Do people out in California really not get Air-Conditioners?

They've talked about weather once or twice on the Bombcast, and on the latest jars Jeff got into it again. I'm curious, are Air Conditioners really that rare a sight out on the West Coast?

I know the weather is less extreme there then it is here in the Northeast, but still, it's around 100-200 bucks (Much less then a lot of electronics we all buy), will last for years, and means that week or two of crazy high temperatures don't matter to you once you get home.

I had one when we lived in oregon, but it was definitely not common, and they were all usually not built into the place (the put it in an open window variety)

Yea, i think its more a matter of not much central air rather then the window ones. And central air does not cost 200 bucks.

The idea of not having AC is frightening but then again I am from Massachusetts so maybe that has something to do with it. Here in Indiana I go outside when its snowing in T-shirts and people think I am nuts.

I lived in San Francisco for years. There were only about 2-3 days per year where I wanted one. It doesn't get into the 80s much there. Where Jeff lives it gets warmer than SF, but still not as hot as most of the country in the summer. The coastal areas are pretty mild, but if you drive just a bit east you'll hit places where it's 95 degrees all summer. Those people have AC.

California is really big. In some areas air conditioners are more common than others. It would be tough to make an all or nothing sort of statement for something like that.

Have lived in southern California all my life, haven't ever had air conditioning

We've got em up near Sacramento. It was 106 the other day.

@Atramentous said:

The idea of not having AC is frightening

Same here.....I live in Ohio where the summers are hot and humid.

@isbecome said:

California is really big. In some areas air conditioners are more common than others. It would be tough to make an all or nothing sort of statement for something like that.

I was going to say SF in my topic but didn't want to risk too small a sample size.

I live in a suburb relatively close to Sacramento and I have an air conditioner, and I everyone I know has one. Last Saturday it was around 108 degrees, so it's kind of a necessity to have one here for the summer.

Yeah where I live in California you really want to have an air conditioner. Its been like 90-105ish most of the week

@SamDrugbringer said:

@isbecome said:

California is really big. In some areas air conditioners are more common than others. It would be tough to make an all or nothing sort of statement for something like that.

I was going to say SF in my topic but didn't want to risk too small a sample size.

SF is also on the coast though, so anyone who lives near a coast is going to have way less extremes in temperature, and that's everywhere.

As an Australian born and raised in Queensland and now living in West Texas, this is insane to me that people don't have AC.

I live in Washington and I only know a few people that have AC. I am not one of them.

California is a magical land that doesn't always make sense.

@Guided_By_Tigers: Same here in Chicago.

We've had the AC running all week with temperatures in the 90's. Too humid for me.

@Animasta said:

@SamDrugbringer said:

@isbecome said:

California is really big. In some areas air conditioners are more common than others. It would be tough to make an all or nothing sort of statement for something like that.

I was going to say SF in my topic but didn't want to risk too small a sample size.

SF is also on the coast though, so anyone who lives near a coast is going to have way less extremes in temperature, and that's everywhere.

Being on the coast doesn't save NYC from being hot enough that I'd be miserable without an AC.

In Vancouver BC, the entirety of summer so far was mostly missing and replaced with rain, overcast, and more rain. Rarely breaks even 70 degrees.

@Butano said:

We've got em up near Sacramento. It was 106 the other day.

yup, thank god for the AC that day. (it was a little cooler in folsom, 104 was the highest we got i think)

As someone with no knowledge of electricity and other utilities cost, I imagine saying an air conditioner is only a one time 200 dollar proposition is simplifying things a bit. But they are fucking worth whatever the cost.

@Atramentous said:

The idea of not having AC is frightening but then again I am from Massachusetts so maybe that has something to do with it. Here in Indiana I go outside when its snowing in T-shirts and people think I am nuts.

Well, I'm in Massachusetts, and I always shovel snow in a t-shirt, and maybe a light jacket to keep the t-shirt dry, and people think I'm nuts. Mostly the old people though, so maybe it's a youth thing.

@Animasta said:

I had one when we lived in oregon, but it was definitely not common, and they were all usually not built into the place (the put it in an open window variety)

My experience with Oregon has been that air conditioning is standard in pretty much any house built post 1995. That anyone in California doesn't have it is surprising, the weather around here is garbage (cold and rain, black ice in the winter if its relatively cold) aside from mid-June to the end of September. Maybe its because people in California spend a lot more time outside, so the AC matters less?

I live in a Chicagoland suburb and this past week we've been hitting high 90s. Our central AC isn't working, so we bought a couple of fans. It's bearable so long as you take PLENTY OF SHOWERS.

@pyromagnestir said:

@Atramentous said:

The idea of not having AC is frightening but then again I am from Massachusetts so maybe that has something to do with it. Here in Indiana I go outside when its snowing in T-shirts and people think I am nuts.

Well, I'm in Massachusetts, and I always shovel snow in a t-shirt, and maybe a light jacket to keep the t-shirt dry, and people think I'm nuts. Mostly the old people though, so maybe it's a youth thing.

My winter clothes are the same as my summer clothes but maybe sometimes I will wear a hoodie. 60 degrees is my comfort zone so living in Indiana is fucking rough.

I'm super glad I was forced to go a year without any air conditioning. Now I hardly feel the need for it. I only ever turn mine on for the sake of my animals, otherwise I've sort of stopped minding being a little sweaty. It's especially nice too, when I walk outside and am the only person not feeling like they're getting hit with a brick of hot air.

