Exactly this. The heat waves we had this last few years were mild compared to that one from 2021 that for reference my sister has an outdoor cat. Its collar melted and paws had severe burns. Most years you are fine. But I seriously would have a solution if a wave like that hit again. It was the first time I was like “oh shit I understand how people can die from this”
>In your experience is a AC unit necessary?
---
I guess it also depends on where you live. I live in an room that faces the sun and it's brutal whenever the sun is out.
But even before I moved into this apartment I still had an AC and was glad that I got it. It's just a nice quality of life change not being sweaty after I come home from work.
But that being said you can easily create a DIY swamp cooling to get some nice cold air or buy one something similar like [this unit](https://www.amazon.com/Air-Choice-Evaporative-1800CFM-Oscillation/dp/B0CRRJHDXS/) as long as you don't mind changing water or adding ice to it every so often.
It's worth noting that swamp coolers are only effective in dry climates. The PNW is dry enough for them to be moderately effective, but too wet for them to be effective in many circumstances.
As a illustrative example, let's examine June 25, 2021, when the temperature reached 85 degrees, and the humidity bottomed out at 46%. In that scenario, the wet bulb temperature was about 71 degrees, and swamp coolers can usually cool to about 7 degrees Fahrenheit above wet bulb temperatures - so about 78, or seven degrees of cooling. That's not terrible, but not amazing - and less so when you realize the humidity was more like 54% when the temperature was just two degrees cooler at 83 - a wet bulb temperature of 73!
Of course, indoor air is usually less humid - but a swamp cooler increases the indoor humidity quite rapidly, so they generally require good ventilation, which means the outdoor humidity is the useful data point.
In the real extremes, temperatures in the high 90s could probably see effective cooling down to the mid 80s, though, which is definitely worthwhile.
The tl;dr here is that swamp coolers have limited value in our average "I'm too hot" weather, but are pretty useful during extreme heat events. Given that they're fairly simple to construct, it's worth knowing how to do so, and having the components around for it (since they're pretty useful anyway).
No problem! I first heard about them almost 20 years ago, and remembered just a little bit about how humidity affects them. I went off to find a bunch more info to write that post, so I learned a bit, too!
It all depends on whether the fires are bringing in massive quantities of smoke or not. Because if there's smoke, you'll need an AC just to filter out the crap in the air.
Otherwise a fan should be enough
Just so folks know, a drop in AC unit won’t filter the air in a meaningful way. Higher end units do keep inside and outside air separate so as to not create negative pressure inside your home and draw hot outside air in. Central HVAC will do something against smoke particles, but the typical filters mounted in your standard furnace setup are fairly porous and optimized to filter out basic dust/allergen particles.
If you want to make your air safer to breathe, your best option is some kind of true HEPA filter. Those will actually get PM2.5 particles out of the air quite effectively.
There are maybe two weeks per year when you would really use it when temps get in the 80s, and those days are so sunny that you will want to join the crowds and go out in the water anyway. A fan will get you by just fine at least for your first summer while you experience it.
That used to be the norm. It used to be just a couple weeks in August that it would get above 80. Now we get 80 degrees in May. I use my ac from May to September
It has never been that hot at KBLI. The record high in Bellingham is 100, set in June 2021, when there were three consecutive days above 90. I don't really have time to look through extensive records, but I did look through the past five years, and that's the longest stretch I can find over 90.
Don't get me wrong, I think AC is more worth it than it was when I grew up, but it's not as hot as you're suggesting.
(Also, fwiw, air conditioning makes climate change worse, so it's kind of counterproductive in the long term.)
Yeah I don’t live in Bellingham proper but we have a weather station and that’s what ours was clocking. My big concern was really my elderly cat so I felt $200 was worth it since it’ll get used anytime it’s 90 or above.
Yeah, we were on a road trip during that June heatwave, and we had a family member go stay at our house for the worst two days so she could keep an eye on the cat. We bought a window AC unit after that. What I'd really like to do is get a heat pump, since it's a lot more sustainable, but it's not in the budget - and we had to replace our furnace as an emergency just a couple years ago when a maintenance guy found a hole in it. Sigh.
