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I'm finding that a good number of the old homes within my budget do not have central A/C. Not knowing the climate, I'm wondering if it would be unbearable in the summer without it, and instead relying on ceiling fans and possibly a window unit in the bedrooms? How much of the year do you really need A/C? Thanks!
I think that if you live in the city itself, you'll probably need it. I've lived in the city (South Asheville) for almost five years now, and use it quite often. Out of the city, in a more mountainous area, you may be able to get away without it. A lot depends on the makeup of the home you live in, we live in a townhouse with three separate levels, and the top floor, where the bedrooms are, gets very warm in the summer due to the rising of hot air and the sun beating in.
I agree with roxors. That's about the way Asheville is. I know I'd want an A/C there. When my wife was in college in Boone (a town NE of Asheville with a higher elevation), she never needed an A/C and seldom used a fan.
A lot of the older homes in my 1950's neighborhood in town do not have central AC. I do, however, and I used it all summer. You don't need it for as many months as most places in the south, and it usually gets cool at night and you could easily get by with a fan then. But it also helps with the humidity, as it does rain in the summer.
I used it all the time when I lived on Merrimon for a short time. I couldn't imagine not having it. Perhaps I'm just spoiled with always having a/c.
Asheville is in the French Broad River basin, so it tends to be warmer than other areas of the mountains. If you're out a little bit and have a lot of shade, you might could get by with room units. Elevation has a large influence as well. Most of Asheville is between 2,100 and 2,300 feet. Someone mentioned Boone, which is over 3,000.
You'll probably have to use a/c off and on from late April-May, often through the whole summer, then off and on through September and October. The nights are typically cool during summer.
Something I find very interesting about Asheville is that it is actually the driest area in the state, only averaging 37 inches in a year. This apparently has something to do with it being in a basin as well. Go about 20-30 miles to the south in Transylvania and Jackson Counties, the average amount of precipitation is in excess of 90 inches per year.
The weather is unpredictable though. I remember an April in 2000 where it got into the 90's just down the mountain in Tryon, about the hottest it got all year. The next week it snowed three inches. In April 2004 I was walking around at Lake Lure in short sleeves on a Saturday afternoon. The next day it snowed. Very weird.
Strangely, last year in May I was still using the heat! It was very cold for May. Didn't use ac until about June, and was able to turn it off mostly for September.
Think I'm going to start doing some homework to find out how much it costs to add central air to an old home
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