Curious about AC

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

I think much would depend on your home. Rooms with a north exposure don't get much sun. East exposures get only the morning sun. Are there trees that shade your home? How is the ventilation? Are there operating windows you can safely leave open? Some of the newer condos have e-rated windows.

There is no hard and fast answer. However, few Portland single family residences have air conditioning (excepting those with heat pumps where ac is incidental). Some put a window air conditioner in 2nd floor bedrooms.

Really? It doesn't seem true to me, though I don't know how you'd judge. No one in my family lives in a home without air conditioning. And we're talking a large, extended family. Maybe we're wimps.

[Nell Plotts]

I did not intend to be judgemental. Maybe I have too much exposure to construction professionals. Each to what they are accustomed to and the home itself.

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by juggler

I'm calling BS on this. In the most recent summer, PDX did not break 100 degrees even once, and looking at the average highs for summer 2000 vs. summer 2010, I see very little difference. Do you have data to back up your claim?

Note, I'm not disputing the existence of GW, just your "far above" claim.

My (rented) house was built in 1936. I wasn't born then but I don't have to be. Records were kept then. Would I be on safe ground in saying that in 1936 a summer temperature of 90 degree's would be a catastrophic event? I think so. Would I also be safe in saying that most people don't need to see the mercury hit 100 before they want A/C? Especially at night? The summer before I arrived in Portland was the first ever above 100 degree temperature recorded there. Ever. Since then every summer (except this last) has had at least one day over one hundred. Despite the temperature not exceeding one hundred degrees this summer my SO insisted that we buy a room A/C for the bedroom because the previous three summers had several unbearable runs of over 85 degree days. Since you are not disputing my claim of Global Warming being the reason A/C is now built into many houses vs once ago why quibble about a few years? You don't really think things are any warmer now than once ago, do you.

H

[Nell Plotts]

One of the differences between homes built before about 1960 and those later is the ventilation. After the 60s a lot of effort was made to seal up houses to retain heat. The effect of this is that in the summer head did not escape through building walls and ceilings (also mold issues increased). This change took place across the country in the name of energy conservation. Now most homes require mechanical ventilation.

We can see the impact of retained heat as the building industry responds to this. For years windows were clear glass. Now insulated windows are offered with treatments it reduce heat gain and buildings are designed with sun shades.

There are lots of ways to manage room temperature, ac is only one of them.

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

My (rented) house was built in 1936. I wasn't born then but I don't have to be. Records were kept then. Would I be on safe ground in saying that in 1936 a summer temperature of 90 degree's would be a catastrophic event? I think so. Would I also be safe in saying that most people don't need to see the mercury hit 100 before they want A/C? Especially at night? The summer before I arrived in Portland was the first ever above 100 degree temperature recorded there. Ever. Since then every summer (except this last) has had at least one day over one hundred. Despite the temperature not exceeding one hundred degrees this summer my SO insisted that we buy a room A/C for the bedroom because the previous three summers had several unbearable runs of over 85 degree days. Since you are not disputing my claim of Global Warming being the reason A/C is now built into many houses vs once ago why quibble about a few years? You don't really think things are any warmer now than once ago, do you.

H

Not sure when you arrived in town, but 100+ temperatures have been around all my life. Rare, but they've been around. A 2009 news article about reaching (or surpassing) the all-time high says, specifically:

"The last time it was that hot was the week of Aug. 7-10, 1981; on Aug. 8 and 10 it hit 107 degrees. Before that, the temperature reached 107 degrees July 30, 1965."

And you know that if in 1965 it was hitting 107, it had well surpassed 100 many times prior.

[davefr]

There's typically a couple weeks in the summer where A/C is a must IMHO. You can survive with lots of fans but it isn't pleasent.

As was mentioned, heat pumps are becomming the most common HVAC system here so A/C is part of the system.

Some of our heat waves are dry but others are muggy and miserable. (however nothing like the SE)

[EnricoV]

Humidity, and heat, are relative. I had a friend who lived at the coast who couldn't bear to come into town during the summer because she said it was so humid. Which it almost never seems to be to me (unless a storm's brewing).