At least Idaho is a dry heat. Having spent time in Oregon, I really feel for you guys living in humid areas. I hated it.

On the coast, it isn't usually necessary because the ocean breeze keeps the temperature down pretty well. I currently live in the San Fernando Valley (or "The Valley"), which just on the other side of the hill from Hollywood. We get NO ocean breeze and the summer months can get as hot as 110 degrees or higher. You bet your ass I have central air conditioning and refuse to live here without it. The Valley tends to be 10 to 20 degrees hotter than the area between Hollywood and the ocean. A nasty 100 degree day in the Valley can be a very nice 80 degree day 5 miles down the freeway.

Living some place where AC isn't considered 'needed' sounds beautiful.. It gets awful here in Nebraska during late spring/summer.

@Zekhariah said:

@Animasta said:

I had one when we lived in oregon, but it was definitely not common, and they were all usually not built into the place (the put it in an open window variety)

My experience with Oregon has been that air conditioning is standard in pretty much any house built post 1995.

Well I lived in apartment complexes so maybe you're right but I never saw very many AC units anywhere.

The people in California have no AC? You learn something new every day!

But damn. I just can't fathom living without an air conditioner running over the summer, especially here in the North Carolina foothills where it gets up to and sometimes over 100 degrees in the latter parts of the summer.

@Guided_By_Tigers said:

@Atramentous said:

The idea of not having AC is frightening

Same here.....I live in Ohio where the summers are hot and humid.

I live in Georgia, where the summers literally choke the life out of you.

man the north east blows we get the worse of both seasons.

@Napalm said:

@Guided_By_Tigers said:

@Atramentous said:

The idea of not having AC is frightening

Same here.....I live in Ohio where the summers are hot and humid.

I live in Georgia, where the summers literally choke the life out of you.

Try Houston, TX! It's like walking through boiling hot soup in the summer!

i guess it's about where you live. i didn't find LA all that hot when i went there like 6 hours ago. it's a lot less humid there so it doesn't feel all that hot. in the east coast it gets hot, because it's humid.

I couldn't stand not having AC. I live in northern Alberta and it get up to like 25-30(Think that's 80ish American?) degrees here during the summer month. I don't like to go outside when it's that hot.

Humidity plays a big role in how uncomfortable I get. Back in April it rained for like a week, then the temp shot up to 90 one day. Puddles were steaming, it was like a sauna, and I wanted to die. Yesterday it was about 90 , breezy, and dry, and I was able to go for a 25 mile bike ride. I don't know where I was going with this, but yeah, humidity.

I live in Southern California -- and hell no I don't have an air conditioner. It would be a waste of money to get one installed living where I live.

Though, California is a big state. There plenty of areas where air conditioners are more common -- like Palmdale. It's fucking hot there all the time. I live 2 miles from the ocean and it is always cold and foggy here, there hasn't been one day so far this year I would call "hot". I rarely cracks 71 degrees here.

Typing as my air conditioner currently spares me from this humid 81 degree Philadelphia night, I can only say that living without AC seems insane.

@FengShuiGod said:

Humidity plays a big role in how uncomfortable I get. Back in April it rained for like a week, then the temp shot up to 90 one day. Puddles were steaming, it was like a sauna, and I wanted to die. Yesterday it was about 90 , breezy, and dry, and I was able to go for a 25 mile bike ride. I don't know where I was going with this, but yeah, humidity.

Yup. That's why I air condition my place to 78-80 degrees. 80 and humid is uncomfortable to me. 80 and dry, which is what it is in my apartment since air conditioners remove moisture, is just fine.

The Bay area is never far from 60 no matter what time of the year. San Diego is like always 75. But the Inland Empire?

@ManU_Fan10ne said:

@Butano said:

We've got em up near Sacramento. It was 106 the other day.

yup, thank god for the AC that day. (it was a little cooler in folsom, 104 was the highest we got i think)

I live near Montreal, Canada and couldn't live without my AC

I live in Florida, no AC sounds like a form of torture.

You need one in the Central Valley, sometimes you forget that this is technically a desert.

I don't have AC, it's also 87 degrees in my apartment right now. Kinda sucks

@Napalm said:

@Guided_By_Tigers said:

@Atramentous said:

The idea of not having AC is frightening

Same here.....I live in Ohio where the summers are hot and humid.

I live in Georgia, where the summers literally choke the life out of you.

I am right there with you. Memphis, TN feels terrible in the 80's because you swim through the air with a good pair of flippers. I sweat thinking about August and the 100 degree temps it brings. I need to move to Cali. Anyone have a room for rent?

I have one on right now and I live in the central valley in CA. It sometimes get to be around 95 degrees in my room. BALLS HOT

The Central Valley (Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento, etc.) is always hot. Consistently over 90 degrees and often over 100 in the summer months. Definitely need AC. Contrary to popular conception, California is not all beaches, bikinis, and perfect weather. A big chunk of the state is desert.

I live in south Texas where it is above 90 degrees for about 10 months out of the year (above 100 degrees all summer). Plus being near the Gulf of Mexico makes it ridiculously humid. So having AC is an absolute must.

@MightyDuck said:

@Guided_By_Tigers: Same here in Chicago.

We've had the AC running all week with temperatures in the 90's. Too humid for me.

God, I really am not looking forward to the humidity the summer brings here. I would take a longer winter here if we would just get rid of summer all together.

I'm sure its mandatory here in Houston. Gets hot as fucking balls here.. if you want a taste of it put a blanket in a dryer for about 30 minutes then wrap it around you and go outside in the summer.