With the heatwave conditions in Brisbane this week (excuse me Mother Nature – it’s supposed to be autumn?!), I came across this old blog post in the archives about why I love air conditioning so much.
So much so, that when we bought a new house last year, I refused to move in until air con was installed in our bedroom!
A couple of things have changed since I wrote the post below … we only have 4 (instead of 5) air conditioning units installed here, and they are all split systems rather than “window rattlers”. We have a big 7kw one that does the whole downstairs living area, as well as air con in two of the bedrooms, and the upstairs rumpus, and they have been in pretty much constant use over the summer. I was dreading the power bill (usually $1100 at the old house for December, January and February) – but got a very pleasant surprise. At $550 it was literally HALF what we used to pay! Are split systems that much more efficient and cheaper to run than window units?
While we do get a lovely sea breeze especially out on the upstairs deck, it doesn’t really make much of a difference inside the house. So I’m very thankful to have air con again and the reasons are just as valid now, as they were when I first wrote the post below in November 2016!
Why I Love Air Conditioning
I have decided that air conditioning in Queensland is a necessity, not a luxury.
Despite living here all my life, I really can’t handle the heat and humidity – and I swear it’s getting worse over the years (or maybe that’s just me getting older?).
Home air conditioning was pretty much unheard of when I was growing up. Long before I reached school age I dreaded having an afternoon nap, because that meant lying on my bed in my west-facing bedroom. I can still feel the sweat trickling off my skin, so that I stuck to the nylon bedspread. Ughhhhh.
The long school holidays in December and January weren’t much fun. It was simply too hot to do anything except loll around on the couch watching TV. We would escape to the shops for a bit of air conditioned comfort, or if we were really lucky, visited friends with a pool.
These days, I love my air conditioning 🙂 .
It might be overkill but we have five – count them FIVE! – air conditioners scattered throughout the house.
There are window mounted ones in Mr 22’s bedroom, our bedroom, the media room and my office. It might look tacky tacky but this is definitely one case where I am putting comfort over style.
Oh, and we also have a big split system which cools the kitchen, dining and family room areas.
We did think about replacing them all with ducted so it doesn’t look quite so “trailer-trash” – but: a. it’s expensive to instal and b. even more costly to run. Miss 20 says her boyfriend’s family have ducted, but rarely put it on due to the expense. Quelle horreur!
7 Reasons to Love Air Conditioning!
- Without air conditioning I don’t sleep properly. When Janet gets tired and cranky, this is not a good situation for anybody.
- I’ve noticed that when it’s uncomfortably hot, it’s not just me … everybody gets a little hot under the collar!
- I actually enjoy cooking and making meals during summer – including Christmas Day – something that would never have happened before air conditioning!
- I don’t stick to my chair while I’m working in the office.
- We don’t have a pool, and having a shower to cool down just doesn’t work – by the time I’ve towelled off I’m just as hot all over again.
- My makeup doesn’t melt off even before I’ve finished applying it.
- I’m much more productive and creative when I’m enjoying air conditioned comfort, instead of over 30 degree heat!
I don’t know how anybody can live without air conditioning in a climate like this. Even roasting in the classroom is a thing of the past, as I think most schools now have air conditioning.
I wonder if I will ever get used to it though – it still feels quite decadent when I put the air conditioning on!
But then I think about how I visited my friend in Christchurch one winter many years ago, and how she told me about her astronomical heating bills. Her one month power bill was more than what we paid for three months! But it was so cold, they just had to have it.
So now I’ve decided that we are the same here in Queensland, only with air conditioning. Or at least that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
Life without air conditioning? Unthinkable!
I love air conditioning. Who’s with me?!