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Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

lse.ac.uk

331–340 of 505 posts

Re: Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

#331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's a complete waste. That's completely false. They work just fine despite not being terribly efficient at least provided you install them correctly (but that caveat naturally applies to any window unit). In fact despite the low efficiency using only one in a single room is likely far cheaper than cooling the entire house. It's the same principle as an electric space heater versus a whole home heat pump. Of course…

They work ok in some places where have insulated windows and some source of colder air to get in. Since these one tube systems just push hot air out, you are creating low pressure in your room and you will suck the air in from somewhere. Often times simply from outside from the leaky windows. I don't understand why it's hard to buy systems with two hoses that would keep the pressure in the room.

Insulated windows? That would apply equally to any other system. Where care is required is sealing around whatever passes through the window.

As to the negative pressure, personally I just leave the door to the room cracked open very slightly. But if you have central heat ducts air will get sucked in through that no problem.

Re: Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

#332
post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Eventually radiates out into space ;-) It doesn’t disappear, but we don’t need to care much about infrared passing Alpha Centauri.

Eventually yes, perhaps. But first heat gets trapped in Earth's atmosphere, because pollution and greenhouse gases make it hard for it to dissipate into space. It's called global warming, and no - it's not a hoax.

Heh yes, I’m aware, thanks.

Re: Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

#333
post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well yeah, because it requires re-engineering the entire built environment! Heat waves only became a serious problem in Europe in the last decade. The vast majority of buildings predate the need for air conditioning by several decades - and in plenty of cases by several centuries. The buildings are designed around being livable in a pre-climate-catastrophe climate without needing air conditioning - which is perfectly…

Even now planners are forcing people to build horrible ovens that make no accounting for heat. The planners in Ireland laughed when I talked about over heating in our self built house due to lack of eaves.

Being done here too (not Ireland): Right now, councils are approving, and builders are building, apartments/houses that are big square boxes with no eaves or shading, black synthetic cladding, and windows with safety stays that only allow them to open about 8cm so almost no cooling possible. The upper floors of these units are essentially uninhabitable during summer.

Re: Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

#334
post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

COST. People don’t have the money to spend installing aircon to save themselves from a couple of weeks of discomfort per year.

and regulatory hurdles in many locations, you can't really install AC in many buildings because there's nowhere to put the external unit

You don't need an external unit. Window AC (including casement sized) exists as well as portable AC.

Re: Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

#335
post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well yeah, because it requires re-engineering the entire built environment! Heat waves only became a serious problem in Europe in the last decade. The vast majority of buildings predate the need for air conditioning by several decades - and in plenty of cases by several centuries. The buildings are designed around being livable in a pre-climate-catastrophe climate without needing air conditioning - which is perfectly…

We have had heatwaves in Europe forever. The thing is people were used to adapting to them with shades and night/morning ventilation, and shifting their activities out of the hottest part of the day. This somehow seems to be beyond today's population and society. How dare this weather impact my schedule!

This is the kind of ignorant comment we thankfully see less and less.

You can no longer shift your activities when the weather reaches 35C (95f) every day for weeks without noticeably cooling down in the night.

And even if activity shifting was possible, which again, it is not anymore, the authoritative, fatalistic poverty mindset required to demand that one does not actively cool during hot hours is a European mentality not many other cultures, if any, understand.

Re: Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

#336

Europeans don’t get scolded enough for their resistance to air conditioning. In terms of accounting for preventable deaths, Greece has 2x more heat-related deaths per capita annually than Mississippi has gun deaths. By comparison, the worst US state for heat related deaths, Nevada - a literal desert - has >10x fewer deaths per capita than Greece.

I think it’s a bit ignorant to lump Europe into one.

Europe has roughly 750 mn people. When you’re in the southern parts many homes actually do have AC.

We’re not stupid. Many new buildings have ACs. The northern parts just haven’t adapted to the increased temperatures at scale yet.

Re: Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

#337
post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People don't value design that cools. Most all the spanish style houses you see in California, if you go back to photos from when they were built in the 1920s they all had awnings over all the windows. Those awnings are basically extinct now. Some people are even painting their buildings dark colors. They will chop down shade trees too in a quest for "natural light" aka heat they are now mitigating with a noisy centr…

True, though the places I lived in California (Sacramento, San Luis Obispo in particular) all had eaves. Covered patios were common too.

I feel eaves are more to keep the drip line from rain from hitting the foundation than for any heat abatement. Typical spanish style roof will not have anything on the side that isn't sloping for example. Just sort of ends flush with the wall. Some don't have any eaves at all really.

Re: Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

#338
post #151
post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it that hard to drill an 8cm hole to run some refrigerant pipes through the wall?

That's not the only thing required to properly install an ac unit. Do you genuinely believe people die rather that drill a hole? Lile that's the blocker? What a weird take

I’ve installed them myself, there’s not a whole lot more to it. Even easier if you have double hung windows to mount one on, though my understanding is that they’re not that common in Europe.

Re: Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

#339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is, unfortunately. You cannot install AC, with an outside unit, without approval of your landlord. Lots of people are renting, e.g in Germany. Of course, one can get an indoor unit an seal the window. But it is heavy and takes up a lot of space in a small urban rental..

Sounds like a quick legal solution: heat and cooling are now the landlords problem. Sort of like the kitchen.

Oops, in Germany the kitchen is usually the tenants responsibility. Does that mean we should lose our heating privileges instead? (I'm sure some landlords would love that)

Re: Extreme Heat conference cancelled due to extreme heat warning

#340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They work ok in some places where have insulated windows and some source of colder air to get in. Since these one tube systems just push hot air out, you are creating low pressure in your room and you will suck the air in from somewhere. Often times simply from outside from the leaky windows. I don't understand why it's hard to buy systems with two hoses that would keep the pressure in the room.

Insulated windows? That would apply equally to any other system. Where care is required is sealing around whatever passes through the window. As to the negative pressure, personally I just leave the door to the room cracked open very slightly. But if you have central heat ducts air will get sucked in through that no problem.

What i mean is that if you don’t have somewhere to take the colder air to take from you just end up sucking hot air in.

In system where the pressure would be equalized the leaks would be much smaller. For some reason it's impossible to buy these type units in EU.

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