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Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

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Re: Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

#81

Post by freetime2 »

While at an outdoor event this year on a very hot day early in the season - before my body had time to adapt to the summer heat - I got a warning from my Apple Watch that my heart was elevated even though I didn’t appear to be moving. My heart was up over 120 BPM just standing around.

I went to my car, turned on the AC, and drank some water. My heart rate went back to normal, but it was pretty unnerving.

The scarier thing was this was a youth sports tournament. These kids are playing all-day tournaments in 33C+ heat (and sometimes 36C+) for a solid two months of the year. While they may cope with the heat better than I do, I worry it’s only a matter of time before tragedy strikes.

That being said, this year I am making an effort to rely less on AC and do some moderate exercise in the heat to increase my tolerance.

Re: Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

#82

Post by numpad0 »

elil17 wrote: post #9

Cooling technologies are a necessity and air conditioning is one of many possible options. Europe north of France is substantially cooler than much of the US, even on the hottest days. Many homes could get by on ceiling fans, but they are very uncommon here.

Forced air cooling require air to be colder than the heatsink surface and evaporative cooling require relative humidity to be less than 100%.

I don't know how bad the situation in Europe is, but we're already at point where there are times and places on Earth where one can construct a primal instinctive understanding of that by simply walking out of an air conditioned room(to which you SHOULD return within half an hour and MUST within an hour). "Just get fans bro" is tone deaf.

Re: Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

#83

Post by spankibalt »

deanc wrote: post #4

We have those stupid regulations in Finland about how the outside of our apartments buildings should look - meaning you cannot put the condenser visibly on the outside of the building. I've heard stories of residents being scalded for putting flowers on their balcony railings that face outwards as it ruins the "look". Given almost all apartment buildings are built consistently between every floor they could ensure co…

> We have those stupid regulations in Finland about how the outside of our apartments buildings should look - meaning you cannot put the condenser visibly on the outside of the building.

Same for Germany, at least in many places. And if your building gets reclassified as being under Denkmalschutz (cultural heritage management) you've won in the Lottery of Pain.

Re: Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

#84

Post by blondie9x »

Imagine a world where a larger share of companies focus on actual, verifiable improvement of outcomes for people. Not a world dominated by selling more consumption. A world where we go to work to make things better. Outcomes driven by improvements in human health, longevity, and happiness, not by bottom lines and profit margins. To get to that world we will have to be more open about being imposters.

Re: Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

#85

Post by iso1631 »

roelschroeven wrote: post #58
elil17 wrote: post #9

Cooling technologies are a necessity and air conditioning is one of many possible options. Europe north of France is substantially cooler than much of the US, even on the hottest days. Many homes could get by on ceiling fans, but they are very uncommon here.

A couple of years ago that would have been correct, but circumstances have changed. We've had a series of heat waves this summer, and temperatures have gotten very high inside. Much depends on the location of course, and the type of building, and stuff like that, but the fact is that in Belgium alone thousands of people have died because of the heat. Thousands of people that would still be with us if they would have…

> When it's close to 40 °C in your home, a ceiling fan is not going to make a meaningful difference.

Hottest the hottest south facing room in my house got in the UK this year was 31.8C on the 13th August.

The loft got upto 43C, but that's what insulation is for.

That said, you're right, things are changing. I'm looking at getting AC installed this winter (no way I was paying summer prices).

Re: Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

#86

Post by pdhborges »

elil17 wrote: post #9

Cooling technologies are a necessity and air conditioning is one of many possible options. Europe north of France is substantially cooler than much of the US, even on the hottest days. Many homes could get by on ceiling fans, but they are very uncommon here.

You can use your AC as a fan when it is not too bad.

Re: Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

#87

Post by margor »

post-it wrote: post #35
Ekaros wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not entirely that simple. Condensate water is potential problem if wrongly discharged. But adding sufficient drainage is not that expensive per balcony basis. So it is something that should be fixed.

Condensate is discharged from the inside unit, it should never make it to the balcony.

Where do you think it is getting discharged?

Re: Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

#88

Post by ranger_danger »

danek_szy wrote: post #61
flyingjoe wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For sure. I'm from Germany (but with an AC) as well and am always amazed when people tell me that AC makes you sick. Even young people sometimes replicate this "Oh you gotta be careful not to get sick" and would rather be in 30+°C indoors. How come Germans get sick while the rest of the world seems to be doing fine and is even productive during summer (it feels like Germany grinds to a halt during heatwaves).

AC dries the air out and your respiratory system basically depends on moisture to catch air particles and pathogens in your respiratory tract. Nothing unique about Germans in this case, sorry. ;)

You could run a humidifier as well to offset that if you're really affected by it, but most people seem to be fine.

Re: Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

#89

Post by lbriner »

slfnflctd wrote: post #64

I've been thinking for a while about whether it would be feasible to produce an affordable 'personal cooling chamber' for lower income people in places getting scorched in the summer that don't have A/C. Basically an automotive air conditioning unit hooked up to a battery and solar panel, with a tanning bed type form factor (up to maybe capsule hotel size), painted or coated to reflect light & heat. Highly portable.…

You can already get small portable air conditioners but until recently, most people with low incomes wouldn't spend £300 on something they might only need for 4 weeks per year and needs storing the rest of the time. That might change of course as time goes by.

What some people in the UK do is go to local air conditioned public buildings like libraries (which they are welcome to do) and occasionally a large air conditioned store or shopping centre.

Re: Air Conditioning Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

#90

Post by throwaway473825 »

hagfjall wrote: post #21

Sweden has a 'district cooling' as well as district heating. 2 completely different systems ofcourse. The district cooling is a centralized way of providing cold air/liquid to building and facilities across the city. The centralized producer of the cold stuff, they can also create the chilly stuff by utilizing waste heat from factories, large buildings etc. Pretty neat idea IMO, and something that ideally would be in…

The problem with monopolies is that they can hike prices at will. This has certainly happened with district heating in Sweden. You can't do that with AC and solar.
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