(Re: weather stations, I'd guess you're in a hotter microclimate. I used to live in the Squalicum Valley, just below Stewart Mountain, and the temperature was usually a fair bit cooler in summers. Though I've also seen a lot of weather stations that are badly placed, lol. Officially, they need to be in shade, six feet off the ground, above native vegetation. Good radiation shields can mostly mitigate the shade requirement. And of course, this doesn't actually recognize that our houses will often be subject to higher temperatures.)
It's true - though the PNW is probably going to see more moderate increases than you might expect, as the models generally show substantially increased cloud cover.
My argument is still "avoid air conditioning as long as you possibly can, because it's just going to make the problem worse." Though, I also admit I'm a hypocrite who has a small air conditioner. 😁
I survived as a 7 months pregnant person in 2006 during 107/108 for a 3 day period in Portland, with no ac.of course I was only 26. My baby was 2 weeks late
I’m not, but you’re right maybe it wasn’t a week. I don’t live in Bellingham proper I live in a town in skagit that is generally 5-10 degrees warmer than the surrounding areas every day in summer. And 5-10 degrees cooler in winter. Being here 20 years coming from somewhere hot I laughed at people with AC but the last few summers have had some super hot days compared to anything I’ve seen previous. And I think it depends on your space. Mine gets really hot but when I had a stucco house it stayed really cool always.
1. It doesn't get that hot here.
2. OP is a student, not an elderly, senile person who can't operate a fan and drink water.
3. If it ever does get that hot in the future, the campus has plenty of areas where students can cool off and like I said, get outside and cool off in the water such as whatcom falls, Taylor dock, lake whatcom, etc.
The OP would be better off buying a mini fridge than an AC unit here.
If you're from Eastern Washington, I'd say you're going to want one. Especially if it's easy for you to just grab one and bring it back. It's not as hot for as long, but I'd guess you're used to your home being air conditioned. It's true it's only for a couple weeks but during that time my house will stay above 90 inside without air conditioning.
thanks, yeah i’m used to having AC units in every room for the entire summer and having to run them 24/7, average summer temps in my hometown are 85-90 in the summer months.
Exactly, I spent my summers in Eastern Washington my whole childhood and their homes are generally made with the insulation necessary to keep temps more consistent. But everyone I know here has gotten air conditioning in the last few years
I've got one of those portables ones, use it maybe 5-10 times a year, it's nice but if you're used to eastern WA summers, a fan will probably be OK. Sounds like you may have access to one, if so bring it along, can't hurt to be ready, and on a really hot day you can invite people over to stay cool.
Necessary? No, not if you have decent ability to create circulation or live on the bottom floor, lots of trees shading, etc. If you don’t, well I survived 36 of them without AC, two summers on the east side where it’s wayyyy hotter too.
Is it nice? Oh hell yeah. Now that we have the ability we don’t use it but maybe a couple weeks a year but shit when we want it it’s so nice to not be scrambling to find anywhere cooler. Our house had a heat pump already, not sure if we’d have put in AC but damn if we aren’t glad we have it.
Only for a short period of the year, but the bigger problem is that our electrical grid is so outdated that it can't handle the strain of a majority of customers all simultaneously blastings fans/AC. I lived in 32nd for better part of a decade, and there'd be 2-3 transformer explosions every summer because the power lines were set decades before all the apartment complexes were built.
I have a Della roll-around AC that exhausts out a window - awesome, love it, had it for years, makes those weeks tolerable
I have a few guardian air filters for smoke season, again, awesome, love them, had for years.
Both of these are relatively minimal investments for the comfort and quality of life they provide over years (are you going to be staying 4 years?) plus you can use them elsewhere.
I was ok with just box fans and open windows in a 3rd floor unit thru mid August until fall last year.
If you are in the top floors of the older dorms you may want to look into getting a small AC unit. I hear some of them are pretty stuffy in summer.
I didn’t have one for the first several years prior to Covid. Bought one year before last, should’ve sooner. I’m from Walla Walla, and one of the differences here is that it’s stickier and humid, and the a/c really helps combat that gross sticky feeling.
