No A/C in apartments? (Seattle: homes, new construction, landlords)

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by newintown89

Do you guys have heating for the cold weather, or do you just wrap up? LOL.

Nothing sacrilege about having heat. Heaters are OK

But my mom would tell you to put on a sweater.

[eugene_b]

We recently moved from north east and were very concerned about a/c when shopping for apartments. Landlords just laughed at us and I can mostly see why now. So far there has been maybe 3-5 days when I was staring to get uncomfortable about temperature, and only in the middle of the day, it usually cools down closer to the evening. In the north east I was miserable since I am pretty bad at handling high temps and I still remember those fun $300-400 electricity bills in summer and spending all day indoors.

That being said, some apartments are better than others about this. Some apartments seem to have something about them that even if you open windows, the topmost flooor keeps being hot at day (may be it’s roof or general ventilation problem, I don’t know). In other apartments you just open windows, and enjoy nice cold breeze.

[TinaTwo]

I’d have to use at least a portable AC unit. I like to be cool at least at night for sleep. I grew up with window units during the sweltering summers in the Midwest and now in CA wouldn’t be without it if I can help it. If it is really mild then of course fans will do.

[newintown89]

Originally Posted by eugene_b

We recently moved from north east and were very concerned about a/c when shopping for apartments. Landlords just laughed at us and I can mostly see why now. So far there has been maybe 3-5 days when I was staring to get uncomfortable about temperature, and only in the middle of the day, it usually cools down closer to the evening. In the north east I was miserable since I am pretty bad at handling high temps and I still remember those fun $300-400 electricity bills in summer and spending all day indoors.

That being said, some apartments are better than others about this. Some apartments seem to have something about them that even if you open windows, the topmost flooor keeps being hot at day (may be it’s roof or general ventilation problem, I don’t know). In other apartments you just open windows, and enjoy nice cold breeze.

Do you prefer it in the Seattle area to the north east?

[leastprime]

Many apartments won't let you put in window units. We added a portable to our rental condo as an incentive-improvement. We added a portable to our condo. Our rental townhouse has gas hotwater heat and mini-split, heat-pump. Our son has a portable in his townhouse, not so much for himself but for Airbnb guests. Mostly the portables take out the humidity rather than really cool the place down. In 2017, we were visiting son and checking the rentals and I sweltered at 85 degrees and insisted on using the portable.

Further south, 150 miles, in western Oregon, you need an air conditioner. We can get a week of 100-110 weather and and another 2 weeks of high 90's. Humidlty is fine, its the heat. A temperature of 85 here is nice, no air conditioner required since by 6-7 pm the westerly winds will cool things off by 10-15 degrees.

I'll try to a couple of portables this fall or winter at garage sales.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by newintown89

Thank you, Ruth. Have you ever lived on the east coast?

I've visited. And I time those visits very carefully! I time my visits to New Yawk for April/early May, or late Sept/early Oct. I've never been disappointed. Fabulous weather every time! High 60's to low 70's. Perfection.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by leastprime

Many apartments won't let you put in window units. We added a portable to our rental condo as an incentive-improvement. We added a portable to our condo. Our rental townhouse has gas hotwater heat and mini-split, heat-pump. Our son has a portable in his townhouse, not so much for himself but for Airbnb guests. Mostly the portables take out the humidity rather than really cool the place down. In 2017, we were visiting son and checking the rentals and I sweltered at 85 degrees and insisted on using the portable.

Further south, 150 miles, in western Oregon, you need an air conditioner. We can get a week of 100-110 weather and and another 2 weeks of high 90's. Humidlty is fine, its the heat. A temperature of 85 here is nice, no air conditioner required since by 6-7 pm the westerly winds will cool things off by 10-15 degrees.

I'll try to a couple of portables this fall or winter at garage sales.

What do you mean, the portable ones don't actually cool, the only de-humidify? Please explain.

[GraceKrispy]

I've never lived in a place that had a/c, and I grew up in the Chicago area, moved to the Southwest (AZ and NM) and lived here and in Hawai'i. In Hawai'i, the ocean breeze helped, but it did get pretty hot in some places we lived. We did have a swamp cooler in one place in NM. It was helpful for sure. Both places we lived in the Southwest were in the mountains, so not nearly as hot as the valley. Days didn't go above 100 typically, but were often in the 90s.

Summers here are definitely more bearable without a/c than Chicago was! But we live in a bad apartment for heat. We are on the top floor, west-facing with nothing blocking the setting sun in the summer. If it's 85 outside, it's well over 90 inside. We are not allowed to have portable a/c, so we use fans and rough it Luckily, it's only been a few handfuls of days that have been unbearable, whereas in the Chicago area it was unbearable pretty much daily.

I *much* prefer the fall and winter here.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by newintown89

Do you guys have heating for the cold weather, or do you just wrap up? LOL.

Entire apartment buildings are outfitted with electric baseboard heat; cheapest electricity in the country, or among the cheapest. Homes have gas central heating, and there's a few still around with oil heat. It's been known to snow in Seattle, so of course there's heat. Even CA homes and apartments have heat, except for some in LA, I'm told.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

I've never lived in a place that had a/c, and I grew up in the Chicago area, moved to the Southwest (AZ and NM) and lived here and in Hawai'i. In Hawai'i, the ocean breeze helped, but it did get pretty hot in some places we lived. We did have a swamp cooler in one place in NM. It was helpful for sure. Both places we lived in the Southwest were in the mountains, so not nearly as hot as the valley. Days didn't go above 100 typically, but were often in the 90s.

There are still homes around NM without A/C, or even swamp coolers; people in the mountains used to just open up all the windows, and sleep with the windows open. But the temps have warmed to the extent that even people born and raised in northern NM are getting A/C or swamp.