even if I didn't think I'd really use it all that much, it's nice to have in case of an odd heat wave or long spell of hot dirty air, or if a home doesn't have the sort of natural cooling which LiveContent has going for him.

[katenik]

I think the answer to this question is that if you are accustomed to having A/C and using it regularly when the temperature rises above a certain level, then it is probably a necessity FOR YOU whenever the temperature rises above a certain level, regardless of where you happen to be living at the time. I have a very high heat tolerance, and don't really like A/C because it messes with my sinuses, and I would never run mine for more than a few minutes at a time throughout the day if the heat becomes unbearable. So, do I consider it a necessity? Absolutely, FOR ME! I know others who are perfectly comfortable sitting under a portable fan, but I can't do that because they blow around dust that affects my sinuses, too. A/C is kind of a personal thing, and only you know if you "need" it.

[jazzlover]

The other thing that makes A/C a DISADVANTAGE in the Colorado climate is that mechanical A/C dries out the indoor air. In a humid climate, that it is an advantage, but in Colorado, with outside humidity that often is down near single digits, it's a disadvantage. My allergist tells most of his patients that evaporative cooling (properly maintained) is actually BETTER for their sinuses and allergies in Colorado than mechanical air conditioning for that very reason. I hate it when I travel and have to stay in some mechanically air-conditioned motel room somewhere in Colorado in summer--I (and my sinuses) can't wait to get back to my swamp-cooled house with a little bit of humidity in the air.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by LisaCACO

I think something is telling that people like to divide people into so called natives and non natives, lol...

Oh, this is funny. I could not understand this line and then I realized....See, I do not read Jazzlover's post, most of the time, I have them blocked. We have a running feud about his idea of being a "native". I make fun of him and give him grief. though, do not tell him this, but I agree with much what he says. I just do not like the native, non-native baloney.

I decided to read his recent posts on this thread, and, and....and....it appears I was agreeing with him and saying almost the same thing. SOMEONE STOP ME

I cannot be a "native" in eyes of some, because I was not born here---I was born in New York City Even though I have been here over 30 years. It appears that I have finally come over to the "dark side" and the beliefs and characteristics of a Citizen of the West is sinking into me. Maybe not a "native" but a person who appreciates this region of the country.

Livecontent

[EscapeCalifornia]

How much humidity do swap coolers add to the air? Is it enough that you start to think you're in Texas if you do something active indoors like vacuum?

[LisaCACO]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Oh, this is funny. I could not understand this line and then I realized....See, I do not read Jazzlover's post, most of the time, I have them blocked. We have a running feud about his idea of being a "native". I make fun of him and give him grief. though, do not tell him this, but I agree with much what he says. I just do not like the native, non-native baloney.

I decided to read his recent posts on this thread, and, and....and....it appears I was agreeing with him and saying almost the same thing. SOMEONE STOP ME

I cannot be a "native" in eyes of some, because I was not born here---I was born in New York City Even though I have been here over 30 years. It appears that I have finally come over to the "dark side" and the beliefs and characteristics of a Citizen of the West is sinking into me. Maybe not a "native" but a person who appreciates this region of the country.

Livecontent

the dark side...it's so seductive, lol.

hey, I could never be a true californian to all those "CA natives" because I was born back east. my family didn't move there til I was 6. seems I'll never be a native anywhere .

gotta stop moving .

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

We had a ceiling exhaust fan installed in our windowless laundry room, which is equipped with HE appliances.

We have A/C on the unit serving the upstairs (ground level) of our ranch-style home, the below grade level has a heating unit but doesn't need an A/C unit. Even in the winter, the downstairs heating system rarely runs. The house was constructed to Colorado's "Build Green" standards (as they existed in 2005).

It's not that expensive to add A/C to a new home being built. For extant homes, I'd look for one with A/C, even if I didn't think I'd really use it all that much, it's nice to have in case of an odd heat wave or long spell of hot dirty air, or if a home doesn't have the sort of natural cooling which LiveContent has going for him.

I agree with this statement. I live in a brick ranch style house built in the early 1960's. We never have to cool the basement and rarely have to heat it in the winter. The Central air and central heat is mainly for the main floor. That being said, it is just personal preference if a person likes the cold crisp air of a a/c unit or the humid cool air of a swamp unit. Personally, I like the cold crisp air but I know many people who prefer the more humid air and in my opinion there is no wrong answer.