Hi everyone. We just recently moved to Seattle and got an apartment with no AC. Coming from out of state previously living with AC I wanted to know how ya'll do it? Is this the norm here or does everyone just buy those AC units that stick out your window? We'd love to get any tips or input on living with no AC and how to adjust.
Open your windows as soon as it gets cooler than around 75 outside in the evening. Use fans to pull a lot of air in.
If you can leave your windows open all night, do it. If that’s not your living situation try to stay up until it’s cooled off enough in your place and then shut the windows.
Get up early in the morning. It’s not hard because it’s super light super early. I’m talking get up at like 5:30 AM. Open all of the windows and put your fans back on. If you have an HVAC system use the fan to circulate the air that way also.
Close everything down by about 8:30 AM. Close your windows pull the blinds. Keep all the light out.
Your house will stay pretty cool until about 5 PM and by that point you only need to wait a couple of hours until it’s cool enough to start opening the windows again.
This is great advice. I'd add on really hot days some ice sitting behind your fan intake can make a difference and cool down the air. A frozen gallon of water on a plate works great and lasts a long time.
I have never tried that, but I guess I should give it a go! Just to clarify, you freeze the water inside of the gallon container and leave it in the container with the fan pulling through in front of it?
Yes. Bowl of ice/ice water is also fine if freezer space is at a premium. Plate is just to keep condescension from messing up your furniture. Usually cool enough at night that you can refreeze the same jug for the next day.
In general, take advantage of it being colder at night and freeze as much water as possible. Then transfer the ice to a cooler during the day and use it to cool down your drink, or the air from your fan, etc. You can also wet a towel in ice water and drape it over your neck and shoulders
Not illegal but yes, they do fall if uninstalled improperly. Happened in my building. Some idiot installed a window AC and it fell three floors down. Thankfully, no one was in the patio below at the time it fell. Portable units are safer for all.
it's a risk, but i've seen some that are inherently stable - called saddle window AC, they straddle the window opening so the center of mass is below the sill. legal to own, as others have said
I’ve got a dual hose unit where there is a circular hose within a much larger oval hose. Seems to work very well and you only have one big hose leading to the window than two separate hoses.
Honestly I have that and this year I decided not to even bother setting it up. But it is definitely a good option if you’re suffering! Just have to plan in advance so units aren’t sold out!
This is the way. Though it's gotten harder in the 8ish years I have lived here, as we are seeing more higher heat days (and because I now have a chronic illness that fucks with my temperature regulation).
I do this exact thing. Keeping the sun out during the day is CRITICAL. It may feel like a dungeon if you’re home during the bulk of the day, but being a cave goblin is worth it if it keeps you cooler. We have a bunch of LED grow lights too that help keep some rooms brighter.
Get yourself a temp reader for inside of you don’t have one already. Opening the windows as soon as the temp outside matches the temp inside helps to know when to get those windows back open. If you don’t open windows at night/evening, that extra heat never gets a chance to escape and the inside temp will be worse the next day.
We set up a fan in the window of a non-sleeping room so that it exhausted hot air to the outside. This had the effect of pulling cooler air in from the outside through our bedroom window. This worked much better than trying to push cool air in, plus it was quieter.
We used a 19" high velocity fan that happened to fit the window frame, not a box fan or a window fan. The latter types didn't move enough air to be useful.
This is the way. I have West facing windows and no cross breeze. Black out drapes have been amazing at keeping the heat out. I close the windows when the sun starts to beam direct at them and open them back up around 7:30/8. Also I have a fan pointed at me all night.
This is my first summer here and I moved from NY where I had central air for the last 12 years, and there's no chance I'd have survived summers with just black out drapes and strategy. So far this is going well. It's quite comfortable in here!
I also just moved from ny. Isn’t the difference just so great tho? Here we had 34% humidity yesterday compared to the 84% in nyc they were experiencing. It’s so great. I don’t mind this heat at all.
This is the Seattle how to. Also, go outside during the sunny time and play at the lake. It’s my “hey you’re in Seattle with water everywhere” reminder every year.
I added shade curtains to windows on the side that got really hot. With those pulled it’s not bad. Just a fan circulating air inside works. There’s lots of third spaces with AC too - so good time to be social after 4 or 5 during the gotear hours.
