Am I the only one to have no air conditioning in the house except in the bedroom this year? Its 85 right now.
Am I alone?
- Thread starter bobpbx
- Start date
Actually my air went (bad circut breaker) a few days ago and it was brutal. It is now fixed. I grew up with out air cond. for the first 20 years of my life. I swear by it now.
Come to think of it, until a few years ago I did live with just and air conditioner in my bedroom and studio. But if needed I could live with out central air, I'm not that much of a wuss. It is nice though.
Jeff
Come to think of it, until a few years ago I did live with just and air conditioner in my bedroom and studio. But if needed I could live with out central air, I'm not that much of a wuss. It is nice though.
Jeff
I bought a house with a 14 year-old system and it lasted two years. Put in a brand new high-efficiency Carrier puron compressor, new air handler for the attic, $8k lighter in the wallet... but oh it is so worth it in July and August.
The central air works great in my house, although a desk fan makes my living room (where my computer desk is) more comfortable.
Some of my system (the air handler) is probably 20 years old. My compressor and condenser is only 4.
Some of my system (the air handler) is probably 20 years old. My compressor and condenser is only 4.
I only have it in the addition I built, but all the ducts are just openings in the crawl space. It is a ying/yang thing with me. I'm kind of glad I can't just flip a switch and make it non-summer. By mid June I am used to it (mostly) and enjoy just taking a dip in the pool to cool off. Its really not that bad because if you manage it right, you bring the cool air in with fans at night, then you get up shut the house up tight to keep the sun out.
Last nite was unusually hot, so I had the old wall mounted model running from 11:00 to 6:30 this morning just to dry it out in the living area.
It is now 75.2 outside, and 77.2 inside (7:30 AM). I have turned it off and shut up the house. I'll see what happens at noon and around 6 PM. I am working from home today in my bedroom with the AC on.
We only have have a window unit in bedroom too. People react kinda odd when I mention it : ) It has been pretty yucky the past week or so. Fans do help!
I tried to get a quote for a new heater/ac install when we moved in. Only one guy showed up and then promptly disappeared. I tried some more local companies, but no one seemed to want the work. So I gave up on it. This attitude seem to be pretty standard in the home repair business now from what I've experienced from other stuff I needed doing. But, it let's me learn something new and saves some money, so it works out.
I tried to get a quote for a new heater/ac install when we moved in. Only one guy showed up and then promptly disappeared. I tried some more local companies, but no one seemed to want the work. So I gave up on it. This attitude seem to be pretty standard in the home repair business now from what I've experienced from other stuff I needed doing. But, it let's me learn something new and saves some money, so it works out.
Between the compressor, air handler, the new plenum in the attic, and the labor, that was the bill. It was essentially a new system without ductwork. It wasn't the best Carrier system, but it was a pretty good one. 5 ton.
Don't you hate that? They act like we little guys are just a bother, and some don't even come when they say they will. I wanted a guy to repair the top of my chimney. Very hard to get someone as it seems they are tied up elsewhere. I don't think I'd be a good mortar man.
Just the opposite here in VA. Since the housing market collapsed work is hard to find. I would like to give you a price but the logistics would be tough. Gas for the work van would be a killer.
I believe it is 14. Somewhere above 12, anyway.
During the housing boom I had plenty of experiences where I felt my business was unwanted. I suspect that is changing for the reasons you mention. Up here just about every drywall installer drives a F350 Superduty Turbo-diesel double-cab, so those overhead expenses are up there.
Yes! I do have a problem with being treated like nothing more than a paycheck while being bs'd and shined on by some of the people out there who call themselves "contractors".
I do think that with housing slowing down, things will turn around some in our favor. Really, how else are all those tricked out work trucks gonna get paid for,
let alone pay for fuel?
I do think that with housing slowing down, things will turn around some in our favor. Really, how else are all those tricked out work trucks gonna get paid for,
let alone pay for fuel?
Up here just about every drywall installer drives a F350 Superduty Turbo-diesel double-cab, so those overhead expenses are up there.[/QUOTE]
Si!:taco:
Si!:taco:
You're not alone Bob. I have a window air conditioner in the bedroom and that's all for the moment. But it's a BIG window A/C and it can really cool the room down very quickly, so I don't need to leave it running all day.
I'm actually enjoying this hot weather pretty much. Ceiling fans in just about every room, and portable fans in the windows. If I get too hot inside I go out on the porch or wander around the woods.
I also have another big window air conditioner in my work room where my desktop computer is, but it runs off 220 volts which poses a problem. I'm too lazy/cheap to run a new circuit down there, so I have a seasonal ritual of un-wiring the baseboard electric heat in that room and hooking it up to an outlet for the summer to use the air conditioner. But this year I just never bothered and don't really miss it. I use my laptop computer in the bedroom when it's hot... or take my iPod Touch outside for internet access... my wifi reaches several hundred feet into the woods
The way energy prices are going, keeping only one air conditioned room makes sense to me...
Boyd,
Do not knock the 220v air conditioner. Even if it is an old dog, which indeed can be costly, 220v keeps the amperage down which taxes your service. Many misconceptions. In the end yes wattage consumption is relevant to the amperage of the machine (Volts x Amps of course equal watts) but while kilowatt hours may seem costly, you might not actually gain any value in regard to overtaxing that circuit unless you dedicate it to the unit.
You can get some cheapie little 49.99 unit and have barely adequate cooling while saving no real $$$ on your bill.
g.