Alternatives to Things We Can No Longer Afford: Central Air Conditioning
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- Опубліковано 12 тра 2024
- Alternatives to Things We Can No Longer Afford: Central Air Conditioning
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Air conditioning is a must for us Southern residents
Mum and Dad were in Southern California for decades- no a/c. When it hit 107 for a third day- I hit Home Hardware up for a portable one. Too much for me!
It's too bad each room can't be set like electric heating is. But where you are you need a good cooling unit. Here in Ct. we need a good furnace.
@@Smooshes786
I lived in San Diego… it never got above 80 in the summer but go inland about 5-10 miles and it will be around 100 🥵
@@cjhoward409 right?! I can’t imagine the Santa Ana’s and rain for you during the winter! I met neighbors returning items from urs two blocks away, inland that small bit!
Yep , same with heat in Minnesota.
When I married my husband, he asked if it would be okay to put an air conditioning unit on the window in our bedroom only. I said "okay, and then I'll be living in the bedroom!". He got central air! 😂
I don't want to live without air conditioning. Our new central unit is so quiet. I would use window units if necessary, but they're so loud. While we were in the apartment in Houston, the central air went out. They brought in a window unit that was a big machine with a hose that went through the window. It cooled the apartment, but we had to turn it off to hear the tv without blasting out our neighbors! Fortunately, they were able to put in a new unit within a few days. As long as we live in the south, I'll have air conditioning, lol. Love to all, Linda 💕
Hey Dawn, you know that we have lived in the South all of our lives. And both, Joel and I grew up without AC of any kind. We really didn’t think anything of it. In the heat of the summer, my parents would put box fans in all the windows in the house. But that was as close to air conditioning as we got. Sometimes, I think that it is necessary here in the South to have AC, but the truth is every time we have lost power due to hurricanes in the middle of August, we survived. Like when we lived in Houston and Hurricane Harvey knocked out our power and our AC unit. And when we lived in Alabama, no power for a week. Just for example. 😅😂
I grew up in the South as well. One thing I remember were big fans in the attic called a "whole house fan". You had a big aluminum air register, often in the hallway. And the fan in the attic would basically just draw hot air UP from the ground floor rooms, into the attic, then poot it out into the exterior of the house. Worked well, but people almost always remove them now during remodels.
@@Duke_of_PrunesWe had one of those in my childhood home. I'd bring my pillow and blanket and sleep on the floor underneath it.
Wow. Can you handle really cold temps?
@@Duke_of_Prunes I remember my sister’s first house when she got married had one of those attic fans. The wind strength was something else. lol
@@CentsibleLivingWithMoneyMom no not really. 🤣
I use cooling blankets on the bed in summer. They help a little, especially if you're under a fan, and every little bit helps in these triple digit summers!🌡 Sacramento, California USA 🇺🇸
We have a 3,000 sf home… all open concept and we have 1 big window AC unit that cools 2700 sf. Works great. And we use a few ceiling fans and other fans to move the air around. Our ac electric bill isn’t nearly what our neighbors pay for central air and have smaller homes.
But I will also close drapes/blinds on the west side of the house in the afternoon. My husband built our house. Used 2x6’s instead of 2x4’s and the insulation fits better. I think that has helped us.
We’re in southern Kentucky. It gets pretty hot and humid here in the summer
Yay- a fellow Kentuckian! I’m in northeast Ky.
@@allisonmodaff5635
Howdy neighbor !
2x6 is code. 2x4 isn't.
Living in South Texas can get really hot. Our house came with 2 A/C units , One for upstairs and one for down. If one breaks down , we can still go the rooms that are cool. ❄
Very smart
That's a great idea. It's common with a two-story home here.
@@3TXSisters it also saves money , because you can all stay on one floor, and only have one unit on.
@@ceciliaperales8466 That's true! ❤️
Years ago we had a friend do some electrical work for us , then more years later when we were doing a big renovation we go a licensed electrician to rewire and he complained that the previous electrician had done a bad job and it could have burnt our house down . I always now paid for a licensed trade person
Agree always have licensed bonded people work on the house. Giving up ac is one of the things I did to be able to save money. When I lived back east in the 60s when I was a kid, there was no ac, just open the windows and hope for a breeze.
