Seattle is no longer the U.S.'s least air conditioned big city (Bellevue: renters)

[homesinseattle]

Article link here: https://crosscut.com/environment/202...ioned-big-city

“When Fred Woo and his family moved from San Diego to Seattle a decade ago, they brought their portable air conditioning unit with them, thinking it wouldn’t be necessary in our historically temperate climate. They were right — for a while.

Not only are Woo and his family using their air conditioning every year, but they had to upgrade to a better unit. After a few years of regularly sweating the heat, Seattleites like Woo are accepting that the climate they knew is no longer. Relying on A/C creates its own issues: It adds pressure on electric grids that are liable to buckle under stress, and is not yet equitably accessible.

But in the near term, homeowners and renters are rapidly installing more mobile and permanent residential air conditioning tools to survive — sometimes with help from state and city assistance programs — to the point that Seattle is no longer the least air conditioned major U.S. metro area.

The 2021 American Housing Survey, released by the U.S. Census Bureau this September, shows a big jump in the percentage of Seattle homes with access to air conditioning over the past decade.
Of the 1.6 million housing units in the Seattle area in 2021, about 844,400 — roughly 53% — had a primary air conditioning source, with about 21% using central air and nearly 30% relying on room air conditioning. In San Francisco, which the Census survey found to be the least air conditioned metro area, about 45% of homes have A/C.

[Hebrews12]

Many people are under the impression that you don't need air conditioning in the Seattle area. In Seattle proper--especially if you live near Lake Washington or the Sound you may have enough of a nighttime breeze to not warrant A/C. On Seattle's Eastside (Bellevue-Redmond-Woodinville and Kirkland--east of the Lake) you will not have that advantage. Most every business will have some sort of air conditioning for comfort (and sanitation). I think the desire to have A/C in your house depends on many factors, some of which are:
1) Fires/smoke in the area...you can't open your window during those times
2) If you have neighbors with late night backyard outings during the summer with noise/lighting...you're going to want to close your windows and add a light-blocking shade
3) If you have medical conditions or are pregnant
4) The direction your house faces, layout and where your bedrooms are located
5) The type of house (rambler, 2-story, etc), square footage, insulation and building materials (brick, wood, composite)
6) Location of the house (shaded lot with many trees vs wide open to the sun's rays)
7) Whether anyone works from home (I know someone who refused to get A/C while her partner was home all day caring for the kids. The moment she started working from home they got A/C)

In general, the Seattle area spends 9-10 months under a cloud/rain cover. When summer arrives, people want to take advantage of the nice weather by being outdoors whether it's for recreation or yardwork. Many want to come home to a cool house if they've been out in the sun all day. If they've worked in a cold office all day, they may feel differently. Most people can handle one night of not sleeping well. But it starts to take a toll on your health when it turns into multiple nights. If cooler air is needed in your house, I recommend a heat pump.

[Returning2USA]

Originally Posted by Hebrews12

In general, the Seattle area spends 9-10 months under a cloud/rain cover.

IMO,

It's 7 months.

I wear shorts and t-shirts from late April to October 1, usually.

[Hemlock140]

We have had at least two window AC units since about 1998. In the family room we use it any time it's over about 80 outside, to keep it at a comfortable 70. With a two story house heat rises, so the one in the mater bedroom gets used more of the year, usually June-October. They are not very expensive to run, because we are not having to cool the whole house like a central AC, just where we need it. The modern ones don't use much electricity now and have timers. In the bedroom we can set it to come on an hour or two before we go to bed, and off again in the early morning. It's true though, that we have used them more in the last few years since we have been getting smoke from Eastern WA and BC fires.

[StealthRabbit]

Many wimps have moved to Seattle.
Very few people are energy conscious.
Very few people know how to properly use a whole house fan.
Most families do not have the discipline to keep everything buttoned up all day, and go outside and stay outside for 12 - 16 hrs and enjoy the few days of sunshine we get. That's easy for farmers to do. It's a necessity. City folks, not so much. Walk the dog, go grab a coffee (if you must).

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I suspect that it isn't the weather getting hotter, it is people getting wussier. Not that I object to comfort, but if you have to have air-conditioning when it is 80 degrees outside, you really enjoy your comforts.

[Hebrews12]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

I suspect that it isn't the weather getting hotter, it is people getting wussier. Not that I object to comfort, but if you have to have air-conditioning when it is 80 degrees outside, you really enjoy your comforts.

I think everyone has their own comfort level and there are a variety of reasons for people desiring A/C around here (see my earlier reply to this thread). I personally don't have a problem with 80 degree weather during the day...for me, the hotter the better. But I like a good night's sleep so if the temperature is hot when I'm off to bed and there is no breeze and my neighbors are outside in their backyard (which they usually are all summer and there are dogs barking around here), I have to close the windows. I've lived in Florida summers, Chicago summers as well as the northeast and I think summer weather here is mild. But sleep quality is very important. God help the husband who refuses to buy AC for his pregnant or menopausal wife.

[tickyul]

I'm probably going to keep a small window-AC handy for extended temp-spikes, no matter
where I live, Seattle included.