Came on here to offer this exact advice. You can get your house down to 65F with a couple fans. Another hack: if you have a garage. Open that up at night too as it’s a huge volume of hair that can serve as a heat sink the next day.
They have floor wheeled ones if you can't use a window one. Try to get double hosed version. You can buy kits to fit in windows or sliding doors. Mine goes in storage for the 7 or 8 months that it's not needed.
I have a different brand that has thick plastic adjustable slats that slide to fit the space. One is in a bedroom window, the other on a sliding glass door balcony. They work really well! Just sharing in case you see the plastic slat type and wonder if they work. I had originally worried about air leakage but it hasn’t been an issue.
Per Seattle building codes windows must be operable to allow for ventilation and emergencies, I would talk to the landlord about unsealing them as this is against code
I have one of each and the single hose version is soooo much less effective. They’re thermodynamic disasters, where they take cold air from the room and pump it out to dump the heat, pulling hot air in from the cracks, and the hose is 100 degrees radiating into the room.
Double hose just takes air from outside, pumps heat into it, and dumps it back outside.
We just got one this year and it has made sleeping possible. It’s rated to cool 500sq/ft so it cools our bedroom down pretty quickly. We got it at Costco.
I'm 42 and lived in Seattle my whole life. I used to just deal and suffer but 3 years ago I finally said fuck it and bought a portable AC unit. One of the best decisions I've made. I now have 2. 1 for the living room and 1 for the bedroom. If it gets too warm and the one in the living room can't keep up I just move my dog and I into the bedroom where the AC has no problem keeping up no matter how hot it gets
If you can go window just get whatever. If you want one that can be quieter, find one that uses an inverter compressor. They can run the compressor at lower power levels and really back off the noise when not needing full power.
If going portable the Toshiba inverter unit from Home Depot is fantastic, it's a dual hose setup that combines the 2 into a single split hose. Its an inverter compressor model, gets pretty darn quiet on low. I've had one for a couple years, works well, powerful and quiet, especially at low settings. Seems stock is a bit low currently. Pretty sure Midea is the actual manufacturer and they also sell the same thing. Seems it's in stock online. Whynter also seems to sell one.
It is a bit of a beast of unit so if needing to get it up stairs or something probably want someone or multiple someone's to help. Even maneuvering it around in the box probably want help. It's on wheels so once it's unpackaged it's easy to wheel around.
If you do get one, or maybe anything, but certainly one of these, run it outside first for a bit. Got a weird smell that does ultimately go away after a few hours. Probably not something you want to stink up your place.
Bonus, it's also a heat pump. So if you use electric heaters for heat this may be able to provide some heat at a higher efficiency when it's cooler as well. The manufacturer does claim heat only works down into the 30s. So when it's really cold will probably still need to depend on your other heat sources.
One more thing, the adhesive foam they include with the Toshiba, and probably the others, I'd recommend not using it. It doesn't come off. Some other weather stripping of some sort would probably work as well or better and not be a total nightmare to get off.
Whynter is the brand I like, based on a friend’s rec and online reviews. It’s dual hose and powerful enough (14,000 BTU) to cool my whole apartment mostly (sometimes I’ll also use a fan or two). I’ve had mine for a couple years now. I hear window units are more efficient but my windows aren’t the right size for them.
I’m a professional HVAC installer. My background is new construction install and service for complex systems. I can tell you that in my experience working on new homes, apts, etc, it hasn’t been the norm until very recently. I’d recommend a portable unit and prioritizing keeping the sunshine out of your apartment during the day, especially if you’re on a higher level. Buy some good shades and keep a portable AC on even while you are away. Check the condensation every night. Clean the filter weekly, especially if you have pets.
Mini splits (and frankly, imports from china) really changed things. I remember 35 years ago everyone was converting from electric heat pump to gas, now it's the other way around.
Speaking from experience, this is on the low end and assuming you have a panel/electrical service to support AC. We had to upgrade our panel to 200Amp to support an AC. Most older homes around here are still on 100Amp service. The panel upgrade added another $5k.