Good point
I grew up in the Midwest and we didn’t have ac but my mom kept curtains closed on the east side of the house in the morning and closed the west side of the house in the afternoon. If it got unbearable, we slept downstairs
Here’s the thing about living in the Deep South: if you choose not use a central a/c system and opt for a window unit in one or two rooms, you are asking for a mold problem in the part of the house that isn’t air conditioned. I lived in the northeastern US my whole life until I retired. Now I’m in Alabama and mold is a constant concern. I have to be vigilant about mold because I have severe allergies to it, and it’s a constant battle, much like the fire ants in my yard. Just something to consider.
What about using a dehumidifier?
Yup. Here in New Orleans, your walls will eventually get a green cast to them. Clothes in the closet will be ruined.
@@cjhoward409 in NJ I used a dehumidifier when I had a finished basement that was cool year round and only needed the humidity removed. It was a breeding ground for mold in its drip pan and I stayed on top of keeping it clean. I cannot imagine how awful it would be in an Alabama summer.
I live in South Carolina and have two portable AC units. Never had an issue with mold But my AC units have dehumidifiers as part of the units. I suggest trying a dehumidifier or two in your home.
@@southernwanderer7912 A lot of people object to the noise that dehumidifiers make. But my wife bought a miniature unit (Amazon) for our bedroom. Very quiet.
I know from experience that I want to go with a company. These young men who need experience, well it is expensive to fix their work after words. A company will make sure they do it right the first time and you also have a "boss" to talk to about it and will make sure it gets done right.
We went with a guy who came with rave reviews. He works for himself and has 2 guys work with him. Top notch !
I think word of mouth is better than companies, in my personal experience anyway. 😊
@@cjhoward409 this was a young guy, I say we payed that much because he showed up so there is that advantage for us.
We’re able to keep the thermostat a little higher by using room fans that provide a flow of air in the room. I like it in the kitchen especially. If we couldn’t afford the central heat and air, I would have a window unit and live with the noise.
I live in NE AZ and our summers get over 100 degrees often. We use an evaporative "swamp" cooler that works well in our dry climate. I could not see them working in a humid climate. TFS 👍
I can't imagine having a handyman install a furnace or air conditioning, I would always use a professional.
The unit you talked about that you don't' need ducts for, that's only used for houses that have rads, anyone with ducts wouldn't use those units.
Blackout curtains are great to keep the heat out during the hottest part of the day and also, ceiling fans would be helpful in perhaps not needing to use the a/c as often.
This could cut back on cost and help the unit last longer.
I agree
Completely agree with having someone in your home who knows what he/she is doing.
I don’t care if it’s a big or small company, but they have to be licensed to do electrical work, plumbing, appliances. I’ll consider unlicensed professionals for projects like furniture set up, repairing a rail or door, etc.
My husband does electrical and plumbing. He built our home. He’s not licensed. Lol. But yeh labor was free. Lol. But he taught building trades for many many years in a different state and he was licensed then. That’s another racket on how much it costs to get licensed. Just more money for Uncle Sam. So he didn’t get licensed where we are now because he’s no longer in that trade
@@cjhoward409 sounds like he knows what he’s doing! I don’t have a clue about that stuff so the license makes me feel more comfortable w it I guess lol
always get licenced bonded and insured incase they burn your house down and you can sue em
I live in North Georgia and lived many years with no A/C, however, when I had to work 3rd shift sleeping in the day with only a fan became too much. I got a window unit it’s noisy but cool. Also, grew up in North California with a swamp coolers it’s great for dry climate.
We have a geothermal system in our home which heats and cools. We still saw it wasn't necessary for cooling continually so last summer we had a friend who is a CERTIFIED HVAC installer put a mini split in our bedroom. Saves us a lot.
It is my goal to build a tiny house, essentially a studio apartment that I can own. I've seen the Mini-Splits and they seem to be a good alternative to any duct work for HVAC. Thanks for the information. One piece of advice that I have is that if you live in a home with two or more floors close the air vents on the first floor at night. This will direct all the cool air to the higher floors where the heat rises. I do this in my two floor apartment every Summer and it makes a world of difference.
That sounds wonderful
you can run mini splits off solar as well as they don't draw that much power. there's no way id'e go back to a traditional furnace plus it helps the enviroment.
A sprinkler, a kiddie pool, alot of cold showers, bottles of cold water, i seem to drink more water in the summer. Great ideas. I use window air conditioner units, and basic fans.
