Tales from the Climate Control Front Lines
By Dawn West
dawn.west@homeimprovementideas.com
Home Improvement Ideas Columnist
I've been living in temperate and lovely Oregon for the past year, but I just relocated to New York, land of hellish summer humidity and heat. For a short while, I thought I could make it with a little fan and open window climate control system, but after a couple of miserable sweaty nights, the specter of a terrible melty death started to loom large. That's when my knight in shining armor arrived in the form of a window air-conditioning unit.
There are lots of reasons people hold off on putting in climate control systems. Air-conditioning can be expensive. Some people have environmental concerns. And for others it's just a matter of toughness -- your grandma raised eight kids in a one room house with a dirt floor in the middle of Arizona without electricity – surely you can tough out this latest hot spell.
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Turns out, there are a lot of good reasons to get over your resistance to climate control. Newer systems are more affordable, more energy efficient, and environmentally friendlier. And let's face it, no matter how tough we are, heat exhaustion is friend to no man. Here are a few tips on deciding what type of climate control system is right for you.
Tip #1. Central Air is Oh-So-Lovely
If you're looking to control the temperature in your entire house, central heating and air-conditioning is a great investment. It will be a great selling point for future buyers, and it's the most efficient way to control temperature overall. If you can afford the cost, you'll thank yourself in the long run for springing for a central climate control system.
Tip #2. Pay Attention to BTUs
BTUs (British thermal units) are a rating of an air-conditioner's capacity. If you are looking to cool a large space, you're going to need an air-conditioner with more BTUs than if you're looking to cool just your tiny bedroom. Cheaper air-conditioners will have fewer BTUs. Don't penny pinch and buy a unit without enough power; you'll pay for it in the end with all the electricity you'll use running it nonstop.
As a final note, I'd like to say thank you to the good people of Frigidaire and my local hardware store, without whom my life would be a lot less bearable. If you're still a climate control holdout now's the time to put your sweaty past behind you.
About the Author:
Dawn West teaches writing at Oregon State University. Her previous experience includes working for the Community Development Venture Capital Alliance, a not-for-profit in New York City, and serving as the director for an educational program for at-risk youth in Boston. Dawn holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University.
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