Can YOU make it in Arizona WITHOUT air conditioning from May-September?

[sarashane]

In north Arizona I never had A/C and was fine with just fans and open windows. I wouldn't attempt that in South Arizona.

[FastBikesFastCars]

I survived for 4 years in Tucson with no AC or Swamp cooler. I had running water for one summer so I was able to douse myself with water from time to time. This was good as I had injured my knee, had no car and could barely walk. The other 3 years I had no running water but I was mobile so I could seek out cooler areas. This summer I still have no running water but I bought a portable swamp cooler and would take my cart to the Walmart and fill up my water jugs. I generally was able to run the swamp cooler about 4 hours daily which was a big help. So yes you can survive with out central cooling but it is miserable and dangerous. I am in this situation because of extreme poverty but it is what it is. You would be amazed at what you can do and endure to survive. I am 60 years old and in poor health but I am sure not dead yet!

[john3232]

I have relatives who have lived in Tucson for the past 50 years. I recall visiting AZ when I was young. Our car had no AC and neither did my cousins house.

In the past I've turned off the AC in my home (Mesa) to see how long it takes to reach 90 degrees. In the peck summer months the house usually hits 90 degrees by noon.

I have a couple of these fans:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They work pretty good in the event of an emergency.

[rational1]

Flagstaff- no problem.

[wit-nit]

Can YOU make it in Arizona WITHOUT air conditioning from May-September?

In Phoenix in a coffin.

[CCS414]

Yeah no sweat (ha ha).......if I lived in Flagstaff. You probably should've posted this in the Phoenix forum or at least worded your post to indicate the desert regions.

Summers in Flag are awesome. Beautiful, green, expensive, low humidity, cool and maybe even chilly at night.

[CCS414]

Originally Posted by TAZORAC

Whats the hottest region in Arizona? Southern AZ? Maybe thats for another topic.

Towns along the Colorado River. Yuma, Parker, Bullhead. All just absolutely miserable places to be in the summer with temps exceeding those in Phoenix by about 5 degrees.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by CCS414

Yeah no sweat (ha ha).......if I lived in Flagstaff. You probably should've posted this in the Phoenix forum or at least worded your post to indicate the desert regions.

Summers in Flag are awesome. Beautiful, green, expensive, low humidity, cool and maybe even chilly at night.

Flagstaff is a horrible place to live for working people, high prices (higher than Phoenix generally), but without a lot of jobs paying the wages necessary to afford said prices. This is due to people from California buying 2nd homes there

[mlulu23]

Originally Posted by grad_student200

Yes, it is scientifically possible. I worked one summer at the Department of Energy as an intern. They had world-class scientists investigating renewable energy design. One branch of scientists and engineers worked with passive solar homes. The design enhances insulation, convection, cooling, heat reflection, etc. to cool the home. There are many variations, but the technology does it exist. It won't be "ideal" but can be made to survive a Phoenix summer.

Here is one example:
This house in the desert keeps itself cool and generates its own power

There are many online resources...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YylmeMilok8

Great ideas for passive solar. But since the creator of the video is from the southern hemisphere where their north is our south those two directions would have to be switched for us up here in the northern hemisphere.