Central air conditioning is a sizeable investment.
I held off on installation for quite a few years.
I live in the northeastern part of the country, where the winters are especially long and cold. We get temperatures down to twenty-five below zero. I spent quite a bit of money on a state-of-the-art furnace. It features a variable speed compressor and achieves 96% AFUE. It’s ENERGY STAR qualified and helps to keep my monthly heating bills manageable. During the brief summer season, I always got by with a few box fans, opened windows and portable air conditioners in the bedrooms. I wasn’t happy with the constant influx of outdoor air pollutants such as pollen, dust and exhaust fumes. We often got woken up in the morning by barking dogs, the neighbors making noise and traffic sounds. The only reason I finally made the upgrade to central cooling was because there was a manufacturer’s rebate and a special discount from the HVAC contractor. The installation process was not overly involved or lengthy because we already had the duct system in place. I was amazed by the improvement in comfort. We now simply adjust the thermostat and the whole house is perfectly comfortable. Because we can keep the windows closed, the house stays much cleaner. Plus, the air conditioner filters out contaminants. Even on the hottest days, the house remains nicely cool. On milder days, I often run only the fan of the cooling system. It circulates the air so that the home feels fresher and smells better. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to install central cooling.