[purplesque]

I didn't know how else to say this.

CT newbies just moved in from PA, found a rental home, moved in yesterday to find out- there's NO airconditioning!

I profess my ignorance- we've never lived in an area where airconditioning was optional, and had no idea that this was something to check off when looking for rentals. (Our agent didn't say a word, either.) It seems obvious that we won't be able to live in this house without airconditioning.

Options- 1. Break the lease. Find another place. Move again. (Too many hassles, probably not worth it.)
2. Get airconditioning. This is where I need your help, CT veterans- how does this thing work? Is it worth buying our own units for a 3 BR house? (I hate the thought that window ACs are going to kill the light in the house.) We might stay here for 3 years. The house itself is nice, and the rental is cheap(er) than the other places we looked at. Or is it better to buy a couple of ACs, suck it up, and then move again next year?

I know this is not a concrete - here's the answer- question, but we are STUCK. Tell us what you would do.

[JayCT]

Even in Pennsylvania, most older homes do not have central air conditioning. If you do not want to move, then buying units is your only option. There are units that do not need to be in a window so you might research those. Make sure that if the unit needs to drain you have a place to drain it to and if you have to make any alterations to the house to accomodate them, you check with your landlord first. Jay

[mels]

Central air is by no means standard anywhere in New England. If you buy two window units that are properly sized and space them at each end of the house, they can likely cool one floor of your house no problem (depending on layout, of course). This is what I do and we call it poor man's central air. Some summers we never even put the AC units in, other summers we will run them for a week at a time.

Welcome to the area!

[JayCT]

It goes beyond New England. I would say it is the entire northeast including NY NJ and PA.

[Currency Pair Crocodile]

Originally Posted by purplesque

I didn't know how else to say this.

CT newbies just moved in from PA, found a rental home, moved in yesterday to find out- there's NO airconditioning!

I profess my ignorance- we've never lived in an area where airconditioning was optional, and had no idea that this was something to check off when looking for rentals. (Our agent didn't say a word, either.) It seems obvious that we won't be able to live in this house without airconditioning.

Options- 1. Break the lease. Find another place. Move again. (Too many hassles, probably not worth it.)
2. Get airconditioning. This is where I need your help, CT veterans- how does this thing work? Is it worth buying our own units for a 3 BR house? (I hate the thought that window ACs are going to kill the light in the house.) We might stay here for 3 years. The house itself is nice, and the rental is cheap(er) than the other places we looked at. Or is it better to buy a couple of ACs, suck it up, and then move again next year?

I know this is not a concrete - here's the answer- question, but we are STUCK. Tell us what you would do.

Welcome to the Connecticut homeowners graft fund.

This is how it generally goes:

"I'm stuck in a mortgage with my 1800K home, which I could never have afforded in the first place (Well, I did at that point as my stock portfolio wasn't like 80% devalued). So I need you to stay in my other little shack which I inherited from my grandfather I never knew, for which I am charging you 1700 coz you are a newbie with a fat wallet (Oh I checked your credit report and your employment proof, you can't fool me there) and you need a place to stay, and you know it's in so much proximity to NYC. Actually, well, you need to take a 50 minute train. The house doesn't have too many goodies, but you know you are so close to NYC and a ton of wonderful things to do."



I was stuck in a place all winter with a faulty heater.

[Stylo]

I hope it's a lesson to be more careful when signing a lease.

I would buy a couple cheap window units. One for each floor, if you have 2 floors. It's not going to reduce your light that much. And anyway, who cares? No rental is perfect.

[jjinla]

I can top that...our rental, which really couldn't be more than about 50 years old, doesn't have a single OUTLET in any of the bathrooms. My husband called our landlord when we first moved here (a woman) and asked her if he was just overlooking them, and her response was "no, now that I think about it, none of the bathrooms do have outlets." This was a house that she lived in for years. How does that never occur to you?

But yes, I would just get a few portable units. They are only $200 or less I think. Homes are very screwy out here. Many are quite a bit older than places like MD and PA, and miss many of the more usual conveniences like central A/C, gas heat, garbage disposals, and even having more than one bath for a 4BR house. I would assume it is because anywhere else where land is cheap, you just tear down and build new but out here, you just have to keep renovating.

[trochlearIV]

purplesque

If it is any help you can go on the re use it recycling group (just do a yahoo group search for your town's group). There is always someone giving away air conditioners. Also search on craigslist.
That way you don't have to spend much especially since you don't even plan to stay there that long.

Good luck to you

[Csiko]

Bought one at Walmart, cools way more than advertised for the size.

It's pretty apparent when you're walking around the house you're about to buy that there's no central air, no idea how you missed that one.

[purplesque]

Thank you, All.

We will get window units for the meantime- thanks, CN IV for the recycling group tip!

Csiko, I know. We were there in the middle of a snowstorm, and frankly, this is the first house I've been to in the US that does not have central air. That said, I take full responsibility for the omission.