Is A/C a necessity?

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Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Israel related Inquiries & Aliyah Questions

Is A/C a necessity?

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Isramom8

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 3:58 am

I think our units work better for air conditioning than for heat. That was this past winter's observation.

m in Israel

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 3:58 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

Also, many places that need a LOT of AC in the summer do not need any or a very small amount of heat in the winter, so it is a good sort of trade. The bill will be for the 5 or 6 months of heat but then not at all or very little bit during the winter at all.
When we lived in RBS, we did turn the heat on, but not as much as we turned on the AC.

Definitely agree. I think we used our heat maybe 10 nights the whole year this year (and pretty much never by day).

avocado

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 4:13 am

I also agree it depends where you live how much you need it - jerusalem areas for example are a lot easier in with no a/c than bet shemesh, modiin or the mercaz. if u r in one of the hot areas then definitely go for it!! you just have to take care when you first get it that you don't go wild and then get a shock at the end of the month with your electricity bill... the other thing I have been told (and this I can't vouch for) is that it is a cheaper way of heating in the winter than most heaters.

Hashemlovesme

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 4:30 am

I thought radiators were cheaper, though they're not as quick. a/c heat seems to dry me out

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 4:42 am

Hashemlovesme wrote:

I thought radiators were cheaper, though they're not as quick. a/c heat seems to dry me out

I have been told by people who have radiators that they are one of the most expensive ways of heating here in israel.

BeershevaBubby

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 4:43 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

Hashemlovesme wrote:

I thought radiators were cheaper, though they're not as quick. a/c heat seems to dry me out

I have been told by people who have radiators that they are one of the most expensive ways of heating here in israel.

Most definitely. Our electric bill was double during the winter.

chani8

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 5:07 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

chani8 wrote:

The other option is to sit in the dark with shades drawn and fans going, and wet your sleeves and keep a rag on your neck. . . vs an AC??? Is it really a question?

OTOH, can you afford a higher electricity bill??

chani, it does not have to be so drastically all or nothing Smile

We dont have an ac and we are managing. we have the fans going all of the time when we are in said room, the trisim are usually drawn later in the day if it is only bringing in heat to the house. But its not so bad.

And if thats all you have and no option for an AC then you manage.

I have a lot of relatives actually, just thinking about this, that live in the mercaz of the country and they have old apartments and no AC. They manage. What else is there to do? Hope for an early winter Smile

I lived it for many years that way. There are some places where there may be a breeze. In my apt, there was no breeze. We finally bought one little AC and huddled next to it. LOL There are portable ACs, btw.

amother

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 6:14 am

Being 8months pregnant in this unbearable heat I would say that yes it is necessary... otherwise I would be fainting and dizzy every day! We coped without it in RBS last summer with fans and sleepless nights but sooooooooo glad we got a unit for our bedroom! Just my opinion... but if you can get- I would def recommend it!!

amother

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 8:23 am

Look, no one is gonna die without A/C...believe me I've done pregnancies in Israel in the summer with no A/C and thank G-d I am still alive. No it wasn't fun and yes I got more cranky.
I kind of feel like if you have the money and it's not needed for something more essential and it will make your life easier and you calmer...go for it and I wouldn't call that materialistic/spoiled.

I don't get it though, someone offered you their maaser money specifically to buy an A/C? There are so many people in Israel who literally do not have money for food or rent - I am wondering why that is an appropriate use of maaser.

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 8:25 am

amother wrote:

Because one can use maaser money for whatever THEY feel they want to use it for.

Tamiri

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 8:33 am

I'm the one who grew up here. In an apartment in Petach Tikva. My parents, the Americans, had a/c in their bedroom (brought in after 3 years of living here while we still had Oleh rights) and we had a unit in the LR/DR which was really too weak for the area. My parents got a fan for our bedroom (me+my sister) because of too many sleepless nights. My brother got a ceiling fan. This was in "the old days" when people generally didn't even have one a/c and could barely afford to run it if they did.
When we were married 28+ years ago, no young couples in our lives had a/c. It wasn't even something people had in mind. We sweated on the una/c bus (yes, I was 9 months pg in August - no other kids - and had to go back and forth from PT to TA on public transportation) and in una/c kupat cholim etc. A/c just wasn't a standard. My father would tell us how he "stopped into the bank for a while" to enjoy a/c, not for bank business.
Nowadays, it's no longer a luxury. Young couples have an a/c. Old people have one. It's something people have, like a television. It certainly adds to quality of life.
HOWEVER: it's still a luxury. It's not something you can't live without, like a fridge or running water. It's there to make life more bearable.
I live where it's so-so. Not terrible shfela weather, but not as nice as Ariel or Jlm. And... we haven't been using the a/c. We have on in basically every room but one, and left the LR/DR one on a timer for Shabbat. But as long as it's not that humid out, a shower+fan (every person has a fan on them at night) and we are careful to close the windows and trissim early and open them late - it's doable without an a/c. We can afford to run them if we want, but that will mean either less disposable income and/or giving up something else which we aren't ready to do.
So: yeah, it's doable. And my husband works in the house and isn't complaining. I sometimes take 3 or 4 showers day and always 2.

Leesah

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 8:58 am

I'm so hot right now but can't afford ac bill. So it's off. We turn it on for a few minutes sometimes and let ourselves cool down and then off it goes.
It takes getting used to, but can be done.
You just sweat and ignore it.

amother

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 11:14 am

the hashgacha pratis was the day we decided to get one (even though we really couldn't afford it-we'd pay over 2 yrs) simply to function & be able to handle our kids...( I work from home too) a relative asked if we could use the $. either way we needed it as we do owe 2 ppl some $, but the timing was impeccable! we could pay up front & get a better deal.

amother

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 11:23 am

I just don't agree that having A/C is a higher priority than paying off your debts...

saw50st8

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 11:27 am

Tamiri, isn't water expensive in Israel? Is it cheaper to shower that much vs running the a/c? I would think a/c covers more people at once.

amother

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 12:20 pm

it might not be, but we're looking at it as a living expense. like when ds needed a special expensive formula. This can def start a whole nother thread!

Tamiri

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 1:22 pm

saw50st8 wrote:

Tamiri, isn't water expensive in Israel? Is it cheaper to shower that much vs running the a/c? I would think a/c covers more people at once.

I take quickie showers. Turn on cold water. Get wet. Lather. Rinse. Get out of shower. 2-3 minutes max, and the water isn't on most of that time. Yes, water is expensive so you have to use it correctly.

Tamiri

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 1:24 pm

amother wrote:

I just don't agree that having A/C is a higher priority than paying off your debts...

I think that if you are in your 9th or any uncomfortable month of pregnancy, it is a priority so that you can function. It's not worth anything to pay off your debts and be snapping at the family for a few months. Then again, I don't understand how someone with debt can even PAY for an a/c, forget about the electric bills but I guess it's doable. Somehow.

Hashemlovesme

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 1:42 pm

so this is turning into a "if they get scholarship, then they shouldn't have a/c, no matter how hot it is" thread.

saw50st8

Tue, Jun 19 2012, 1:46 pm

Hashemlovesme wrote:

so this is turning into a "if they get scholarship, then they shouldn't have a/c, no matter how hot it is" thread.

We can :-D

I thought scholarships weren't necessary in Israel?

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