I remember a time when I didn’t feel the need for air conditioning. Weather was relatively predictable then. Every summer had a period of about two weeks when we’d suffer through a stretch of humid, sticky heat that made me long for cooler temperatures . . . but it wouldn’t last. Refreshingly dry and moderate air swirled down from Canada and blew the sweltering mugginess out of my mind before I had a chance to seriously consider installing air conditioning in my home. Those days are gone. Nowadays there’s a four-month window every year when a heat wave might occur. Combatting the heat has become a summer-long fight.
During the past 30 years, I’ve developed a battle plan. I pay close attention to the indoor/outdoor thermometer. Whenever the outdoor temperature is lower than the indoor temperature, I open most windows. Whenever the outdoor temperature is higher than the indoor temperature, I close most windows. I shut the shades on windows receiving direct sunlight. During hot weather, six electric fans keep the air circulating throughout our home. One of these fans is a large, wall-mounted unit that expels the hot air from our sunroom, a glass-walled “greenhouse” that gets scorching during summer. Another tactic that really helps keep us cool is the use of ice packs, those reusable, flexible, fabric-wrapped gel packs designed to treat injuries. I put an ice pack at the small of my back, and another on the back of my neck, while sitting in my recliner on a hot evening. Sweet relief!
All of these tactics help, but become less effective as the world warms. Five years ago I bought a free-standing air conditioner for the bedroom. This allows us to sleep without sweating, but it blocks one of the two windows in our bedroom, limiting light and fresh air. It’s quite noisy. It’s inconvenient to put up and take down twice a year. If we run it in the evening and keep the bedroom door open, it helps to cool the living room, just a little bit. A couple years ago I bought a small electric device that contains a fan and uses hard ice packs to blow cooler air. This helps cool the living room a little bit too, but all of these defenses are falling a bit short in our quest to remain comfortable, so I’m presently investigating the modern options of air conditioning.

Michael Hahn Band varies in size from a duo to a six-piece band, depending upon the size and budget of the venue. They love to make music for any occasion.

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