Study: Home air conditioning cut premature deaths on hot days 80% since 1960(washingtonpost.com)
washingtonpost.com
Study: Home air conditioning cut premature deaths on hot days 80% since 1960
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-home-air-conditioning-cut-premature-deaths-on-hot-days-80-percent-since-1960/2012/12/22/5b57f3ac-4abf-11e2-b709-667035ff9029_story.html?tid=socialss
7 comments
I absolutely hate hot temperatures and find the summer truly horrendous because in England it's getting hotter and hotter, this year my apartment was over 35c / 95f on multiple days... but air conditioning just doesn't exist here, I've never known anyone to have it in their home. This article explains that air conditioning is inexpensive now, so why does America have such huge air con usage and England none? Was it a trend that coincided with a huge number of new houses being built in America, or did people start having it installed as the result of...? Some sort of nationwide air con thing? To go from <1% to 85% in ~40 years seems like something must have triggered it.
Britain is much cooler during summer than anywhere in the lower 48. Most British houses resist hot weather very well, with thick brick walls and relatively small windows. You probably live in a modern apartment with a lot of glass and very little thermal mass.
One key advantage of heat pump systems is that they can often be run in reverse, serving as both heating and air conditioning. Currently a heat pump is no cheaper to run than gas central heating, but that is set to change within the next few years.
One key advantage of heat pump systems is that they can often be run in reverse, serving as both heating and air conditioning. Currently a heat pump is no cheaper to run than gas central heating, but that is set to change within the next few years.
You can get a free standing portable unit in the 9000 btu range[1] for ~£300. You will need to sit it near a window that opens as it has an air intake and exhaust that must go outside. It will take care of one small room. This will be your refuge. The units can also double as dehumidifiers which make the warm air more comfortable.
Here in the states, my house had no AC, and we have weeks of >100°F/38°C summers with high humidity. All your fine mammal evolutionary adaptations are useless. Panting? Nope, air is hotter than you. Sweating? Nope, won't evaporate. Radiating from hairless skin? Nope. We did have a tiny window unit air conditioner that about half worked that came with the house. We'd build a tent over the bed and just barely stay comfortable.
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[1] But not many. I just looked in amazon uk, and your choices are slim compared to the states. I say free standing, because a window unit can tear up the window frame pretty badly and if you are renting that isn't polite. The free standing units just have an adjustable width panel with two holes that you shut in the window sash.
Here in the states, my house had no AC, and we have weeks of >100°F/38°C summers with high humidity. All your fine mammal evolutionary adaptations are useless. Panting? Nope, air is hotter than you. Sweating? Nope, won't evaporate. Radiating from hairless skin? Nope. We did have a tiny window unit air conditioner that about half worked that came with the house. We'd build a tent over the bed and just barely stay comfortable.
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[1] But not many. I just looked in amazon uk, and your choices are slim compared to the states. I say free standing, because a window unit can tear up the window frame pretty badly and if you are renting that isn't polite. The free standing units just have an adjustable width panel with two holes that you shut in the window sash.
I bought my Dad a portable AC unit at Home Depot this past spring it's a great idea since it's an older house without central AC.
In this area SE Canada summers are usually low 20s usually 25C is a typical hot summer day, but now 30C to 35C seems to be the new normal hot, I think it got to 38C this year. It's also very high in humidity here 80% to 90%, which makes sense being on an island.
Anyway dad has a lung disease (IPF) and heart problems plus bearing 70 years old and overweight, this portable unit I see almost as life support.
It would be bad for any elderly person to die due to the heat but I think in area where it only gets hot for a month or less it's deceptive. Most elderly would think it wasn't hot in the old days and they can't afford or pay for an AC unit and will probably die from heat stroke.
In this area SE Canada summers are usually low 20s usually 25C is a typical hot summer day, but now 30C to 35C seems to be the new normal hot, I think it got to 38C this year. It's also very high in humidity here 80% to 90%, which makes sense being on an island.
Anyway dad has a lung disease (IPF) and heart problems plus bearing 70 years old and overweight, this portable unit I see almost as life support.
It would be bad for any elderly person to die due to the heat but I think in area where it only gets hot for a month or less it's deceptive. Most elderly would think it wasn't hot in the old days and they can't afford or pay for an AC unit and will probably die from heat stroke.
Thanks. You just explained why heat is so annoying!
It is not possible to deal with (humid heat) without modern technology.
The only workable evolutionary way to do it would be to significantly shut down self-heat production, short of a biological heat pump (that does not exist AFAIK)
But of course, in the UK, it's hot for a couple of weeks, as opposed to the US where depending of the region is hot from half-year to almost the whole year.
