Is Phoenix livable without air conditioning? (home builders, heat pump, new construction)

[blisterpeanuts]

Once you're acclimated, you'll probably accept the heat as normal and comfortable. Your body literally modifies itself to adapt to the heat; you will form more capillaries to shed more body heat.

I found the heat wonderful and never a burden at all. We kept our house's AC at 80 degrees, with ceiling fans running, and it felt downright cool when we came inside from 112. Conversely, it was so nice to get out of the AC at the office and feel that warm, dry air. Ahhhhhh. Miss it!

If you need to escape the desert heat, you can get up on Saturday morning and drive about an hour east to the Boyce Arboretum, or an hour and a half north to the festivals in Prescott, or two and a half hours to Flagstaff and the mile high forests and of course the Canyon, and you will be completely out of the heat. It's remarkable how diverse the climate is in that state.

[keer7869]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

My parents keep their AC set at 80 degrees. LOL

Here on the coast 80 degrees would be a hot day.

It's amazing how cool and refreshing 80 degree is, when you are coming home on a 110 degree day. We keep our ac at 80 and it feels perfectly cool and very comfortable during summer.

[revelated]

Originally Posted by blisterpeanuts

Once you're acclimated, you'll probably accept the heat as normal and comfortable. Your body literally modifies itself to adapt to the heat; you will form more capillaries to shed more body heat.

Negative. Living in Southern California for over 30 years did not in any way tune my body to handle the heat down there. In fact there were quite a few times I would turn the A/C down into the 50's because my body was literally burning up from the inside out. And that's just Southern California. Fort Smith Arkansas? Forget it.

[blisterpeanuts]

Originally Posted by revelated

Negative. Living in Southern California for over 30 years did not in any way tune my body to handle the heat down there. In fact there were quite a few times I would turn the A/C down into the 50's because my body was literally burning up from the inside out. And that's just Southern California. Fort Smith Arkansas? Forget it.

Dry heat or humid heat?

[RJ312]

Phoenix is not livable without air conditioning.

[Rico Valencia]

Originally Posted by RJ312

Phoenix is not livable without air conditioning.

Well the Hohokam Indians would disagree with you as they were living in the the Salt River Valley, A.K.A. Phoenix 2000 years before modern day Phoenix existed. Modern day Phoenix is built along the lush Salt River just as Cairo, Egypt ,one of the oldest cities in the world, is built along the lush, magnificent Nile River.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Rico Valencia

Well the Hohokam Indians would disagree with you as they were living in the the Salt River Valley, A.K.A. Phoenix 2000 years before modern day Phoenix existed. Modern day Phoenix is built along the lush Salt River just as Cairo, Egypt ,one of the oldest cities in the world, is built along the lush, magnificent Nile River.

And those ancient civilizations and cities in the middle east like Babylonia, Cairo and Jerusalem did not have wall to wall air conditioning either - and still don't. Humans are well adapted to living in a hot dry climate. In fact, our method of maintaining body temperature is ideal for it - we evolved that way . That said, I don't like living here even with air conditioning.

[BIG CATS]

Well, since we're already getting the ultra-shi**y humid weather in June (and more on the way), if there was no a/c in my place, I woulda left here years ago. This weather is a giant suckfest!!!! I dont give a crap if the Hohokam lived here without a/c, Im sure they died and were miserable, too. The smart Native Americans did what modern snowbirds do... they traveled depending on the seasons, if given the opportunity.

[lewdog_5]

Liveable? Sure.

Want to hate your life?....definitely.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by revelated

Negative. Living in Southern California for over 30 years did not in any way tune my body to handle the heat down there. In fact there were quite a few times I would turn the A/C down into the 50's because my body was literally burning up from the inside out. And that's just Southern California. Fort Smith Arkansas? Forget it.

I agree. Just because somebody lives in a certain climate for a long time doesn't always mean he/she is going to be able to tolerate it more than a newbie. Here in Phoenix, I have found just the opposite is true: many newer transplants actually like the heat because they moved here from somewhere that is either too cold, too damp, too snowy, etc., and this climate is a nice change. On the other hand, I used to look forward to summers when I was younger ... however, now that I'm older and have lived here for over 50 years, I find the summer heat to be very burdening, and far less tolerable than when I was young. Many other natives & long term residents have said pretty much the same thing: the heat sucks!

Originally Posted by Rico Valencia

Well the Hohokam Indians would disagree with you as they were living in the the Salt River Valley, A.K.A. Phoenix 2000 years before modern day Phoenix existed. Modern day Phoenix is built along the lush Salt River just as Cairo, Egypt ,one of the oldest cities in the world, is built along the lush, magnificent Nile River.

True, but you also have to understand the lifespan was pretty short during that time. Many pioneers who came here when Phoenix was barely a dot on the map also managed to withstand the heat without A/C, but it was a tough life and many people didn't live past the age of 50. They helped pave the way for future generations to move here and eventually make conditions more bearable, but the quality of life for those early settlers was pretty non existent compared to today.

Another thing to keep in mind is the nights and early mornings were a lot cooler many years ago compared to now. When there were fewer people living here, there was a lot more open desert, and also more agriculture, which helped make the nights much more pleasant. Even in July, it could be 105 to 110 in the afternoon, but the low temps would usually drop to the 60s or 70s. Now, with well over four million people, Phoenix has basically become a sprawling mess of concrete & asphalt. That has caused the nights to become much warmer and even down right hot & uncomfortable during much of the summer. We may be blessed with A/C, comfortable living, and a better quality of life, but it has become hotter as a result.