These options are very well thought out for any budget.
When I was growing up, at about the same time I became a teenager, my parents finally put air conditioning in our house (this was in the Houston area!, so you know it was really hot & humid in the summertime, but being 3 kids, we kids were used to it)...We only had a hallway ceiling attic fan, and so to get a good breeze going, you had to close all the doors to the hall except for the room you were planning to be in, with the windows in that room open of course. But the a/c they put in wasn't central a/c, it was 3 large window units for the whole house. They worked pretty well to cool our house down though, since our house was fairly small compared to today's larger houses. I'd rather have central a/c like we do now though, with a couple of smaller window units for bedrooms as a backup just in case.
I grew up in the South with no air conditioners. Shade trees were our air conditioners. Never underestimate the value of a shade tree. If I had of never had husband or kids, I wouldn't have an air conditioner to this day (or I wouldn't run it if the house came with it). My alternative for when people came to visit would be fans, the type that are safe and won't allow fingers inside.
We live close to high desert; 25.00 box fan and lots of ice cold drinks work for us 😅. Also helps that we have a small home!
We also have a pool to dip into.
Our utility bill is rarely more than 50.00.
If you’re in a situation without AC keep in mind the best way to cool off your body is to have liquids like sweat or water evaporate off of your skin. So doing things like having a fan blow directly on you and wearing towels soaked in water definitely help. Also staying in the shade definitely helps, the air could be 90° for example but the sun can heat surfaces to 115° let’s say. Also keep in mind areas like your neck and arm pits have blood vessels very close to the surface of your skin, so keeping cold things like towels or ice packs in those areas will lower your body temperature fast.
Also check your city/county regulations as some things may require permits and inspections. We had our furnace/ac replaced last year and it was about $15,000
I live in FL. I have an AC unit because it’s hard to find an honest AC repair technician here plus it’s super duper expensive. I usually put on the fan and open the windows when I get home from work then turn on the air conditioner at night.
There are many independent licensed a/c heating companies...just cuts out overhead. I have blackout curtains and dark window screens are to die for...because it's Texas.
Now that I am older, I am able to keep my thermostat set much higher than I did in my younger years. That has helped keep the electric bill a bit lower. I also have ceiling fans in the kitchen and sun room that I keep on low to just keep that circulation going. It is so humid in the part of Va. where I live, I couldn't do without it. Thanks for sharing those ideas, Dawn. Have a Blessed day.
When I started my homestead, I noticed that my comfort-range went from 69-71F to 63-84F. I supposed that was due to working outside in the elements versus going from temperature controlled car to temperature controlled office. After I began working in nature, I realized that coming inside felt warm in winter and cool and in summer. Also, I've recently noticed that the temperature numbers reported are out of sync with the temperature experienced. The temperature weatherstation gives, never feels like the temperature that the actual weather is. For example, the weatherman may say the temperature is 42F but when I walk outside it feels like 64F. The rest of my family says they experience this too. For example, weatherman may say it's 70 and yet they experience 52F. So that the temperature reported is out of sync with the temperature experienced. Do you experience that?
Thank you love
@@mysticmeadowshomestead6209 No, I have experienced that. I believe it is because I am in the 80's and I just feel cold more than heat. I recall my grandmother used to wear her sweater in the middle of July. When I teased her about it she remind me I would be old someday and feel cold too. Maybe I am being paid back for being a naughty granddaughter.🤭🤭🤭
I use fans and air conditioning units, i also use air purifires, holmes is a great brand, i reuse my air filters, by washing them with soap and bleach, and air dry in the sun, works great, i believe save money.😊❤
my mother went from an furnace to a ductless mini split. her yearly bill went from 2000 a year to run the furnace to under 200 bucks a year!!! just on heating and cooling alone. no solar as she don't have that. we have a water furnace ( not cheap to install ) but worth it in the long run since it don't cost us anything to run since we have a large solar array
We never needed an air conditioner until recently. Forest fires have made air quality dangerous some weeks and my eye got infected from particulates. Horrible! Just got a plug in one for main floor.
Window units/portable a/c (which have to be vented thru a window) are good just in case options, that might be temporary until you save up for a new system. I agree Dawn about getting a vetted, insured, professional to install or repair your system. Pay once and have it done within the guidelines of your towns ordinances and safely and correctly.
