I held off on the installation of central air conditioning for quite a few years.
A whole-home cooling system simply isn’t a necessity in my local area.
We are far more concerned about the winter weather and effective heating. We run the furnace for approximately 8 months out of the year. I had no interest in switching from paying a huge natural gas bill to facing a high electric bill. For our brief and sometimes chilly and rainy summer season, we were able to manage with opening windows, running box fans and window air conditioners in the bedroom. The house would sometimes get overly hot and sticky. The screens of the windows let in quite a bit of dust, pollen, bugs and fumes. We were bothered by the noise of traffic, road construction and barking dogs. It wasn’t until we needed to replace the furnace that I finally invested into central cooling. The HVAC company was offering a special and there was a rebate from the manufacturer. Purchasing heating and cooling equipment at the same time actually saved me money. I was able to upgrade to a better efficiency furnace and an air conditioner with an impressive SEER rating. I didn’t expect to run the air conditioner all that often. Instead, I’ve found that I enjoy operating the fan feature of the cooling system even when the weather is mild. It works to circulate and filter contaminants out of the air. The house feels fresher, cleaner and more comfortable. One those especially hot and humid days, we can lower the thermostat and enjoy the perfect temperature. The air conditioner helps to combat excess humidity. We sleep better at night and enjoy greater productivity during the day.