I live in the northeastern part of the country, where the weather is most often cold, wet and windy.
- We deal with temperatures down to twenty-five below zero, brutal wind chill and feet of snow can fall overnight.
The furnace runs for approximately eight months of the year. Central air conditioning isn’t a necessity. We frequently suffer through chilly and rainy summers. However, we also have seasons where the heat and humidity are excruciating. For quite a few years, I was content with window air conditioners in the bedrooms. I liked opening and windows and welcoming in a fresh breeze. It made sense to air out the house after keeping it sealed tight during the fall and winter. When it was time to replace our furnace, the HVAC contractor recommended upgrading to central air conditioning. He said that installing both units at the same time was best for peak efficiency. The only reason I was interested was because of a special offer from the HVAC company and a rebate from the manufacturer. The cost of adding central air conditioning was negligible. The improvement to the comfort of the home has been huge. It is such a relief not to haul the window air conditioners down from the attic every spring. I don’t need to sacrifice the view from the windows and every room in the house is perfectly cool. I tend to run the air conditioner even when the weather is mild. I use the fan to circulate the air. It works to filter out contaminants and keep the house smelling fresh. Because of the air conditioner, I don’t need to clean as often and there are fewer issues with mold and mildew growth.