I’ve lived in my house for over 30 years, original owner. The house has never had central air. There is a large through the wall air conditioner in my dining room/ living room area. It faces the hallway to the bedrooms. It is a 24,500 btu unit that cools the whole house down. I run it on very hot days, which is mostly during the summer into early fall. The added electricity cost averages about $90 extra per month, and that is running it every day, 24 hrs.
I don’t consider this extra cost to be excessive, and it for sure is less than what it would cost me if I had central air.
It is my 3rd air conditioner. The first one I had lasted 17 years, the second one 15 years. My newest one was installed 2 years ago. It has a washable filter that never needs replacing. I definitely am getting my monies worth out of them.
I would never spend the money to convert over to central air. I realize it’s what most new homeowners look for, but for me, this works. It is the only air conditioner in the house, as I do not need to put additional ones in any other rooms.
That sounds like a mini split
@@CentsibleLivingWithMoneyMom It’s not a mini-split. It’s a thru-the-wall air conditioner that is rather large. Looks just like the kind you would put in a window, but larger.
As an adult I have had central air. I have visited people with window air conditioners and I really disliked the constant humming. Just something to think about.
It's been 5 years since I had a new Rheem two stage furnace and central air installed cost me $6,500 paid with cash my mom my sister and I all use the same company and installer. I live in Central Illinois so don't always have my air conditioning running mostly when it's humid and I can set it at 76 with my ceiling fan on in the living room and I'm comfortable. I've had window units before I prefer central air
Evaporative Coolers (Swamp) depend on a low humid climate such as a dry dessert.
The dryer the air, the better results you will get.
Do evaporative coolers pose a mold and mildew problem?
@@mysticmeadowshomestead6209
We've never had a problem with mold. Three rules:
1. Do not operate it when the air is humid.
2. Change the pads yearly.
3. Maintain the motor, following instructions.
@@JontueScent Thank you.
The room to room air conditioners can be purchased on QVC, i saw them advertised, but I have window units, always have. I live in the North. The room to room air conditioners on their website run $179 to $299 per portable units on wheels. The ones I looked at had a 4 to 5 star customer rating.
Depending where you live their could be state or Federal rebates on your tax rebate ad an energy credit. We have a split air conditioner with heat or air and got an energy rebate on our irs retutn. Our rebate was about 2000 dollars between state and federal return.
I have only one reverse cycle air conditioner in the lounge room.
I don’t like air con in the bedroom.
On hot nights I open all the windows and put the fan on low.
And don’t even cover up with a sheet.
Of course I have security on all windows.
Fans in all rooms.
I live in the sub tropics
I love my minisplit. Mr Kool makes one that is handyman friendly. On my very old mobile home, I have added a turbine vent on the roof and gable end vents for intakes. I also believe in a fresh coat of white heat reflective paint. You may need to do it a couple of years in a row. The whiter, the better. Another thing I did was frame a hole in the wall and put a window unit in the wall. But even the quietest one, a Friederich, still makes more noise than the mini split. Having separate A/c for different rooms keeps your bill down.
How wonderful
The swamp box in Australia is ultra economical to run on electricity, but also provides sub standard cooling especially if u have medical conditions. You pour a bucket of water in the back of it & it evaporates over a few hours. U can put ice cold water in it, but most households can't store that much cold water in the fridge!
A great help to keep your house feeling cool is to put the little mini fans they sell at walmart on your vents. This trick helps curculate the air faster and keep air flow going.
Great tip!
Having the appropriate amount of insulation in your attic is a big plus!
We had a brand new unit installed and we were very pleased with the price. Several companies were charging me between 20,000/30,000. We ended up paying much less by having someone who does this on the side. Extremely pleased, he was highly recommended to us thou if not we would have to pay the ridiculous prices.
I think everyone should do their own research and then do what is right for them. What works for me may not work for you.
I live in H-town and it gets hot here.
I would use the Pro's not a handyman....It will last longer in the longrun if installed properly.
I have two portable a/c units. One in my bedroom and one in my living area. It’s been getting warmer in the summers here so they are necessity for me to be able to work at home and be able to sleep. 💕
Very cool!