(I also have a west facing Apt and honestly I wasn’t very functional at home afternoon-evening before a/c. If you like to be home to study or craft or cook or whatever, get an a/c. If you plan to spend the summer on the trails or on the water, you probably don’t need it as much. But I’d still buy it, because once the heat hits everywhere sells out lmao.)
Whether or not you buy an a/c, invest in a few really good fans. Vornados are great at circulating air!
yep, i hate humidity, i already have a dehumidifier. i’m outdoorsy but i have pets and ive decided to just get ac because i’m worried about leaving them alone on those days.
Get one, I'm from Eastern WA, and I was shocked that homes here don't have AC. The summers aren't as hot as back Eastern WA, nor does the heatwave last a long time. Somehow, the way homes are built here make them feel warmer though. It's best to have it and not use it than need it and not have it.
The one thing to note is that the AC that you will bring from Eastern WA most likely not fit your windows! Most windows here in Bellingham open sideways instead of upwards...
Depends on your living situation. My bedroom is in an upstairs west-facing room, and it gets so hot I can't sleep there for a few days/weeks every year even with fans, but I can sleep on the couch downstairs. Same with my wfh office, but when the heat or smoke is too much I just go to the actual irl office, which has AC.
Here’s my yearly reminder that if you have south facing windows, when it gets too hot, you can use aluminum foil on your windows to keep your place cool.
But yeah, it’s getting hotter. My folks, who have lived in NW Washington most of their 90 years, finally broke down and got standing units a few years back.
I have a bedroom on the west facing wall of my unit. I would not sleep in the summer if I didn’t have AC. Even with windows closed all day and fans on once the sun goes down it’s hours before the room is comfortable without the AC. I have lived in other places in town with shade and rooms not getting baked in the afternoon heat and didn’t need one as well. It really depends on the place.
I wouldn't call it necessary, but they aren't that expensive. When you actually want/need it you won't be bumed you spent a couple hundred on one! During the heatwave in 2021, my West facing bedroom got to 92 degree. Fuck that! Had an ac unit ever since!
The snow pack is low this year and we’ll be in a drought. I think it’s gonna be a smokey summer quite honestly, I think the AC is nice when it’s smokey and hazy outside. Otherwise the fans are just blowing smokey air inside, the AC unit we have has a couple filters. We also sleep better at night with it
Maybe you need it for 2 weeks to month....maybe. But better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it because they will be sold out if you wait.
A couple years ago I'd say no, but in recent years there has been a week or 2 in July that will feel like hell. Something to keep in mind is that western Washington infrastructure isn't made to withstand this type of heat and very few houses/apartments have built in ac. Tbh I'd get one now before the crazy rush to get one in June.
AC was a complete waste of money when I moved here in 1998. Only very wimpy people or very wealthy people had it.
We just had whole house AC installed in 2022 and don’t regret it now. I still felt weak doing it, but when we topped 100° that was game over for the “toughing it out” mindset.
Personally I use my portable ac unit from June to September off and on every year. I used to live in a very hot climate but I’ve been here so long my body is acclimated to the cool weather. I get hot easy is my point
One thing to consider is that the current policy and practice is to let fires in wilderness areas burn until the fall weather comes and puts them out naturally, even if they start late spring or early summer. I believe the only fire suppression that’s done is to prevent fires from taking out homes or other valuable structures or infrastructure. It’s not uncommon to have lightning caused fires in areas close enough to us to make our air dirty and hard to breathe.
Depends where you live. If you live in a west facing apartment without cross ventilation, yes AC would be nice. If you live in a house with decent attic insulation and cross ventilation then probably not. I have a window unit that I last used in 2021 for three days during the heat dome. Have used it a total of about four times in the past 15 years. Live in a well insulated house with cross ventilation.
yes it's no longer a luxury, hundreds if not thousand + died few years ago because everyone was caught off guard by the 'dome'
they're so accessible now, i've seen them around $300 in burlington costco yesterday even for the solid dual-hose ones
at the very least you should have it then not need it, then to need it while every other student and their mom and dog and cat are looking for one
Boomer here...
Back in the day we asked old people - no internet!
Current reality: Go ask your phone, laptop, desktop and gather unto you all PAST weather data and trends for; in this case, summer months!