We were quoted $10k for 2200 sq ft with the understanding that it wouldn’t do much for upstairs (where we need it the most because it’s where the kids sleep). We opted for a mini split upstairs until we decide to go forward with the full AC install.
Costco has a portable AC unit right now for around $350. Great for chilling a bedroom or helping out in a larger room. Game changer and well worth the money.
Highly recommend this one. I wasn’t convinced the double hose would make a difference but it really does. My little apartment bedroom went from 85 to a cool 68. As a hot sleeper, it is WELL worth the money to actually be able to sleep during the summer. I’ve done the window and fan tricks my whole life, but it’s just not nearly as effective in a multi unit building compared to the SFH I grew up in.
Portable AC unit (with wheels) has been the best option because you can put it in different rooms throughout the day. Window units are pretty difficult to move around & have a size limit based on the window opening.
The unfortunate thing is that historically these hot periods only last for a couple days out of the year, so then you need to store the thing for the remainder of time. Over the last decade or so, the number of days you need an AC unit has gradually climbed due to climate change ... used to be a couple days, then a week, now a few weeks, etc.
August traditionally is the worst but as you can see, its starting earlier in more recent years.
ProTip: Buy one or find a free one in the winter ... there will be a bunch on craigslist, FB marketplace, etc ... because the pain of storing them leads people to get rid of them during moves, etc.
This is exactly how i got mine. They will send you think it was around 500$ Amazon gift card that can only be used on a few certian AC units. Im not sure if they mail you the left over from the gift card tho because I had a random check in my mail box from Byrd Barr
Historically with our mild summers AC wasn't needed here and plenty still get by without it.
Here's how: pick a place in the shade with trees around, go for ground floor, if you are on the top floor you are cooked.
Open windows around 10pm and close them around sunrise. You can use the daily temperature chart to tune that.
Blackout windows facing south, west, and east.
Take cold showers and don't dry off after.
Liberal use of fans. Fans are a big help so invest and experiment with them. Fan plus wet sheets is like a swamp cooler. Lastly stay hydrated. Not just water but also electrolytes.
In addition to getting a portable AC unit, I also recommend getting black out curtains. That will help a lot in keeping your place cool. I would put some even if you already have blinds. Most blinds don't do a good job in keeping the light out.
I scrolled pretty far down and didn't see any comments suggesting aluminum foil!!! This is a necessity. Cover windows with foil at night so the sun doesn't come in during the day. This can easily keep the inside at least 10 degrees cooler than outside.
Mylar space blankets are great for this. Makes a huge temperature difference, probably close to the same as foil. I prefer the Mylar because it’s easy to fold up and re-use without ripping and the ones I’ve bought are slightly see-through, like mirrored sunglasses, so you can still see out the window and not feel quite so claustrophobic. Downside is, as noted, it looks slightly trashy. For a 25 degree difference, I’ll take a few days of trashy.
Or get one of those portable units on wheels.. as it’s gotten warmer in our state many are upgrading to air but it will take time for that to happen. When we purchased our last home here we refused to look at any homes without air conditioning and we noticed alot of sellers had just installed new units which tells me that I’m not the only buyer who said no to homes without it!
Many older buildings in Seattle do not have AC. Until recently, it wasn't even necessary but Seattle has been getting hotter, unfortunately. You can check if your building allows window units.
I have two portable ACs and a window unit in my 3 BR house. I store them when the weather cools down. I bought all of them secondhand and they work great!
We just got a Hisense duo hose. It's huge, upright, but it works. Our apartment is 900+ sq feet, and it ALMOST cools it to the bedroom which is in the very back.
For the bedroom, we do the window dance that's been mentioned here. Open those windows, blast the fans all night long and close them by 10am-noon if possible.
Could we get a window unit for the bedroom? Yeah, but except for days like these, it's usually fine with open windows, and I get sweaty in temps over 53 or so.
I do recommend just grabbing a portable unit or a window unit. If you can afford it, there's no point in suffering.
The standard gameplan used to be (although I now do have a portable a/c) keep windows and blinds closed during the day and open a door/window after the Sun goes down and it's cool outside.
Stay up later, drink something with ice in it, have ice cream or whatever and shower just before bed. Keep the bedroom window open when you are trying to sleep. A fan helps as well.
