Do LA people use A/C and Heat?

[Bunjee]

We only turn on the A/C when there are guests. I'm in the IE now where it is hot, but I guess the insulation works well enough to keep the indoors from sweltering. That's unlike the house I grew up in, or my first apartment in downtown LA, so I may have had early training not to rely on it. Likewise, my first car didn't have A/C so even now I don't use it as it actually just doesn't quite feel right, and I just roll down the windows.

As for heat, there are times during the year we turn it on in the morning and evening just to take the chill out of the air, but it never stays on. I guess that goes for A/C too now when it really does get oppressive, just to neutralize the heat, but once that's done it gets turned off.

[L.A. Diva]

A person can certainly survive in Southern California in the summer without an A/C. In the daytime and evening just open your windows and let all of that cool ocean breeze come in. I lived there for 2 decades and I never needed an A/C, except one summer, probably in 2003 it got real, real hot, sometimes a heat wave may come through and humidity is rare, this may happen two days out of a year, if you need a washer and dryer I would suggest that you invest in that and not an A/C.

[JohnG72]

I live in Van Nuys, a suburb about 17 miles northwest of downtown in the SF Valley. Its very hot in the summer(though not this year oddly....its darn near perfect this year), and pretty cold in the winter. Spring and fall are usually outstanding with marginal humidity and what most people would describe as excellent weather.

Usually use AC every day from late June to late September, running all night(at a preset temperature). Usually use the heater from about December through mid march, though not as heavily as the AC. It usually stays above 90 all summer and even into the 100's for a few weeks a year. But this year, it was into the 100's for only a couple days and has stayed under 90 most of the summer. In the winter, average high is probably around 65-72 and it gets down into the 20's in January and February as a night time low.

[impala666]

Originally Posted by NJ-201

Does people from LA use A/C during the summer and Heat on during winter time?!?! It cools off at night most of the year, so are you guys still using A/C? What about during winter?

When I first moved from England A/C was a real novelty I used it so much even in Big Sur that I often woke up in the middle of the night as I was freezing cold.
Now I just keep windows open each side of the house and we get a nice breeze.
Car A/C is a different ball game if the car is not a rag top I leave it on all the time.

[Western87]

I grew up in South Central for 14 years, we didn't have an A/C and we didn't need it a simple fan was all we need it. When my family moved to TX the A/C and heater were a must. Now back in LA for college and only use A/C in the car or to visit family in the valley.

[sarahkate_m]

I grew up without amenities as well, in Huntington Park. A/C in the car: can't live without that option! In my adulthood: I use whatever I can afford.

When I lived in Murrieta, I used to think I was cold at 68 degrees. The heat would go on. Now I live in Oregon & I feel lucky in winter if the thermometer in the house shows over 50! I can't afford utilities anymore. I do feel too cold at lower than 56, now.

In Murrieta, we lived for the A/C. I'd go shopping just to cool off... I never knew I hated hot weather until I got to live without it in Oregon! When it's hot here, we just put a fan on.

[jackie100]

I'm in OC and I don't have A/C but I blast all the heater on ALL WINTER... People claim winter is not cold in So Cal but to ME it's cold. I probably would not survive in the real cold places where it actually snows etc. I would die. I'm spoiled.

[KnoxTown]

I'm in Burbank, and have never used the heater. The air conditioning gets used quite often though.

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by NJ-201

Does people from LA use A/C during the summer and Heat on during winter time?!?! It cools off at night most of the year, so are you guys still using A/C? What about during winter?

Yes and yes. Is 201 your area code, BTW? Just curious.

Anyhoo...we are being very cheap at my household so I try not to turn on the AC until the evening. However, it does routinely get into the 90s for a couple/few months a year during the summer/fall so indeed, you need it--depending upon where you are. The further inland one goes, generally, the hotter it gets.

Heat: Yes, definitely, in the winter and early spring.