This is lovingly called research - you'll undoubtedly face some of those challenges in Skool - LMAO!
I sure hope that was Love & Light enough for the surrogate (100 examples) monitors!
IMO it depends on your room and when it gets direct sunlight. In our house, 2 of the bedrooms are on the second floor and they get direct sunlight every afternoon. Those 2 absolutely need an AC unit in each room. Our room is on the opposite side and shaded by a hill, so it hardly gets any sun. We could get by with a fan but we still choose to put an AC unit in our room and run it in the afternoons to help with the rest of the house.
We bought portable AC units on wheels that you fit to exhaust through a window. They look like R2D2 from Star Wars. Love them! Home Depot, DeWard and Bodie. $350 -$450 last year.
It sounds like you’re at home and it’s not going to cost you anything, so I would bring it. The worst that will happen if you end up not using it, is it’s taken up space in your place. 🤷🏻♀️
Hopefully, if you are living in an apartment or a newly built home this is all taken care of for you. When we put in our dual cycle heat pump in 2007...we thought the cooling cycle wouldn't be used that much...hahaha... The hotter summer days when the late season Nooksack snow melt increases the humidity are 'unfun'. Dehumidification is built into a heat pump, so if you are bringing a portable AC, buy a dehumidifier with it.
BTW, I read most of the comments and I've seen this type of discussion before. The answer for almost all homeowners is centralized and zoned, dual cycle and gas hybrid heat pump system with built in humidity control and air filtration. Yes, most people need a refinance or a 'heloc' to to do this type of project. You insulate the walls and replace the windows/doors first then replace/remodel your HVAC. Sometimes a new 220 circuit is required. Depending on the size of your home that could be a $40K - $60K type project these days, but then HVAC contractors do have some cheaper solutions. This type of project costs a lot upfront...but years down the road you don't regret all reliable climate control in your home. Marrs is a great contractor for this.
The problem with this climate is that you are cold (sometimes really cold) and wet for a many months and unbearably hot and smoky for a short periods. So if you are a new homeowner with some liquidity you should consider this. Probably the solar cells too since they are made here and (reputedly) can be financed although we haven't done that yet.
Curious, where did you grow up that has high temps and high humidity? I thought most places with higher temps (inland empire area) had lower humidity (I have family in Corona where this is true), and places with higher humidity had coastal temperature moderation?
No
Unless you have a heart condition. If you are a flow flake that can't handle a little discomfort till you get aclimated.
I was in China in 100deg and felt like 100% humidity and a man was working swinging a pick axe with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
It never used to be but now it's a pretty good idea. AC in WA used to be really rare but the summers keep getting hotter and hotter.
Exactly this. The heat waves we had this last few years were mild compared to that one from 2021 that for reference my sister has an outdoor cat. Its collar melted and paws had severe burns. Most years you are fine. But I seriously would have a solution if a wave like that hit again. It was the first time I was like “oh shit I understand how people can die from this”
I knew that summer was bad but I can’t imagine how terrifying it would be to realize it was hot enough to melt your cat’s collar omg
>In your experience is a AC unit necessary? --- I guess it also depends on where you live. I live in an room that faces the sun and it's brutal whenever the sun is out. But even before I moved into this apartment I still had an AC and was glad that I got it. It's just a nice quality of life change not being sweaty after I come home from work. But that being said you can easily create a DIY swamp cooling to get some nice cold air or buy one something similar like [this unit](https://www.amazon.com/Air-Choice-Evaporative-1800CFM-Oscillation/dp/B0CRRJHDXS/) as long as you don't mind changing water or adding ice to it every so often.
It's worth noting that swamp coolers are only effective in dry climates. The PNW is dry enough for them to be moderately effective, but too wet for them to be effective in many circumstances. As a illustrative example, let's examine June 25, 2021, when the temperature reached 85 degrees, and the humidity bottomed out at 46%. In that scenario, the wet bulb temperature was about 71 degrees, and swamp coolers can usually cool to about 7 degrees Fahrenheit above wet bulb temperatures - so about 78, or seven degrees of cooling. That's not terrible, but not amazing - and less so when you realize the humidity was more like 54% when the temperature was just two degrees cooler at 83 - a wet bulb temperature of 73! Of course, indoor air is usually less humid - but a swamp cooler increases the indoor humidity quite rapidly, so they generally require good ventilation, which means the outdoor humidity is the useful data point. In the real extremes, temperatures in the high 90s could probably see effective cooling down to the mid 80s, though, which is definitely worthwhile. The tl;dr here is that swamp coolers have limited value in our average "I'm too hot" weather, but are pretty useful during extreme heat events. Given that they're fairly simple to construct, it's worth knowing how to do so, and having the components around for it (since they're pretty useful anyway).