We have a mini-split just sitting there in it's box on our kitchen floor, it hasn't been installed yet. You DO NOT need an HVAC person, I've never heard that regarding installing a mini-split. An electrician is all you need. My husband is planning on installing ours just watching a UA-cam video so it's not that difficult. 1.5 hrs away where our ex-neighbor the electrician lives, he told my husband it is 25% of his business, just installing Mini-Splits. He charges $600. My husband will install ours just watching a UA-cam video but he is a Painting Contractor so used to construction and has a familiarity surrounding it.
I like camping … if it’s not humid. Camping outside in the humidity is for the bugs ! Lol
May I adopt you and your hubby?
Yes I agree that hiring a professional to install a mini-split ought to be no more than $600 for their labor. It takes about one to two hours of their time and no one should charge more than $300 for an hour's work.
I was told unless you have a license
You can’t even purchase a air conditioner and air handler
Over 22 years ago
A licensed guy I knew for years
Put in a air conditioner
He didn’t do the wires right
It caught fire
And burned our wall , where the wires were at.
In the city where I live
You absolutely can not put in air conditioners
Unless they are licensed to do so
Because of electrical requirements
My husband and I live in Myrtle Beach South Carolina
It gets very hot and very humid
If you don’t have a big enough central heating and air conditioning system
Your home and everything in it WILL have dangerous mold growing inside
Thank you for this
Portable AC, didn't even realize it existed. Just looked it up. After 2 years of triples (Houston metro), I'm definitely going to consider getting one for the bedroom. Between the ceiling fan and small portable fans, I'm ok during the day. It is nights in the bedroom that were ultra hard to get through. Night AC on 85, celing fan, small fans with ongoing triples is misery.
I am wondering about them too
Mini splits are a good idea; Prepper Princess had a major price difference purchasing and installing mini splits in Arizona and California.
Great point!
Dawn, We had 2 of the mini split air conditioning units installed on our main floor this past summer by a reputable HVAC company in the Indiana/Ohio area. It was $10,000 and that about made me sick! We were so tired of using and replacing window units. We really didn't want central air because we would have to change the duct work we already have for a wood furnace (which we no longer use because of our age). Too much hassle and mess.
Does it have heat too?
@@CentsibleLivingWithMoneyMom Yes it does automatically. We really didn't need that source of heat, but I guess it will be good as a backup just in case.
Never liked the idea of central air con as we usually just use 1 or 2 rooms. We use individual units.
I had never heard of a swamp cooler until we move to SW Colorado. We have a swamp cooler and works great
They used to have a similar device that you placed in your car window back in the 1940s and 50s. Obviously it didn't work standing still, but one old fellow told me they were great at highway speed. I haven't seen one in many years!
I grew up in Las Vegas. Contrary to popular belief, many of us had only swamp coolers. They are not perfect but better than nothing. When it goes above 110 degrees, it is just plain hot no matter what. Shade trees help.
When my central heat and air went out several years back, copper had exploded in price and it was going to cost me about $7,000 just to replace the outside part. I opted for portable air conditioners. You can choose how much coverage you need and a price that is affordable. They actually work great. The only problem is they have to be vented outside like a window unit, which can be done through a window. The units are much cheaper to buy that central heat and air. (My central heat still works.) But some portable units are AC and heaters combined.
Wonderful
Dawn sometimes states get federal or state funding to help buy heaters for their house. Here in Oregon we got lucky and senior and disabled services gave us three fewe heaters. I would call any service that offers elder help or ebt help and see if their is a heat or cooling program.
Fabulous
Our house we have a ac thu the wall unit and we have a ranch house and cools the whole house.
I agree!
The only person I would allow to do any work, repairs etc in my home, has to show me that they have a certificate and a licence to operate a business, plus I check the BBB ratings on them. Years ago, we had friends whose house went up in flames and the cause of it had to do with wiring. Upon further findings, it showed that the fire started with the ceiling fan wiring in the dining room. The owners had a non certified friend do them a favor...... and in the end, their house insurance refused the claim. The house had substantial fire damage, and was non inhabitable, but the owners still had to pay the mortgage. They ended up walking away from it all. That was a hard lesson for them. Pay the extra to have a qualified person do the work, and know that you have your back sided covered if there was to be an incident.
Excellent video on an important topic.
Glad you think so!