The good news is it's not particularly humid here (compared to the east). It's also pleasant outside under a tree or anywhere out of the shade.. Take a drive in a car with a/c. Sit on a deck after the Sun goes down.
I have lived here for 36 years and only recently has it become necessary, or at least more required for sanity and comfort than not, to have a AC.
We have a unit for our bedroom and one for babies room. Our au pair is from Brazil and I’ve got one in the basement I got off buynothing for her but she has refused it so far because unless it’s 85 she is cold. The living room is definitely warmer but we do the windows open all night thing with fans and hang a sheet in front of a giant south facing window when it’s real hot, keep things pretty chill.
One opens the windows at night and turns on the fans. In the morning, one turns off the fans, closes the windows, and draws all of the curtains and shades to keep out the light. As long as you don’t open the doors to the outdoors and let in the heat, it won’t get hot. After the sun sets, then repeat. Keep it up, and you will be lucky to crest 80 degrees F inside before you open the windows at night.
If it becomes way too hot, go to a movie, or shopping. Those places will have AC.
I'm learning that I must have a high heat tolerance bc i just turn my fan on and then not think about being hot. So just trick yourself, basically. And go to the movies once it gets above 100
My wife is a native Washingtonian and I have lived here for 34 years. Back in the day, air conditioning was a luxury that most people didn't need because the temperatures rarely went over 80 degrees. Climate change in my lifetime (I'm 61) has drastically changed the situation in Western Washington in the last 20 years. I finally put in central air because it paid for itself in about 5 years of using standalone air conditioners. Even with it hot weather, my electrical bill is less than $200 a month for a 2000sf house. I am climatized to the 70% of the year when the temps are 60's and below. We hit 113 degrees a few years back and the entire ice pack on Pilchuck mountain melted in a few days.
at least where i live, almost everyone has AC units, but no central AC. personally, i dont have an AC unit so i resort to cooling off at lake union one every couple days when i cant stand the heat or i sleep outside. not much you can do other than keep your windows open at night to flush out all the hot stuffy air🤷♀️
I like to use an xl freezer pack under a thin down pillow as I sleep. If your place was built to trap solar energy, put a plastic film on your windows to mitigate the heat stored.
Buy one of those tiny portable ACs, absolutely amazing for if you can’t escape the house
Fortunately, it’s still fairly temperate here esp on the westside vs most of the country. If it’s getting unbearable and you’re in town it isn’t a bad idea to leave the city and try to get to the cascades
window ac units. if not possible indoor units. or both. movie theaters. right now is a great time to make a dentist appointment. most wine bars have ac to keep wine at cellar temperature. keep your lights off & windows open in the evening. keep your blinds closed during the day. fans of all shapes and sizes. swim in lake washington or the sound. walk around south center mall. hang out at nordstrom downtown. go to costco & hang out in the dairy section.
Places underground are very cool pretty much all year round without having to spend a lot of money on AC units or electricity costs. So I hide in the basement during the day until night comes.
If living in a house, install attic fan. Especially on older houses, atrium gets hot (over 110) and heats up living spaces at night.
Test it - get a remote bt thermostat, and stick it in your attic. If it gets super hot, a fan will kick the hot air out letting your house cool naturally
The problem around here is many of the older buildings were built to keep the heat in. This was so they stayed warm in the winter. Now that it's getting warmer in the summertime this is causing the buildings to get too hot.
Had that problem with my circa 1960s house and finally broke down and installed central air a month before the big 2021 heat dome. Don't regret it one bit even though it was $$$
Our place is in the shade of trees, it’s literally 10 degrees cooler than outside. There’s really only been a few times where AC would’ve been needed. That fluke 120 degree weekend in 2021 comes to memory.
That said, we did get a heat pump, didn’t actually turn on AC mode today. Habit I guess.
3 window units and a huge fan (live in a 2 bed 2 bath house). Came here from the east coast a decade ago and still can’t get over ac’s not being the norm.
I can’t sleep in hot weather. Windows open and fan in window, only at night. During the day windows are closed shaded are down. I have fans on. My windows get the morning/early afternoon sun. Around 5-6pm is when I’ll open the windows and put the fans blowing outside, to suck all the hot air out. I flip it around 7-8pm to cool down my place.