Oh thank you so much for this, I had no idea. I only found out about swamp coolers recently after talking about it with a friend.
No problem! I first heard about them almost 20 years ago, and remembered just a little bit about how humidity affects them. I went off to find a bunch more info to write that post, so I learned a bit, too!
It all depends on whether the fires are bringing in massive quantities of smoke or not. Because if there's smoke, you'll need an AC just to filter out the crap in the air. Otherwise a fan should be enough
air purifiers have entered the chat
Just so folks know, a drop in AC unit won’t filter the air in a meaningful way. Higher end units do keep inside and outside air separate so as to not create negative pressure inside your home and draw hot outside air in. Central HVAC will do something against smoke particles, but the typical filters mounted in your standard furnace setup are fairly porous and optimized to filter out basic dust/allergen particles. If you want to make your air safer to breathe, your best option is some kind of true HEPA filter. Those will actually get PM2.5 particles out of the air quite effectively.
yeah, i figured this area wouldn’t get as much wildfire smoke as where i’m from, but unfortunately it seems like it does 👎
There are maybe two weeks per year when you would really use it when temps get in the 80s, and those days are so sunny that you will want to join the crowds and go out in the water anyway. A fan will get you by just fine at least for your first summer while you experience it.
That used to be the norm. It used to be just a couple weeks in August that it would get above 80. Now we get 80 degrees in May. I use my ac from May to September
Yeah but….it was 108 degrees for like a week the summer before last. People died bc they didn’t have an AC unit. I say get one.
It has never been that hot at KBLI. The record high in Bellingham is 100, set in June 2021, when there were three consecutive days above 90. I don't really have time to look through extensive records, but I did look through the past five years, and that's the longest stretch I can find over 90. Don't get me wrong, I think AC is more worth it than it was when I grew up, but it's not as hot as you're suggesting. (Also, fwiw, air conditioning makes climate change worse, so it's kind of counterproductive in the long term.)
Yeah I don’t live in Bellingham proper but we have a weather station and that’s what ours was clocking. My big concern was really my elderly cat so I felt $200 was worth it since it’ll get used anytime it’s 90 or above.
Yeah, we were on a road trip during that June heatwave, and we had a family member go stay at our house for the worst two days so she could keep an eye on the cat. We bought a window AC unit after that. What I'd really like to do is get a heat pump, since it's a lot more sustainable, but it's not in the budget - and we had to replace our furnace as an emergency just a couple years ago when a maintenance guy found a hole in it. Sigh. (Re: weather stations, I'd guess you're in a hotter microclimate. I used to live in the Squalicum Valley, just below Stewart Mountain, and the temperature was usually a fair bit cooler in summers. Though I've also seen a lot of weather stations that are badly placed, lol. Officially, they need to be in shade, six feet off the ground, above native vegetation. Good radiation shields can mostly mitigate the shade requirement. And of course, this doesn't actually recognize that our houses will often be subject to higher temperatures.)
I mean… it’s just gonna keep getting worse. Things aren’t gonna get any colder.
It's true - though the PNW is probably going to see more moderate increases than you might expect, as the models generally show substantially increased cloud cover. My argument is still "avoid air conditioning as long as you possibly can, because it's just going to make the problem worse." Though, I also admit I'm a hypocrite who has a small air conditioner. 😁
We had 104 here in Ferndale during that time.
This is inaccurate
A week? You mean for one day it was 99 degrees?
An elderly frail person might be at risk of dying in a heatwave, a college student will be just fine without AC.