Even though I have a 3 year old central h/a unit, I pay particular attention to how often it is on. Our units are designed to cut on the second the temperature exceeds what you set it on (cooling). Mine also doesn't cut OFF until it reaches the next degree up. Which means that for that whole degree, my unit is running. I didn't realize this until the other day when I had it set on a certain temp and it didn't cut off until the next degree came on. So I now just turn it on when it's too hot even with the fans going/door opened. I close all outside air and cool off my house just a few degrees, then I raise the temp on the thermostat to make it stop. So my use is "spotty." Sometimes I just use the "fan" setting to circulate the air for awhile if the house is stuffy. To keep an a/c or heat on all the time is a huge expense and unnecessary.
Loved this video, thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
I live in Kentucky and it can get up to 100*or more. I have a house that is rather large and if I had a central heating and air conditioning unit it would be expensive to heat and cool the house. For me it's better to have fans, a portable air conditioner,band had have a window air conditioner. And I have a gas furnace to help cut the cost of the cost of the electric bill.
wonderful
I didn't use my AC for well over 4 months and didn't miss it at all. And same went for my heat. Didn't miss it....Dawn but I feel sorry for those who need it and don't have it...😊😅😅
Thanks for sharing!!
Our home did not have Central air when we bought it but it's 2200 square feet so it would have 10000 to put in Central air at that time. A lot more now. We've been using window units for 14 years. There are a couple of drawbacks but our electric bill isn't bad. One of the problems is that they're now being made with styrofoam so that they're lighter weight and cheaper but the problem is the styrofoam molds. So you're actually blowing mold into your house unfortunately. We have to clean ours out every year and that's a real pain to take the casing off and take it apart and then they don't always work perfectly after that. The other problem is that it rotted out the window sills and now we have to replace the windows which is a huge cost. My husband learned from UA-cam how to install a mini split and had an expert he paid to come out and do the final hook up. The guy taught him how to do that part also. So now we have a mini split for our garage which is his workshop. It wasn't very expensive to do it himself but there's a risk of ruining it unfortunately. He's extremely mechanical so I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone but hire a professional. I think he's planning to put one in our downstairs and 1 in our upstairs eventually. Then we'll be done with the window units thankfully
fantastic
Here in Phoenix as long as the dew point is below 55 the Evaporative coolers work great. We have very hot dry air here until the monsoons move in and the humidty rises then the Evaporative coolers don't keep you comfortable. Here we have 100 to 118 temperatures in the summer.
You can also use fans to move air around and heat/cool more efficiently
Swamp (evaporative) coolers can cause mold and mildew to grow in your house if there isn't enough air circulation going on.
I did not know that
@@CentsibleLivingWithMoneyMom When I was growing up, we had one for a few years, and it kind of worked but it also caused problems at times. Then, we got regular air conditioning.
My first house had baseboard heat (with thermostat in each room) and I used window ACs in two rooms. This older house renovated in 2006 w/central heat and air. OK, but I prefer baseboard heat as someone who's always cold. House is always cooler in summer here (VA) so bill lower then. New HVAC in$talled a couple year$ ago. 😬
hello............ a great share 😊😊😊😊, thank you , for sharing🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰............
We wouldn't run the air in Texas due to finances a while ago. When home we would wet our clothing down and rewet when needed.
Wow. That must of been tough
@@CentsibleLivingWithMoneyMom You do what you gotta do. It wasn't too bad actually!
We had to replace our HVAC system last summer. It is a 5 ton unit that is on the roof of our two-story house so we must have professionals and a crane operator. For some reason, most builders put the units on the roof here. This week the temps have been in the high 90's. I turn on the HVAC at about 7 pm and turn it off at 10 pm before bed. We run ceiling fans. The house maintains the cooler temperature until about 5pm the next day. We also put insulated rolling shutters on the house several years ago and keep those closed most of the time.
I am already looking forward to cold weather
I use the artic air machine from Wal-Mart next to my bed at night; it works quite well. I put ice water in it. My house is only 750 square feet; it cools and heats very quickly with my central cooling and heating. Very good point; know what you're doing or it will cost more in the end.
I have a mini-split and love it. It comes with a remote control, is easy to change from heat to cool. You do have to take out the dust that collects in the filter once in a while, which is easy if you're tall or can stand on something. But please hire an A/C, heating contractor to install it who knows all about mini-splits. I don't remember the cost, but it's cheaper than having duct-work all over the house.