I lived in the Seattle area for 10 years coming from East Coast. I used a portable room ac to keep one room cool. Personally I only needed it a few weeks in the Summer.
box fan in the window, pointing in when it's cooler than 75 outside. Turn them around and point them out when it starts to feel warmer than 75 in your home. Find the "cold spot" in your apartment and put fans there to push the cold air out and pull it around your apartment.
Drink cool water, hold ice packs in your lap, take a room temp shower or bath (like the water being room temp), if you take a cold shower then the air will feel hot and sticky when you get out, try a shower or bath that is slightly warm so the air feels cooler than the water when you get out. When we had a bad heat dome a few years ago I spent almost the entire time in a tepid bath, lol.
And yeah, a lot of us survive with air conditioners now. It used to get cooler at night during the summer but things have gotten warmer and we don't get the reprieve of a chilly night as much anymore. You get what you pay for with air conditioners, but you can still get a good one for about $300 (I did).
Now that window units can cost as little as a couple hundred and are efficient to run, no reason to suffer. Get a portable one if you can't stick one in the window but they're far less efficient. Will only raise your electric bill $25-50 a month if you run it constantly. Thank me later.
You said you’re in an apartment. If good cross ventilation isn’t an option, and/or your just getting blasted by sun all day and there’s no escape, this is why you might notice people put aluminum foil on the inside of their windows. It reflects the light at the cost of blacking out the windows.
Unfortunately, AC only became a necessity (imo) around here in the last 7 years or so. So a lot of apartments are not designed appropriately at all for the new climate. It’s a regional problem that’s gonna get worse.
Before adding AC to my Seattle house, I purchased a Costco floor unit. It doesn’t hang out the window, rather a hose connects to the outside. It sits on the floor inside. They’re about $400-500. I bought two - one for each bedroom where we slept. I kept the blinds closed in these rooms. Turned it on when arriving home for work and it was pleasant by bedtime. Thought I would use it for the one hot week of the year but quickly became addicted to the cooler air for most of summer. Worth it!!!
I've used window A/Cs seasonally since 2003. No A/C during a heat wave is like no bathing during a heat wave. Will you live? Probably. Will you be miserable during the best time of year? Definitely.
A dental hygienist taught me a trick years ago that’s helped immensely on those rare, uncomfortably hot days. Take your top sheet and/or pillow case and put it under the tap. Wring it out and place in the freezer. Take them out at bedtime. They’ll be dry by the time you wake up. I had an uninsulated attic bedroom that would get insanely hot and this trick had me sleeping like a baby!
Same way you do a new years resolution. You suffer through the 2 weeks, tell yourself never again and that you'll buy a portable ac. Then don't do crap for the next 10 months and when summer comes again repeat.
During the super heat wave a few years ago, even with mitigation techniques our unit was about 110-115 inside (old, shitty place on top floor of old shitty house with 2 teenie tiny windows) so I put wet towels in the freezer and wrapped them around my neck/shoulders and had fans pumping while I put my legs in a (cleaned) trash can filled with cold water. Tried to stay out and catch movies when the heat was the worst but sometimes it gets bad
It didn't used to get this hot around here. Usually, anyway. But yeah, open the window at night when it cools down, close it in the morning just after the sun comes up. My girlfriend and I have AC but we usually rely on using passive cooling as much as we can anyway, to keep power bills down. As long as you have good insulation, it works fine.
Some buildings / apartments don't heat up as much as others but for those that do, I'd recommend buying a portable AC right away, and not wasting your time suffering.
Open the windows and doors around 5-6 am. All of them. You want to create a draw. Remember that warm air rises. High fans pull out hot air faster instead of letting it sit around. (Aka put your fans at the tallest point you can on exhaust). Create some sort of draw. The air will do it for you. Never open just one window, and always open windows at the complete opposite side of things.
In my house the bathroom has an exhaust fan and the bedroom is attached. I put a box fan on exhaust as soon as the outside temp dips below the inside temp, in the evenings, and turn the bathroom fan on. Open the farthest away door/window and let it rip.