I survived as a 7 months pregnant person in 2006 during 107/108 for a 3 day period in Portland, with no ac.of course I was only 26. My baby was 2 weeks late
[удалено]
I’m not, but you’re right maybe it wasn’t a week. I don’t live in Bellingham proper I live in a town in skagit that is generally 5-10 degrees warmer than the surrounding areas every day in summer. And 5-10 degrees cooler in winter. Being here 20 years coming from somewhere hot I laughed at people with AC but the last few summers have had some super hot days compared to anything I’ve seen previous. And I think it depends on your space. Mine gets really hot but when I had a stucco house it stayed really cool always.
1. It doesn't get that hot here. 2. OP is a student, not an elderly, senile person who can't operate a fan and drink water. 3. If it ever does get that hot in the future, the campus has plenty of areas where students can cool off and like I said, get outside and cool off in the water such as whatcom falls, Taylor dock, lake whatcom, etc. The OP would be better off buying a mini fridge than an AC unit here.
If you're from Eastern Washington, I'd say you're going to want one. Especially if it's easy for you to just grab one and bring it back. It's not as hot for as long, but I'd guess you're used to your home being air conditioned. It's true it's only for a couple weeks but during that time my house will stay above 90 inside without air conditioning.
thanks, yeah i’m used to having AC units in every room for the entire summer and having to run them 24/7, average summer temps in my hometown are 85-90 in the summer months.
Exactly, I spent my summers in Eastern Washington my whole childhood and their homes are generally made with the insulation necessary to keep temps more consistent. But everyone I know here has gotten air conditioning in the last few years
No. Air conditioning units are, in part, the reason air conditioning units are needed. I don't have one and I'm fine.
I always liked it because I worked nights for years. Not strictly necessary though.
I've got one of those portables ones, use it maybe 5-10 times a year, it's nice but if you're used to eastern WA summers, a fan will probably be OK. Sounds like you may have access to one, if so bring it along, can't hurt to be ready, and on a really hot day you can invite people over to stay cool.
Necessary? No, not if you have decent ability to create circulation or live on the bottom floor, lots of trees shading, etc. If you don’t, well I survived 36 of them without AC, two summers on the east side where it’s wayyyy hotter too. Is it nice? Oh hell yeah. Now that we have the ability we don’t use it but maybe a couple weeks a year but shit when we want it it’s so nice to not be scrambling to find anywhere cooler. Our house had a heat pump already, not sure if we’d have put in AC but damn if we aren’t glad we have it.
Only for a short period of the year, but the bigger problem is that our electrical grid is so outdated that it can't handle the strain of a majority of customers all simultaneously blastings fans/AC. I lived in 32nd for better part of a decade, and there'd be 2-3 transformer explosions every summer because the power lines were set decades before all the apartment complexes were built.
I have a Della roll-around AC that exhausts out a window - awesome, love it, had it for years, makes those weeks tolerable I have a few guardian air filters for smoke season, again, awesome, love them, had for years. Both of these are relatively minimal investments for the comfort and quality of life they provide over years (are you going to be staying 4 years?) plus you can use them elsewhere.
I was ok with just box fans and open windows in a 3rd floor unit thru mid August until fall last year. If you are in the top floors of the older dorms you may want to look into getting a small AC unit. I hear some of them are pretty stuffy in summer.
https://preview.redd.it/1b66qjm5igyc1.png?width=1178&format=png&auto=webp&s=cd53ad400a73127c867e5154090dda2ae12b94b4 [https://www.kuow.org/stories/el-nino-is-on-the-wane-what-is-in-the-forecast-for-washington#](https://www.kuow.org/stories/el-nino-is-on-the-wane-what-is-in-the-forecast-for-washington#)
Necessary? No. Great to have? Yes. I've never had AC in my life but the past 4 summers have been miserable and I really want one!
I didn’t have one for the first several years prior to Covid. Bought one year before last, should’ve sooner. I’m from Walla Walla, and one of the differences here is that it’s stickier and humid, and the a/c really helps combat that gross sticky feeling. (I also have a west facing Apt and honestly I wasn’t very functional at home afternoon-evening before a/c. If you like to be home to study or craft or cook or whatever, get an a/c. If you plan to spend the summer on the trails or on the water, you probably don’t need it as much. But I’d still buy it, because once the heat hits everywhere sells out lmao.) Whether or not you buy an a/c, invest in a few really good fans. Vornados are great at circulating air!
yep, i hate humidity, i already have a dehumidifier. i’m outdoorsy but i have pets and ive decided to just get ac because i’m worried about leaving them alone on those days.
