Living in South Bend, Indiana, the boiler is the priority! My great friend and I can get by without centralized air conditioner.
The summer time temperature rarely climbs above the low eighties and the afternoons are always quite cool, however rather than spend the money on a whole-home system, I’ve invested into window air conditioner systems for each family room! I was able to purchase energy efficient, quiet and powerful cooling units at the local home improvement store for around two hundred dollars each.
Installing them into the window in the Springtime takes just a few minutes. I plug the machine in and it’s ready to operate, and having window air conditioner systems allows each family member to adjust the temperature in their family room to their liking! Plus, my friend and I only run the cooling units at night. They use absolutely little energy… One of the nicest features of the compact air conditioner systems is the cordless remote. My great friend and I can adjust the temperature, fan speed and even the direction of airflow without even getting out of bed, each air conditioner system also features an energy saving mode, for upkeep, the device requires little more than an annual cleaning. I make sure to scrub down the unit, wash the air filter and change the batteries in the remote, although having a window air conditioner system obscures the view through the window and detracts a bit from aesthetics, the system provides several benefits, however by keeping the windows closed, there is far less influx of pollen, dust, exhaust fumes, insects and other air contaminants. The air conditioner system makes just enough operational noise to drown out barking pets, tweeting birds, traffic and sounds that would otherwise disrupt our sleep. I find that I sleep much better with the air conditioner system running. I usually leave it in place until it’s time to beginning up the boiler in the fall. I then carry the window units up to the attic for storage.