conditioning

[tp]

it's hot today, but i'm resisting giving in to the a/c. i'm trying to use it less in order to a) save some money, and b) see how miserable we would actually be if we lived in a place without it. the latter reason is just stupid, because three summers ago we did live without it and we felt ill and crabby the entire time. of course it didn't help

Comments

Hmmm. . .

[jcorman]

I grew up without A/C--central or window units--and as such, I always thought I would crave it. However, I hardly _ever_ use my A/C unit (no central air here.) I generally only use it when it's still hot out and I'm inside. If there's a breeze at all or if the temperature roughly equalizes, I switch off the A/C and open all the windows, and crank the fans.
I like this bettrer b/c:
a) it feels more summery to me to have the windows open
b) A/C seems too cold most of the time, I can never get it right
c) I just like natural air better. It makes me feel cloistered and enclosed to have all the windows shut and the blinds down and the A/C on
However, the caveats are:
a) You need to have enough windows to get enough cross-venting (i.e. the dorm rooms SUCKED for this.)
b) The rule is this:
-Keep track of the external and internal temperature
-Keep the windows shut, blinds down as long as the external temperature is greater than the internal temperature
-As soon as the temperatures equalize (or if there's a stiff breeze), open all windows and turn on all fans
-Fans are most effective if placed at the windows
You can use the fans before opening the windows, but they won't really effect the temperature, though they will make the immediate vicinity more pleasant.
(The above rules are the result of growing up in a home without A/C, the child of an engineer with a heat-transfer speciality. However, the rules are _key_. Having the windows open during the heat of the day--even if they seem like they help--really hurt the overall system.)

I have this system down pat, except for the fact that I usually leave for work (and thus have to close the windows) before the temperature outside is high enough to need to do that, so I lose a couple of hours of cooling down. Then I get home while the temperature is still high, so I usually have about a half-hour of A/C time.
Overall, though, this has been a solid system throughout my growing-up years, and in my apartment now.

Re: Hmmm. . .

[tp]

wow. that is _damn_ impressive! then again, do i ever expect anything less from you? ;)‰