Unsure Whether To Install Air Conditioning? Better Safe Than Sorry
If you're in an older home that does not have air conditioning and are looking at ways to improve the structure, adding air conditioning is a choice you should consider. While it can seem like an indulgence in some areas of the country, such as coastal areas, it can be a veritable lifesaver if a heat wave hits. Even relatively mild areas can have hot weather; for example, coastal San Diego, one of the more mild regions of the United States, can see temperatures soar into the 90s Fahrenheit in September and October. At these times, air conditioning can help keep you healthy. Take a look at why having even artificially cooled air is an option you want regardless of where you live.
Filtering Pollen
If you suffer from pollen allergies, leaving your window open on a hot day lets more pollen in. But if you have an air conditioner, you beat those allergies in two ways. One, you don't have to keep the window open, obviously, if the air conditioner is on. The second reason has to do with the air conditioner's filter—it traps airborne pollens that have still made it into the house. The result is you breathing in fewer pollen grains, reducing the chances of having an allergic reaction.
Cooling Down at Night
Cooler temperatures at night are essential for letting your body's core temperature cool down. If it doesn't get that chance, you can overheat and end up needing medical treatment for heat exhaustion or other heat-related illnesses. Scientific American notes that more deaths occur at night during extreme heat waves. If you think getting into the 90s isn't extreme, remember that your body adjusts to temperatures in a region over time. So after a while, a run of days in the 90s with no air conditioning and no ability to cool down at night if low temperatures don't fall that much can seem quite extreme if you've gotten used to much milder temperatures.
Avoiding Heat Illness
Even if nighttime temperatures fall enough to make nights comfortable, a very hot day without a break from the heat can really make you sick if you manage to get dehydrated or otherwise exhausted. Getting into a cool, air-conditioned room is one way to avoid getting serious heat illness.
If you'd like to find out which styles of air conditioning might be best for you, talk to air conditioner installers as soon as you can. Installing air conditioning—be it a whole-house system like central air conditioning or individual room units—now gives you a chance to figure out your favorite temperatures. For more information, contact companies like Classic Heating And Cooling.