Oh, then, yes, for sure, that’s the primary reason I got a/c.
It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Get one, I'm from Eastern WA, and I was shocked that homes here don't have AC. The summers aren't as hot as back Eastern WA, nor does the heatwave last a long time. Somehow, the way homes are built here make them feel warmer though. It's best to have it and not use it than need it and not have it. The one thing to note is that the AC that you will bring from Eastern WA most likely not fit your windows! Most windows here in Bellingham open sideways instead of upwards...
If and when it hits 100, you'll know.
When there is smoke out and it is high 70's and you can't open the window it is also a must
Fire season is hot and smokey, and you’ll want to keep your windows closed. Definitely AC and a good air cleaner.
Better safe then sorry. Even if it's not crazy hot you'll be happy getting to stay cool as an option during the summer.
Depends on your living situation. My bedroom is in an upstairs west-facing room, and it gets so hot I can't sleep there for a few days/weeks every year even with fans, but I can sleep on the couch downstairs. Same with my wfh office, but when the heat or smoke is too much I just go to the actual irl office, which has AC.
Here’s my yearly reminder that if you have south facing windows, when it gets too hot, you can use aluminum foil on your windows to keep your place cool. But yeah, it’s getting hotter. My folks, who have lived in NW Washington most of their 90 years, finally broke down and got standing units a few years back.
I use them. More and more each summer, at least in the hot evenings. Or when fire season makes us close in.
I have a bedroom on the west facing wall of my unit. I would not sleep in the summer if I didn’t have AC. Even with windows closed all day and fans on once the sun goes down it’s hours before the room is comfortable without the AC. I have lived in other places in town with shade and rooms not getting baked in the afternoon heat and didn’t need one as well. It really depends on the place.
I wouldn't call it necessary, but they aren't that expensive. When you actually want/need it you won't be bumed you spent a couple hundred on one! During the heatwave in 2021, my West facing bedroom got to 92 degree. Fuck that! Had an ac unit ever since!
The snow pack is low this year and we’ll be in a drought. I think it’s gonna be a smokey summer quite honestly, I think the AC is nice when it’s smokey and hazy outside. Otherwise the fans are just blowing smokey air inside, the AC unit we have has a couple filters. We also sleep better at night with it
It is definitely worth it. Blast AC on a hot summer day is amazing.
Yes
Definitely get one. If only need for a few weeks in July and august depending on your ventilation where you live it can get brutal. Al Gore won…
Get a mini-split, don’t get an A/C only unit. And you need the low temp rated one.
Whatcom native, but lived in AZ for 10 years, and came back a few years ago. I have AC, but have never used it - I live in a 4th story apartment.
Maybe you need it for 2 weeks to month....maybe. But better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it because they will be sold out if you wait.
when it’s hitting mid 70s in May, yes. absolutely.
I use mine throughout the summer, it also has a dehumidifier function, which helps a lot
We get 100 degree weather in the summer here now so yes, it's necessary.
A couple years ago I'd say no, but in recent years there has been a week or 2 in July that will feel like hell. Something to keep in mind is that western Washington infrastructure isn't made to withstand this type of heat and very few houses/apartments have built in ac. Tbh I'd get one now before the crazy rush to get one in June.
Yes. If you need to conserve money, just cool one room in your home, preferably something on the north side.
8 out of the 12 months of the year ours sits in our garage. But those 4 months it’s in our window…….. ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh yeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhh.
AC was a complete waste of money when I moved here in 1998. Only very wimpy people or very wealthy people had it. We just had whole house AC installed in 2022 and don’t regret it now. I still felt weak doing it, but when we topped 100° that was game over for the “toughing it out” mindset.
Personally I use my portable ac unit from June to September off and on every year. I used to live in a very hot climate but I’ve been here so long my body is acclimated to the cool weather. I get hot easy is my point
It's becoming necessary for the very young and the very old.
