No A/C in apartments? (Seattle: heat pump, buy, luxury)

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

The climate hasn't changed that much. I think the difference is the imports from TX and CA and elsewhere who are used to having it.


People from sunnier climates are less used to heat than we are. Because they aren't out in it when it's hot.

The climate is in the process of changing, though, with the freak heat waves that have been happening, and their increasing frequency. For example, it never used to be hot in late May/June, but in the last 8-10 years, there have been a few doozies in that period. And then there was last year, whit that huge heat wave later in the summer. I know a few people who were born and raised in Seattle, who have shopped for A/C units of one sort or another, this summer.

[Akama13]

Originally Posted by angelenogirl

Day before yesterday it was 91 by my outside thermometer. We have a week of temps in the mid-80s coming up. I've been here almost six years and still see people telling newcomers that it's only hot a few days a year. I'm sorry, but it's HOT here in summer, usually all summer, and I don't understand why we can't just accept that and be comfortable in AC.

Of course, when I mentioned in another thread that it was over 100 degrees last August, a poster here told me I was an alcoholic on pills. Denying the heat is almost like a badge of honor or something. It's bizarre.

I use my portable AC for the bedroom daily for at least 8 weeks every summer. 2 large west facing windows, even with blackout curtains it gets over 90 in there.

My daughter's bedroom on the other hand faces north and is in the basement, don't need AC there.

[PRND321]

You definitely need an A/C to keep the room at relatively stable temperature. Most newer buildings have it. This area has no storage of old, low quality buildings.
The interior temperature might be quite different from temperature outside.

[AleeGee]

I don't know of any apartments that come with A/C. It's cold in Seattle nine months out of the year. It doesn't get hot here until July and August, then starts to cool down around the third week of September. Now with that stated, who would need A/C installed?
What is more popular are free standing air conditioners. I would like to get one myself, but wouldn't like getting $200 electricity bills in the summertime from EvilCorpPower, AKA PSE

[JonasW]

3 of my places had A/C, not standing or window units. So there are plenty that have A/C. Came in handy too. 90s in the PNW is simply not comfortable. Yes it's gets cooler at night but every place I've lived vented the heat poorly. Which is good in winter of course but pretty awful in July.

[homesinseattle]

As I show homes around the region, I'm seeing more and more places with AC, especially new construction. Most people believe there is a long term warming trend in the weather.

[Hemlock140]

Our window AC in the bedroom has been up for a couple of weeks now, and Saturday I installed the one in the family room after it hit 90 outside, and 76 inside. We have had 2 of them for about 10 years now. For me even one week of 95 or more is well worth the few hundred that a small 6,000-10,000 BTU unit costs.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by AleeGee

I don't know of any apartments that come with A/C. It's cold in Seattle nine months out of the year. It doesn't get hot here until July and August, then starts to cool down around the third week of September. Now with that stated, who would need A/C installed?
What is more popular are free standing air conditioners. I would like to get one myself, but wouldn't like getting $200 electricity bills in the summertime from EvilCorpPower, AKA PSE

Many apt. buildings have electric baseboard heat, so there's no way to add A/C, except for Window units. There's no central heating, so there can be no central air. And most likely, the wiring of those buildings wouldn't be able to handle dozens of window-units.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Many apt. buildings have electric baseboard heat, so there's no way to add A/C, except for Window units. There's no central heating, so there can be no central air. And most likely, the wiring of those buildings wouldn't be able to handle dozens of window-units.

And window-units in many cases can't be installed in modern windows (sliding and pop-out). Installing window-units in ground floor windows can also create a security hazard.

I manage fairly well using fans, including a double fan where the air-flow for each side can be independently reversed. The key is to create air-flow, if possible, between the cooler(shadier) and hotter (sunnier) sides/parts of the apartment/house/building, pulling cooler air in and venting hotter air out.

[Flightoficarus87]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

The climate is in the process of changing, though, with the freak heat waves that have been happening, and their increasing frequency. For example, it never used to be hot in late May/June, but in the last 8-10 years, there have been a few doozies in that period. And then there was last year, whit that huge heat wave later in the summer. I know a few people who were born and raised in Seattle, who have shopped for A/C units of one sort or another, this summer.

This times a thousand!

OP, most of the older apartment buildings in Seattle (including the one I live in) lack A/C, because historically, it was very rare that you needed A/C here. Now it seems like every summer we get a heat wave or two into the 90's, and many days in the low to mid 80's (i.e - the peak of the comfort zone for most).

If you end up in a place without A/C, you may want to consider minimizing/avoiding cooking, or escaping to an air conditioned restaurant or bar when it gets into the 90's. That's what I do to beat the heat at least .