[RogerAnthony]

My house was built in either 1855, 1890, or 1892 depending on what source you believe. It has central AC.

[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by SteveM85

Then they threw away my vinyl record collection. Friggin idiots

OUCH!!!

Originally Posted by ryanthegoldengod

Me neither. Just fans. At one point my mom got a window AC for her bedroom which was a crazy luxury item and it was only because she actually worked in the summer so had to get up early unlike my brother and I. But I can remember some nights needing to wait until about 2 AM for it to cool off enough to sleep. Yet oddly I almost miss it. Not enough to go without AC--let's not get crazy. Last night my power went out for 3 hours. I thought how this was what life was once always like. But it gave a unique character and personality to the summer. Summer was truly summer, no antiseptic temp control indoors.

It also made me hate winter less because it represented a rest from the heat.

To this day I don't like antiseptic temp control in any season.

This is going to sound weird but did you remember sleeping backwards on the bed? It must've been due to where the windows were, but I'd sleep with my head at the foot of the bed on those super hot nights.

Oddly I don't remember any fans in the house but we must've had a couple. But when my grandparents moved I ended up with some really vintage metal fans, some with cages with a lot of room for fingers to reach in! Unsafe but boy they pushed out air like no fan does today and we never injured ourselves.

I don't think my grandparents had AC at all.

Older houses were built to pull air through the house to cool it down. New houses are built to be sealed.

[ryanthegoldengod]

Originally Posted by WouldLoveTo

OUCH!!!



To this day I don't like antiseptic temp control in any season.

This is going to sound weird but did you remember sleeping backwards on the bed? It must've been due to where the windows were, but I'd sleep with my head at the foot of the bed on those super hot nights.

Oddly I don't remember any fans in the house but we must've had a couple. But when my grandparents moved I ended up with some really vintage metal fans, some with cages with a lot of room for fingers to reach in! Unsafe but boy they pushed out air like no fan does today and we never injured ourselves.

I don't think my grandparents had AC at all.

Older houses were built to pull air through the house to cool it down. New houses are built to be sealed.

Yes! I slept backwards to get some breeze from the window. Also would take an ice cold shower and hope to fall asleep before I got hot again. (Never worked). Also would put ice cubes on me in bed--never reeally worked. On nights like the last few nights the only thing that would really work was waiting until about 2AM. Luckily no school in the morning so would just sleep in--until it got hot again the next morning.

Then there was begging to go swimming in neighbor's pools. Then there was pool hopping--a hooligan activity I'm sorry to say I never partook in where kids would just walk around the neighborhood and jump in pools until Dad or Mom ran outside to yell at you for trespassing and you went on to the next pool and did the same. Or spraying yourself with the hose. Or going under the sprinklers. Popsicles. Kool Aid by the gallon. Root beer floats. Anything that would cool you down The entire season was a battle against the heat. A 3 month ice bucket challenge. Honestly, it was fun. All of my memories growing up seem to be tied to it being hot--outdoors and indoors.

Of course I would never want to have that kind of fun now.....

[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by ryanthegoldengod

Yes! I slept backwards to get some breeze from the window. Also would take an ice cold shower and hope to fall asleep before I got hot again. (Never worked). Also would put ice cubes on me in bed--never reeally worked. On nights like the last few nights the only thing that would really work was waiting until about 2AM. Luckily no school in the morning so would just sleep in--until it got hot again the next morning.

Then there was begging to go swimming in neighbor's pools. Then there was pool hopping--a hooligan activity I'm sorry to say I never partook in where kids would just walk around the neighborhood and jump in pools until Dad or Mom ran outside to yell at you for trespassing and you went on to the next pool and did the same. Or spraying yourself with the hose. Or going under the sprinklers. Popsicles. Kool Aid by the gallon. Root beer floats. Anything that would cool you down The entire season was a battle against the heat. A 3 month ice bucket challenge. Honestly, it was fun. All of my memories growing up seem to be tied to it being hot--outdoors and indoors.

Of course I would never want to have that kind of fun now.....

I'm glad I not the only one who did that! We had a small 2' or so round pool when I was little but I remember always having sprinklers and probably some other small pools. A couple of friends had much larger pools but we had to wait to be asked. We were about 2 miles from the high school and took swim lessons all summer just to be able to swim (and mom got to hang out with her friends). Then we'd stay for open swim and walk back home (which just heated us back up again!)

Popsicles! Mom would make them in a special tupperware container. Then came the... Freezpops? You could get them in a box and there would always be a bunch in the freezer. She also had a few jello/ice cream desserts in the fridge. Lots of fruit (watermelon!)

It never seemed to be humid though. Just blissfully hot. And it was only a few unbearable nights.

Ah the memories!

[ryanthegoldengod]

Originally Posted by WouldLoveTo

I'm glad I not the only one who did that! We had a small 2' or so round pool when I was little but I remember always having sprinklers and probably some other small pools. A couple of friends had much larger pools but we had to wait to be asked. We were about 2 miles from the high school and took swim lessons all summer just to be able to swim (and mom got to hang out with her friends). Then we'd stay for open swim and walk back home (which just heated us back up again!)

Popsicles! Mom would make them in a special tupperware container. Then came the... Freezpops? You could get them in a box and there would always be a bunch in the freezer. She also had a few jello/ice cream desserts in the fridge. Lots of fruit (watermelon!)

It never seemed to be humid though. Just blissfully hot. And it was only a few unbearable nights.

Ah the memories!

It was probably just as humid. Or at least close. We just didn't mind it as much. People get to be snowflakes as they get older! I didn't mind the heat or the cold of winter and didn't understand the grownups who complained about it. Now I kind of do.

[Ronin909]

My house was built in 1972 and had no central AC when I bought it. I had ductwork and equipment put in for central air. The house did have a large fan in the attic which could be used to pull outside air up through the house - which I guess was OK but it wouldn't do anything for controlling humidity or keeping pollen out. I had that fan removed during renovations.

I also run a couple of dehumidifiers, 1 on each floor.

[recycled]

Originally Posted by CTlibrarian

My current house was built in 1983. No ductwork for central air and we can’t afford to have it installed. We use a combo of window units and freestanding floor units. Very noisy, but keeps us cool.

If I had a home like that in the northeastern US, I'd consider ductless mini-split AC. Much better and quieter than window AC, very energy efficient too. Do a google search on ductless mini-split if you are not familiar with them. Outside the USA, they are more common than central air.

[clutchrider]

Central, home was built in 96. It was a requirement on my list of must haves when home shopping a decade ago. Also on that list;

-at least 1 acre
-attached 2 car garage
-no backyard neighbors (i.e. houses on top of each other in split lots)
-natural gas

[Neil Watkins]

We have central air. Though if it were to require expensive repairs I'd probably just buy a couple of window units. Unless the heat was affected as well, then we'd have no choice, I assume.

[ryanthegoldengod]

Originally Posted by RogerAnthony

My house was built in either 1855, 1890, or 1892 depending on what source you believe. It has central AC.

Well yeah but the central air was obviously added by someone much later.