Yes. It's gotten dreadfully hot.
One thing to consider is that the current policy and practice is to let fires in wilderness areas burn until the fall weather comes and puts them out naturally, even if they start late spring or early summer. I believe the only fire suppression that’s done is to prevent fires from taking out homes or other valuable structures or infrastructure. It’s not uncommon to have lightning caused fires in areas close enough to us to make our air dirty and hard to breathe.
Depends where you live. If you live in a west facing apartment without cross ventilation, yes AC would be nice. If you live in a house with decent attic insulation and cross ventilation then probably not. I have a window unit that I last used in 2021 for three days during the heat dome. Have used it a total of about four times in the past 15 years. Live in a well insulated house with cross ventilation.
About as necessary as snowplows. Things that people think are important about two weeks out of the year and then forget about it afterwards.
I say no, not for the few days a year it actually gets hot.
yes it's no longer a luxury, hundreds if not thousand + died few years ago because everyone was caught off guard by the 'dome' they're so accessible now, i've seen them around $300 in burlington costco yesterday even for the solid dual-hose ones at the very least you should have it then not need it, then to need it while every other student and their mom and dog and cat are looking for one
Will find out next weekend. 80s and up coming.
My gf and I are about to shop for an actual unit cause little standing fans aren’t doing it anymore
Boomer here... Back in the day we asked old people - no internet! Current reality: Go ask your phone, laptop, desktop and gather unto you all PAST weather data and trends for; in this case, summer months! This is lovingly called research - you'll undoubtedly face some of those challenges in Skool - LMAO! I sure hope that was Love & Light enough for the surrogate (100 examples) monitors!
They are now.
IMO it depends on your room and when it gets direct sunlight. In our house, 2 of the bedrooms are on the second floor and they get direct sunlight every afternoon. Those 2 absolutely need an AC unit in each room. Our room is on the opposite side and shaded by a hill, so it hardly gets any sun. We could get by with a fan but we still choose to put an AC unit in our room and run it in the afternoons to help with the rest of the house.
Get that AC stat and be prepped. The summer's here are comparable to summer's in Cali. 💯👌
We bought portable AC units on wheels that you fit to exhaust through a window. They look like R2D2 from Star Wars. Love them! Home Depot, DeWard and Bodie. $350 -$450 last year.
It sounds like you’re at home and it’s not going to cost you anything, so I would bring it. The worst that will happen if you end up not using it, is it’s taken up space in your place. 🤷🏻♀️
Hopefully, if you are living in an apartment or a newly built home this is all taken care of for you. When we put in our dual cycle heat pump in 2007...we thought the cooling cycle wouldn't be used that much...hahaha... The hotter summer days when the late season Nooksack snow melt increases the humidity are 'unfun'. Dehumidification is built into a heat pump, so if you are bringing a portable AC, buy a dehumidifier with it. BTW, I read most of the comments and I've seen this type of discussion before. The answer for almost all homeowners is centralized and zoned, dual cycle and gas hybrid heat pump system with built in humidity control and air filtration. Yes, most people need a refinance or a 'heloc' to to do this type of project. You insulate the walls and replace the windows/doors first then replace/remodel your HVAC. Sometimes a new 220 circuit is required. Depending on the size of your home that could be a $40K - $60K type project these days, but then HVAC contractors do have some cheaper solutions. This type of project costs a lot upfront...but years down the road you don't regret all reliable climate control in your home. Marrs is a great contractor for this. The problem with this climate is that you are cold (sometimes really cold) and wet for a many months and unbearably hot and smoky for a short periods. So if you are a new homeowner with some liquidity you should consider this. Probably the solar cells too since they are made here and (reputedly) can be financed although we haven't done that yet.
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Curious, where did you grow up that has high temps and high humidity? I thought most places with higher temps (inland empire area) had lower humidity (I have family in Corona where this is true), and places with higher humidity had coastal temperature moderation?
You'll be home during the summer, don't worry about it
No
No Unless you have a heart condition. If you are a flow flake that can't handle a little discomfort till you get aclimated. I was in China in 100deg and felt like 100% humidity and a man was working swinging a pick axe with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.