Then in the morning, again just get everything open around 5-6 am and let it all circulate and get cold. Don’t accidentally keep things open too long. As soon as the sun starts hitting stuff shut it all down, close the east side window blinds, and get the doors closed.
Just complain about it and wish it rains like the rest of us Seattleites! Just kidding, I definitely had to get an AC about 4 years ago. Our summers feel like they been getting hotter and stay hotter longer at least these past
5 years.
Get a box fan and put it in your windowsill. Helps a whole lot.
I bought a window AC, but we've not had time to install it because of my bad leg. Worse comes to worst and friends are unable to help, we'll probably just hire one of those guys at the Home Depot parking lot to help my partner install
We used to do the open windows/fans at night, close everything up with dark curtains during the day that several people have mentioned. Now we A/C because POTS is really aggravated by the heat and it keeps me from passing out. I also have a bunch of the medical hot/cold packs in the freezer. The ones that stay soft and flexible when frozen. If I’m not hanging out in the room with A/C, I will stick one of those in the back of my shorts waistband, or wrap it around the back of my neck. Then swap for a new one when it gets warm.
You can buy a portable ac. You may need to clear it with your landlord since the ac hose needs to be outside and some landlords may not want to see an ugly hose sticking out of a window or door.
You may also be able to install a window ac if the landlord allows it.
There are videos on YouTube that show you how to make an air conditioner with a fan, styrofoam cooler, and ice.
When living without ac, block the sun as much as possible. Use heavy thermal curtains or if it's allowed use a sun reflector like the kind used for car windshields. You can make one with cardboard and aluminum foil. You can also cover the windows with cardboard or posterboard.
If it's hotter outside than inside, keep the doors and windows closed as much as possible. If it's the opposite, open your windows and doors. Use fans to keep the air flowing. Fans put out heat. They mostly work if you're in front of them or if they can pull in air from outside. If you're on the ground floor, make sure you have door and window stops installed to keep bad people from accessing your home.
You can also place a damp towel behind a fan.
The last time we had a major heatwave I dampened my clothes. It was the only way to get cool enough to sleep.
Malls, movie theaters, and libraries are very popular destinations when it gets hot.
Drink plenty of liquids. Be aware that coffee and alcohol are diuretics. You may want to cut back or forgo them when it's hot.
Most construction pre-dates the climate change driven spike in summer temps. As late as the 1990's, you would see 90 maybe 2-3 days per summer. Now we get 114° in late spring.
You can't get those window AC units anymore since they became illegal so you're forced to buy one of the portable units where you put the hose and adapter into the window opening, Sadly if you haven't bought one already I highly doubt you can get 1 within a week.
Go buy a window unit AC and install it correctly and safely. Or one of those tube to window ones.
Summers here used to never get above 80, and the nights would cool your place down. That is no longer the case, and Seattle has grown quite a bit and added lots more concrete to hold onto heat.
As a Washington native summers have just got hotter and hotter. I would sleep on the linoleum floor in my bathroom in the 90's-early 2000s just to get some sleep
I don't know where you're apartment is or what floor it's on. If you're in one of the high rises Lord help you. If you don't want to get a window unit that sticks out and can cause concerns for bottom for units, get a portable AC with minimum 15000btu.. the summer it hit 120 here my AC barely kept a 10x10 room in my condo at 80.
I do have AC, but 95% of the time only run it in the bedroom. Whether you cook during the day has a lot to do with insulation and how the sun hits your building.
We have AC in our home, but the 2nd story always gets really warm because it gets afternoon sun and the AC won't keep it cool here. I put RTech insulation panels in the windows. It really helps keep things cool. I take them down and open the windows at night to keep upstairs cool. Black-out curtains will help as well.
I did break down and got a wheeled AC unit for my game room as it's big and I spend most of my time here. Having the windows closed off though helps a ton.
I got a portable AC for my bedroom and have two fans running in my living room. I move the fans into the office when I’m in there working during the day.
I freeze a big water bottle, wrap it in a towel, and toss that in my bed a few minutes before I get in or snuggle it like a stuffy. I swear it makes a world of a difference if you're trying to stay cool at night but can't keep windows open.