It is not possible to deal with (humid heat) without modern technology.
The only workable evolutionary way to do it would be to significantly shut down self-heat production, short of a biological heat pump (that does not exist AFAIK)
But of course, in the UK, it's hot for a couple of weeks, as opposed to the US where depending of the region is hot from half-year to almost the whole year.
Electricity is vastly cheaper in the US. Its also hotter and substantially more humid.
The quick adoption is probably just cheap mass availability of the technology?
I share your sentiment, by the way. There are quite a few days in Germany where its unbearable in the summer. Alas, aircon here is mostly fans.
The quick adoption is probably just cheap mass availability of the technology?
I share your sentiment, by the way. There are quite a few days in Germany where its unbearable in the summer. Alas, aircon here is mostly fans.
I think that part of this is that most of the lower 48 US states (24-47° North) are closer to the equator than most of England (50-54° North).
95°F isn't an extremely hot day. We get 95°F days in the summer in Seattle, the city of perma-drizzle (47° North). From personal experience, most houses in this area don't have air conditioning.
In the South, people regularly see much hotter days (I think Arizona (33°N) tops 110°F / 43°C during the summer).
95°F isn't an extremely hot day. We get 95°F days in the summer in Seattle, the city of perma-drizzle (47° North). From personal experience, most houses in this area don't have air conditioning.
In the South, people regularly see much hotter days (I think Arizona (33°N) tops 110°F / 43°C during the summer).
Seattle is a good example because its weather is similar to London. For what it's worth, A/C is also pretty rare in Seattle homes.
A/C is less needed in Seattle than in other parts of the US because it cools off substantially at night. I was there two(?) summers ago when some weird inversion layer was both raising the temp (105+ F) and preventing the night time cooling. It was miserable.
Here in the southern US, even when it's only hitting 90 F during the day, the low might be in the upper 70s which isn't low enough to passively cool a house.
Here in the southern US, even when it's only hitting 90 F during the day, the low might be in the upper 70s which isn't low enough to passively cool a house.
I bought an AC for my home in Seattle before last summer. Cost about $4,200 and was worth it in my opinion.
crazy. here in Israel everyone have AC. There are cities where some kind of AC is mandated if you are bulding a house.
And the price is rock botton. you can have a simple one that can cool a small to medium room for about 200$ and a bigger one for the main room is about 500-700$. installation is usually another 150$. 4200$?? - crazy.
And the price is rock botton. you can have a simple one that can cool a small to medium room for about 200$ and a bigger one for the main room is about 500-700$. installation is usually another 150$. 4200$?? - crazy.
We have those in the US too -- but if you're trying to cool an entire house, you'd use a central air conditioner to get better efficiency.
These are placed in the yard away from the house. Here's a picture: http://www.getgreenair.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/home_h...
These are placed in the yard away from the house. Here's a picture: http://www.getgreenair.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/home_h...
Well, yes, you can have those here too, but most homes still have stand alone units in every room.
The point is if you can't afford to spend $4K on air conditioning, $600 might be within the budget.
Also I'm not sure central one is more efficient. it cools entire house while using individual units you can cool just one room. Of course it has the capability to limit the airflow per room etc, but I'd guess most people don't do that and just cool/head the entire house.
The point is if you can't afford to spend $4K on air conditioning, $600 might be within the budget.
Also I'm not sure central one is more efficient. it cools entire house while using individual units you can cool just one room. Of course it has the capability to limit the airflow per room etc, but I'd guess most people don't do that and just cool/head the entire house.
As someone else mentioned, this was for an outdoor unit that cools the entire house through the central air and heat system.
My time in Israel was rather cold and required a jacket most times :)
My time in Israel was rather cold and required a jacket most times :)
In Montana (mid 40°s North), people rarely have large, permanent air conditioners in their homes.
Cumulative heat stress is the danger, so it's actually hot nights that kill people, probably because of impaired sleep quality. (Aside from heatstroke, most of these excess deaths occur in people already in poor health.) 95°F / 35°C during the day is fine, but 75°F / 24°C at night (without A/C) is deadly, especially considering that most apartments are significantly warmer than the outside at night.
"most apartments are significantly warmer than the outside at night"
I see two reasons for that.