That sounds wonderful
In NM many of us use swamp cooler, because our humidity is low
Our family owns a farm in Kansas. There is a mobile home that was put there is the 1980s. The central AC unit died, and the HVAC company was going to charge $7,000 to replace it. We opted to go with two window units that cost $400 each, so the problem was solved for less than $1,000. They work well, are energy efficient, and very quiet. We actually prefer them over the old central AC unit. To us, this was a good and frugal option since the mobile home is older and may not last for many years.
I agree. My daughter went with Midea U shaped window units, and I really don't hear it running because the compressor portion is outside the window, and the window is only open a small portion. She has had them now for 3 years and is very happy with them. The cost to replace her central unit was outrageous!
How smart
An Air Conditioning System is not a good thing to have a handy man mess with, I like saving money and DIY stuff, but since the coolant literally leaks into the air, if you make a mistake you're literally making money evaporate. Unfortunately you need a HVAC guy or girl, it'll save you money long term. I'd stay away from the huge companies though because they have huge profits. Find a local family owned place that has good reviews.
Good point
July to August. Last year Minneapolis over 102° !..We also need a/c
Wow
I’m in Ky. I was noticing some days that we were less hot than some northern states. And in the winter a few times we’ve been colder than my brother who lives in Green Bay Wi ! But still overall… the north is cooler than the south
Hello! Yes central air conditioning is quite expensive..as a lifetime allergic asthmatic, I have had to have central since I was little...Daddy was an HVAC engineer and it makes me feel so !such better if it is on...sometimes it is on from may to oct.... But he had professionals do it and I have a professional check mine once a tear..and sometimes a floor fan is on too. Take care!
Thanks for sharing!
In today's world, minimum wage would need to be $35 per hour to actually afford to live, most jobs (especially entry level jobs) do not pay anywhere near that amount.
The retirement crisis has forced many senior citizens to continue working due to the fact that social security does not pay enough for them to live on, this has caused a spike in youth unemployment numbers (persons age 16-30) to rise to about 30%.
Since the mid 1990'sThe government does not factor long term unemployed people, or people who stop looking for work in the unemployment statistics. Around 1975 the government stopped factoring in the cost of housing into the inflation statistics.
So when the Government says inflation is only 8.3% really it's about 50% because everything we purchase, even a tube of toothpaste is about 50% more than it was 5 years ago. Now I understand 1% or 2% is going to happen by default, 1 or 2% is manageable but the problem most people are facing is that wages are not (and have not) been keeping up with inflation. Since about 1995 the dollar has lost 100% of it's value, if you bought a house at that time for $65,000 it would be worth about 133,189.65 in today's money. That is an increase of 104.94%, lets just round up to 105% for conservation sake.
I used an inflation calculator www.calculator.net/inflation-calculator to get these numbers for you.
I hear you
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Swamp coolers are worthless. I live in NC and they didn't touch the heat in the 80's.
I hear they work in some climates
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So- are you saying you're not going to be using AC ? Just not sure what your plans are because you weren't specific. And also there are ways you can reduce consumption & still use AC. Very interesting that I recently found the kwh rate in the area I'm moving to is about half the rate I was paying in Florida. Plus I never set my AC lower than 81. My sister lives in the Midwest & has her AC 70! I know 81 sounds high but when it's 95+ outside that means my unit has to cool me 14 degrees lower than outside+ factor in high humidity.
Actually, they say you shouldn't expect to cool your house more than 15 degrees with central AC. I am moving to the smallest room in my house with a window unit as my TV room. I am ok with just a fan once the sun goes down.
I will be using ac for sure, but I need to save and plan ahead for a new one
I gotta have my A/C, but yes it's costly so have it maintenance twice a year.. Enjoy The Day Everyone ❤
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You should shop around. I had to put in a new waterline. I received estimates between 7k-14k. All reliable companies but the $14k was obviously a company that was much higher than all the others. Go with local and avoid franchises.
great advice
I will sell a kidney if I have to before I live without central air!
My light bill is never over 20.00.
I have it..
I live in Dallas too, TXU charge me $500 per month in summer
Can you go with a different company? Here in Houston area, mine is not as high as yours with central AC. I have Entergy.
Wow. That is high, but it gets hot
Hi lovely❤
Good morning gorgeous
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This isn’t for handy man..
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