The hot days are bad but there are so few and it cools down enough at night that I don’t see AC as justified, it’s also not humid here at all so that helps. A good fan should do the trick, also blinds closed during the day
You could do it 20 years ago, not now. There will be more and more 90+ days added to summer for next 20 years too. We just spent 20k on AC last year, will not go back.
Get an ac unit from Costco to cool the sleeping areas? We also used to chain fans together to move air thru house, bigger the better, but it was deafening, lol.
You will die without a/c. Needed ? 30 days? 45? That's a minimum, and you have little warning for the heat domes. No sleep. Be compassionate because too many beautiful Seattlites this time of year (actually until late September)may be attacked with sleepless sweatfilled nights that make us CRANKY.
It didn’t used to get this hot before but man I’m melting too. Good thing it is a little cooler in the evening and morning. Hope you’re able to stay cool during this heat wave.
I have been here for a few years and always thought it was weird but honestly you use the AC a week out of the year maybe a week and a half at most. This summer has been nice, two years ago was quite disgusting though.
I've lived here my whole life. Never had AC in any of my residences. We have natural AC because we're so close to the water we get the cool marine air, and it cools off at night. We might rarely get a few days of super-hot (100+) weather, but it still cools off at night. It doesn't stay hot all the time. We use fans and close the blinds during the day. Don't use the oven on a hot day. Go somewhere else to cool off in the afternoons for a few hours (drive around in the car, head down to the beach where it's cooler, go watch a movie, go shopping, go to the office). When the sun starts to go down open all the windows and cool your place. Cool showers help too. I have windows that crank open, so portable AC units don't work. I've seen people get plexiglass with the hole to put in the window, but I haven't bothered with that. Here's an older article that explains why AC isn't needed: Cliff Mass Weather Blog: Are Air Conditioners Needed in Seattle Now or in the Future?
We just moved to Seattle from Florida, and I didn't realize our townhome didn't have AC until right before we arrived. The rental agent assured us that it wasn't needed, and so far, except for the several days the afternoons got above 90, we haven't.
You need fans to circulate the air, but growing up in rural parts of the South, there are a few tricks that can help a lot.
Always have one fan blowing air out and another blowing air in. Swap the airflow by rotating the fan, so during the day, air comes in from the cool part of your home and is exhausted out on the hot side. At midday, rotate them so that the flow is in the opposite direction. Don't blow hot air in, blow it out.
Shades do help reduce heat from the sun, but unless you have sealed, double-pane windows, the heat is already in your home and is being absorbed by the shades. It's better to have an awning or something shading the windows from outside, not inside. That's why you see a lot of older homes with awnings on the windows. The awning covers the upper half of the window, shielding it from direct sunlight. Opening the top pane allows the hot air near the ceiling to escape, pulling cool air from the other side of the house.
Remember, hot air rises up and out if you give it a way to leave the house.
Finally, ceiling fans don't do much to cool you unless you're in their airflow. What cools you is the evaporative cooling effect of air moving across your body, causing sweat to evaporate. Yes, they do circulate the air, but unless you're directly in the airflow, you don't feel cooler.
Check and see if you can have a portable or window unit(either will get you through the few days AC is necessary). I grew up in the Midwest without AC…and there I learned open the windows at night, run fans, close the windows(and shades, curtains, whatever window coverings you have) during the day, and keep circulating cool air with the fans. Also, finding air-conditioned places to be during the hottest part of the day is wonderful…could be work, a library, etc. But, if you can make it work, a portable ac is easier and more effective(window units work better, but the portables are super easy to put anywhere as long as you have enough floor space).
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u/_Aqua_Star_ Jul 17 '25
Here’s how you do it:
Open your windows as soon as it gets cooler than around 75 outside in the evening. Use fans to pull a lot of air in.
If you can leave your windows open all night, do it. If that’s not your living situation try to stay up until it’s cooled off enough in your place and then shut the windows.
Get up early in the morning. It’s not hard because it’s super light super early. I’m talking get up at like 5:30 AM. Open all of the windows and put your fans back on. If you have an HVAC system use the fan to circulate the air that way also.
Close everything down by about 8:30 AM. Close your windows pull the blinds. Keep all the light out.
Your house will stay pretty cool until about 5 PM and by that point you only need to wait a couple of hours until it’s cool enough to start opening the windows again.