Firstly, people simply do not know how to keep their houses cool. On hot nights, people will do the right thing and open windows to cool down the house. However, at day, they will not close windows and curtains to keep the cold air in and the heat out (opening windows will not cool your house if the air outside is warmer than the air inside, as it lets in warmer air)
Secondly, some houses simply are poorly designed for hot summers. Windows on the south are great most of the time, but for the (few) hot summer days, you need something that prevents the sun from shining directly into your room. A simple solution is to have a balcony; that takes away the sun when it is high in the air, but not when it is low, as in spring, autumn and winter.
(this assumes houses with 'real' walls that have some heat capacity. I do not think the almost-cardboard style walls so common in the US fit that bill. That may be a reason air conditioning is so popular there)
I see two reasons for that.
Firstly, people simply do not know how to keep their houses cool. On hot nights, people will do the right thing and open windows to cool down the house. However, at day, they will not close windows and curtains to keep the cold air in and the heat out (opening windows will not cool your house if the air outside is warmer than the air inside, as it lets in warmer air)
Secondly, some houses simply are poorly designed for hot summers. Windows on the south are great most of the time, but for the (few) hot summer days, you need something that prevents the sun from shining directly into your room. A simple solution is to have a balcony; that takes away the sun when it is high in the air, but not when it is low, as in spring, autumn and winter.
(this assumes houses with 'real' walls that have some heat capacity. I do not think the almost-cardboard style walls so common in the US fit that bill. That may be a reason air conditioning is so popular there)
Can anyone explain why you can stand the heat in the day, but when it comes to night, while it may be a comfortable 15c outside you can't sleep, and it seems much hotter? Maybe it's just me. I'm talking about those (rare) 30c hot days in an English summer (no sniggering).
Is it internal, bodily factors or external factors (e.g. the house absorbing the heat? I don't buy that, though, as I can have all the windows open blowing cool air in and still not sleep).
Is it internal, bodily factors or external factors (e.g. the house absorbing the heat? I don't buy that, though, as I can have all the windows open blowing cool air in and still not sleep).
One of the issues is that your house heats/cools with a certain thermal inertia, so at the end of the day it's almost as hot as it gets (as it cools during the night and heats through the day). In the morning it's as cold as it gets, in the sunset it's as hot as it gets
There are probably some biological factors (still, I feel colder when sleeping, but of course I have a bad time sleeping when it's hot)
There are probably some biological factors (still, I feel colder when sleeping, but of course I have a bad time sleeping when it's hot)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/mercola23.1.html
"When you sleep, your body’s internal temperature actually drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop."
"When you sleep, your body’s internal temperature actually drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop."
Average July high in New York City is 84. Boston 82. And these are relatively cool places compared to other parts of the U.S.
London and Paris July average high is 73-75. And there's a world of difference between 75 and 83.
Even if you go all the way down to Toulouse, it's still not as hot as New York.
However, it is interesting to note that A/C sale in Europe has been taking off for the past 10-15 years, presumably because it is indeed getting hotter in Europe.
London and Paris July average high is 73-75. And there's a world of difference between 75 and 83.
Even if you go all the way down to Toulouse, it's still not as hot as New York.
However, it is interesting to note that A/C sale in Europe has been taking off for the past 10-15 years, presumably because it is indeed getting hotter in Europe.
"why does America have such huge air con usage and England none?"
Because a significant part of America is hot, and England is not(I had lived in England for years). It is not an "It will be fine if we install AC", but an "if we don't install air conditioner we will die" and I am being serious here, Las Vegas would be inhabited without AC .
Also England is wet so this means that before cooling the air, you will have to condense the water, and that takes lots of energy, making them inefficient in UK.
South of North America is very hot in summer but also dry, so it is very efficient in energy consumption.
35c on multiple days!! That is nothing. In most of Spain you will get 40-45 peaks with 35c minimum over months in summer, very few clouds for three months.
Because a significant part of America is hot, and England is not(I had lived in England for years). It is not an "It will be fine if we install AC", but an "if we don't install air conditioner we will die" and I am being serious here, Las Vegas would be inhabited without AC .
Also England is wet so this means that before cooling the air, you will have to condense the water, and that takes lots of energy, making them inefficient in UK.
South of North America is very hot in summer but also dry, so it is very efficient in energy consumption.
35c on multiple days!! That is nothing. In most of Spain you will get 40-45 peaks with 35c minimum over months in summer, very few clouds for three months.
Wealth. Per capita GDP in the US increased by 180% in the time period mentioned (in inflation constant dollars). Which means that in the regions of the country where it is hot for a considerable period of time almost everyone will have air conditioning, and in areas where it's hot only a few weeks out of the year a lot of people will have in-window air conditioning units, since they are so inexpensive.
