Because of the weather in the area where I live, central air conditioning isn’t necessary.
The high temperatures and humidity only last for a couple of months. Sometimes the entire summer is rainy and chilly. However, the house can get super overheated and feel sticky. The heat and humidity make it difficult to sleep at night or be productive during the day. Since we tend to spend the majority of our time outside, taking advantage of the nice weather, our priority was cooling down the bedrooms. I’ve found that window air conditioners are sufficient. I watched for sales at the local home improvement stores and was able to purchase good quality air conditioners for under two hundred dollars each. The equipment is lightweight, compact and super easy to install. We store the air conditioners in the attic over the fall and winter and install them into the bedroom windows in the late spring. Despite their small size, the cooling units are sufficient to maintain a comfortable temperature in a large bedroom. They operate quietly but make just enough noise to drown out the sound of barking dogs, traffic and morning birds. The cooling systems are wonderfully energy efficient and can be programmed to start up automatically right before we head to bed. It’s such a relief to step into a perfectly cool bedroom. I like the convenience of the cordless remote. Without even getting out of bed, I’m able to make adjustments to fan speed, temperature and even humidity levels. I tend to run the air conditioner when the outside weather isn’t all that hot. I appreciate the air circulation and filtration. The air conditioner keeps the bedroom cleaner and feeling fresher.