Should more homes have air conditioning these days?

AndyCr15 said:
It's comments like this I don't really understand. As someone else said, but that logic we shouldn't bother with heating either...
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People without heating would die of hypothermia in this country, the government actually make payments to vulnerable people at this time. If you can't understand the difference here, then I suspect you're not trying very hard.
 
chroniclard said:
Unbearable? How do people manage on holiday. :p
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I get your point but I think the difference is expectation and attire.

When I am going to and from the office in a shirt and tie to go and look at a computer screen and make a million phone calls the heat bothers me.

When I am out and about in shorts, t-shirt on vacation......its much more tolerable.....but not for too long though.
 
adolf hamster said:
i tend to be pretty bad when it comes to heat but when it gets colder i'm still wearing a t shirt when everyone else had adopted jumpers.
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Couple of years ago, when we had the snowy weather. I had customers expressing surprise (And Mirth) that I was turning up to work wearing shorts.

But it is actually quite logical.

Knee shorts and long socks. When the socks get wet, you can change them. If long trouser bottoms get wet, you are in cold wet clothing all day.:p

chroniclard said:
Unbearable? How do people manage on holiday. :p
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Diferent kind of heat. When it gets hot in the British Isles, it tends to get very humid as well. once you get much past the high 20's, even the effort of bending down to pick up a crisp packet will leave you lathered in sweat, and sleeping almost impossible.

Most holiday destinations may well be hotter, but they also tend to be a lot less humid too so it is far more comfortable despite the high temperatures. The main advantage of AC in the UK is actually de-humidification rather than actually making rooms cold.


As an aside, challenge for the day.

Why is it that most warm blooded animals will maintain a blood temperature of around 100F? Why that temperature and not a higher or lower one?

And what does this tell us about the global climate over time?

;):p
 
Orionaut said:
Couple of years ago, when we had the snowy weather. I had customers expressing surprise (And Mirth) that I was turning up to work wearing shorts.

Knee shorts and long socks.
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It is actually completely illogical. You're simply stating that:

- you find it easier to carry a spare set of socks and change those, as opposed to carrying a spare set of trousers and changing them
- you've made a lifestyle choice to wear shorts with long socks

I'm sure there was much mirth. Perhaps some other reactions too. But then I don't know what you do - you could work in an abattoir for all I know.

Orionaut said:
As an aside, challenge for the day.

Why is it that most warm blooded animals will maintain a blood temperature of around 100F? Why that temperature and not a higher or lower one?

And what does this tell us about the global climate over time?

;):p
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Google homeostasis and learn about the effect of enzymes and the operating temperatures that they require in order to be most effective.

It tells us virtually nothing about global climate over time, except that the organisms that survive today can effectively regulate their temperature to adapt to a fairly broad external temperature, using both heating and cooling mechanisms to do so.
 
CircleFaust said:
i think some more offices should maybe have it but for homes etc no. it's not going to get that hot in the UK
this summer extended heat wave was a one off. we'll likely be back to our 2 weeks of sunshine summers for a while
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Well, a one off apart from 2 years back where it was nearly as hot for several months...

Or a couple of years before that.

We got the portable AC's when we realised the living room was reaching 30+c pretty much all day, and all that opening windows and turning on fans did was to move the hot air around.

One thing I don't think has been mentioned is that high temperatures are actively bad for the elderly and infirm who may have problems regulating their body temperatures, I know for example my father was struggling before the AC, and when we were looking after my mother the heat was leading to panic attacks/making her Alzheimer symptoms worse (delirium/hallucinations as she was unable to understand why she was feeling wet).
 
Obviously homes should but as with most things it's a case of money. If all new homes had AC to the rooms then they would be more comfortable, and cheaper to heat in the winter. But it would mean new homes cost more to build.
 
The_Abyss said:
It is actually completely illogical. You're simply stating that:

- you find it easier to carry a spare set of socks and change those, as opposed to carrying a spare set of trousers and changing them
- you've made a lifestyle choice to wear shorts with long socks

I'm sure there was much mirth. Perhaps some other reactions too. But then I don't know what you do - you could work in an abattoir for all I know.



Google homeostasis and learn about the effect of enzymes and the operating temperatures that they require in order to be most effective.

It tells us virtually nothing about global climate over time, except that the organisms that survive today can effectively regulate their temperature to adapt to a fairly broad external temperature, using both heating and cooling mechanisms to do so.
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I am an outdoor worker, I can not easily strip down to my Y-fronts at the side of the road to change trousers (Also, they are a hell of a lot bulkier and would need far more drying space than socks once I got home)

As for the Hot Blooded thing, "Most" animals are not hot blooded, they get along just fine regarding the enzyme thing.

To my mind, the optimum temperature for warm blooded animals is a compromise, and a very specific one, that is very much related to climate.
 
ubersonic said:
Obviously homes should but as with most things it's a case of money. If all new homes had AC to the rooms then they would be more comfortable, and cheaper to heat in the winter. But it would mean new homes cost more to build.
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Probably only 3-4k for a 3 bedroom if the house was built with them in place, which is nothing compared to the 150k+ those homes seem to be selling for around here now.

A lot of the cost of any major home improvement (heating, insulation, even just TV/network to the rooms etc) is that you're doing it to something that has already been built without it in mind, if you're fitting it during construction or other major rebuilding work it is much cheaper to do as you're not trying to fit it in a space that wasn't intended to take it, or having to "make good" afterwards.
It's a little like the reason if you can afford it, you rewire your new house (and if needed get central heating fitted) before you move in if the wiring is more than say 30 years old, as it can be done far easier before you are living in it, and have it decorated the way you want.
 
Orionaut said:
As for the Hot Blooded thing, "Most" animals are not hot blooded, they get along just fine regarding the enzyme thing.

To my mind, the optimum temperature for warm blooded animals is a compromise, and a very specific one, that is very much related to climate.
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If you read my response, you will see that I did not focus on warm blooded over cold. I said 'regulate temperature' - equally applicable to both. Both solutions are compromised - there aren't many snakes living in the arctic, are there? Creatures adapt to their environment, and can survive, thrive, die or move somewhere else. Humans are the same, except we've learned to control our immediate environment. With things like heating and air-conditioning.
 
The_Abyss said:
If you read my response, you will see that I did not focus on warm blooded over cold. I said 'regulate temperature' - equally applicable to both. Both solutions are compromised - there aren't many snakes living in the arctic, are there? Creatures adapt to their environment, and can survive, thrive, die or move somewhere else. Humans are the same, except we've learned to control our immediate environment. With things like heating and air-conditioning.
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I do not know of any snakes in the arctic, but "Most" animals in the arctic are actually cold blooded, not warm.

You may not agree with me, but as I see it there is a very specific reason why "Warm Blooded" animal evolution picked a temp of around 100F. and it is very much related to climate.

Temperature regulation is the clue.

Can you see it yet? ;)
 
Airconned air is usually poor quality air, so it is best to avoid it really.

Try a good ceiling fan. They can make quite a big difference :)
 
Kreeeee said:
Half civilised. Everyone is still backwards with miles and feet, and the old folk still get confused when kilogrammes and centimeters are mentioned.
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I still use miles because all the road signs are in miles. But when it comes to temperature, the weather on the telly is in C. Anyway on topic.
 
Resistance said:
If I say take out a ac from a car even if it cools a room down a bit using 12v its still better that using nothing and it might take longer to cool the room down but its still better than using nothing
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12v?

Car air conditioning compressors are driven off the engine directly via a belt, not the electrical system.
 
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