Living in the northern part of the country, the chilly weather arrives in early September and lingers until the end of April.
Our summer season is extremely brief.
There’s no need for central air conditioning. However, we endure temperatures in the mid eighties and high humidity. The house quickly becomes hot and sticky. Since my family is eager to get outside and enjoy the sunny weather, it’s not a problem during the day. The only time the hot and humid conditions are a concern is at night. It’s impossible to sleep. Open windows and box fans aren’t sufficient. The perfect solution for our local weather conditions is window air conditioners. An effective window unit can be purchased for under two hundred dollars. They are available at the local home improvement store. There are quite a few choices for makes, models and sizes. The installation is extremely simple. The units are compact, lightweight and easily set into the window. All I need to do is plug in the cord and start it up. Despite the small size, modern window air conditioners are quite powerful. A larger bedroom is cooled down within a few minutes. The air conditioners are energy efficient, and since we only run them at night, they cost little to operate. Each one includes a cordless remote that allows adjustment of temperature and fan speed without even getting out of bed. Having the separate unit also lets each family personalize the temperature of their bedroom. At the end of the summer, I carry the air conditioners up to the attic for storage.