Without air conditioning for 22 years, the heat finally melted its determination – Press Enterprise

2021-11-22 08:49:32 By : Mr. Tim Wang

It was like the last breath of summer, I mean gasping. Who expects the temperature to exceed 90 degrees in mid-November? Fortunately, some of the premature Christmas decorations melted.

Personally, I like it. Some passionate people wear shorts or T-shirts almost all year round, but this is not me. If it is less than 75, I wear long sleeves. Under 70 years old, I wear a jacket.

Anyone who thinks there are no seasons in Southern California has never seen me in December and January: two floors, plus a coat, scarf, gloves, and beanie.

Therefore, from my point of view, this warm flood is completely welcome, especially because it is unlikely to repeat itself within a few months.

I would rather be hot than cold, and I have a lot of experience in the back room I rent. It has almost no insulation, a wall heater, and no air conditioning. The plus is the reporter-friendly rent (and the friendly landlord).

For most of the year, it’s not a problem that I don’t have air conditioning. But from mid-July to mid-September, it is cruel.

When the outdoor temperature reaches 100 degrees or higher, I will go home from get off work and find that my house is hot to 95 degrees. I will sleep on the quilt. Even if the windows are left open all night, the temperature in the room may only drop to 75 degrees. By 8 o'clock in the morning, the temperature had risen.

Basically, for a few weeks every summer, my house can double as a sauna. I am surprised that the local tribe did not ask whether to sublet it as a sweat hut.

I didn't have air conditioning for most of my adult life. It saves money and is environmentally friendly. It is cheaper to leave home and let some companies provide air conditioning or visit the cooling center of the library.

To some extent, to offset the savings, in some years I will spend a night or two in cheap motels to relieve stress, plus the changes in the scene: Santa Ana in 2018, Santa Monica in 2020.

I did not do this this year. Why?

Because I have air conditioning.

It happened like this. In the past few summers, I was a bit tired by the heat, and another summer was an unpleasant prospect. In July, a friend offered to help me contact her air conditioner installer.

As expected, the installer only handled central air conditioning, which of course was useless because I only rented it, but she pointed me to a private electrician named Vern.

While we were talking, Vern happened to be at Home Depot. According to my description, he estimated that two portable devices could do the job, and offered to buy and install them at a price of $1,000 that afternoon.

Due to the hot weather and I still have unused stimulus funds, I hurriedly decided and agreed. It is exciting and disorienting to think that in a few hours I will go from a person without air conditioning to a person with air conditioning.

The incident progressed so fast! Not like the air in my house.

Vern arrived at noon in the afternoon, the sun was shining and the temperature was as high as the 90s. When he exclaimed, "It's like an oven", he barely crossed my threshold. This is the judgment of air-conditioning professionals.

"How many years have you been here?" he asked. No, 22 years, I told him. He admired my perseverance very much.

My guess is that after attending city council meetings for many years, I have become accustomed to the hot air.

Wien and I walked through my house. The most obvious place for a unit is a square window in my living room, which is at one end of my rectangular house. This is an old window that has not been opened for many years, but Vern managed to pry it open, and then installed a floor unit under it, smaller than a laundry basket, with hoses draining from the window.

He turned on the device at full speed, opened the manual, and showed me what I needed to know. A drop of sweat ran from his nose onto the open book page.

My house has only one ordinary window to ventilate the second air conditioner. This is the laundry room opposite my bedroom. Vern installed the second unit there. The hose must be bent to one side before I can open the washing machine cover. Nothing is perfect.

Vern also turned on the device. He said these two units would help, but only so much can be done in this high temperature.

"You should have four," he said, shaking his head. At least now there are air conditioners on both ends of my house.

Fern said he heard from the air conditioner installer that he is a reader of mine and he deserves my signature. I gave him a personal check.

"It's so hot here, how do you write?" he asked.

This is very convenient when I have some hot news.

As a person who is not used to using air conditioners, I rarely use these devices. The electricity bill after my first air conditioner was less than US$35 and higher than US$17. The bill for September is $25.

I usually run these devices when I get home, and then open the windows at night. Is it worth $1,000 to own an air conditioner? Not yet, but maybe after a bad summer or two.

In any case, air conditioning has the advantage. I sleep better. Not waking up already sweating is a benefit.

This last hot spell? nothing. I haven't turned on the air conditioner for two months, and I don't need it this time. Of course, the weather was very hot in the early afternoon, but with the sunset before 5pm and the low point in the 1950s, my house was still comfortable without air conditioning.

The highest point on Sunday was 92, but my house never exceeded 78. I was outside all afternoon.

I wore shorts to participate in a backyard event, and the scourge of another summer got me into trouble. mosquito.

CLASP, the non-profit provider of Claremont After School Program, provides homework help, entertainment, and healthy snacks to elementary school students who are at risk academically. Its outgoing directors were welcomed on Sunday afternoon. Jan Creasey deliberately joked that in addition to supporting CLASP, Claremont is unique: "We have our own Birkenstock store. Rhino Records still sells vinyl records. We have Claremont Express. And there is no overnight parking."

David Allen moves on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook, and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter.

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