The UK's per capita GDP is only 3/4 that of the US so they don't have as much disposable income and the weather tends to be much colder there than the average in the US so there's not as much demand for AC.
The UK's per capita GDP is only 3/4 that of the US so they don't have as much disposable income and the weather tends to be much colder there than the average in the US so there's not as much demand for AC.
While your second point (colder climate) is correct, suggesting that UK residents are too 'poor' to afford air conditioning is way off the mark.
Yeah, I love how in the US (in the Midwest) you can get a hermetically sealed McMansion on a developer's salary. I don't think you can get that anywhere else in the world. There's not enough land, energy costs are too high, and the cost of living in general is too high.
The only downside is per-capita carbon usage higher than nearly every other country in the world:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dio...
A decent-sized house with a decent-sized lawn still costs around $200k.
That is quite affordable to a developer in the Midwest.
sounds pretty good to me - a decent house in England anywhere except London will cost you at least £120,000, and developer salaries average out at £30,000.
[edit] oh, and my impression is that a decent sized house here is quite a bit smaller than in the States.
[edit] oh, and my impression is that a decent sized house here is quite a bit smaller than in the States.
> my impression is that a decent sized house here is quite a bit smaller than in the States
A decent-sized house in America is 2000-3000 sqft (185-275 sq meters). You will usually get two floors and a two car garage. And if you pay a little extra, a finished basement as well.
And of course, the entire house, top to bottom, back to front, has central air-conditioning and heating, controlled from a single point. If you get fiber-glass insulation in the attic, properly insulated walls, and double-paned windows, you can easily survive a Midwestern summer (during which the number of days the temperature is above 40C can easily be a dozen or more) without ever opening a window or breaking a sweat, and you won't break the bank doing it.
Not being able to do that in Europe is probably the biggest reason why I would never able to live there (or in places like Seattle, where central air isn't common). Even if it only gets hot occasionally, having to essentially "condemn" most of the house to the outside temperature and just sit inside one room the whole day is not a lifestyle I could tolerate.
A decent-sized house in America is 2000-3000 sqft (185-275 sq meters). You will usually get two floors and a two car garage. And if you pay a little extra, a finished basement as well.
And of course, the entire house, top to bottom, back to front, has central air-conditioning and heating, controlled from a single point. If you get fiber-glass insulation in the attic, properly insulated walls, and double-paned windows, you can easily survive a Midwestern summer (during which the number of days the temperature is above 40C can easily be a dozen or more) without ever opening a window or breaking a sweat, and you won't break the bank doing it.
Not being able to do that in Europe is probably the biggest reason why I would never able to live there (or in places like Seattle, where central air isn't common). Even if it only gets hot occasionally, having to essentially "condemn" most of the house to the outside temperature and just sit inside one room the whole day is not a lifestyle I could tolerate.
It's not really too bad honestly, it's an acclimatisation thing.
Spent a few holidays in places where it was regularly 35+ degrees and only really struggled for a day or two, I can't imagine it being worse for you if you live there full time since you'd be much more used to the weather.
Spent a few holidays in places where it was regularly 35+ degrees and only really struggled for a day or two, I can't imagine it being worse for you if you live there full time since you'd be much more used to the weather.
I was born and have lived in Brazil for the last 25 years. I was never able to tolerate the heat. I live in the south, were the winters are cold (it gets to 0C in some years) but the summers are ridiculously hot and humid (35C+ most of the time, sometimes the "feels like" is 45C). Most people here have a hard time with the heat, despite having lived here all their lives. Sometimes it's so incredibly hot that setting air condition to the lowest possible temperature only prevents it from getting hotter and hotter inside the house, but it still feels damn hot all day.
Personally, heat makes me literally sick. My blood pressure plummets (even though I have very good health), I can't think straight (productivity drops to like 10% of what I'm able to accomplish in winter), and I feel extremely stressed. I also get skin rashes and abdominal pain frequently.
Thank God I'm moving to Seattle next month :) I know it can get very hot in the summer there, but at least they get short summers. Our summer lasts 4-5 months.
Personally, heat makes me literally sick. My blood pressure plummets (even though I have very good health), I can't think straight (productivity drops to like 10% of what I'm able to accomplish in winter), and I feel extremely stressed. I also get skin rashes and abdominal pain frequently.
Thank God I'm moving to Seattle next month :) I know it can get very hot in the summer there, but at least they get short summers. Our summer lasts 4-5 months.
I have spent months at a time in such places, and I never got used to it. I longed for the day I would return home, and I truly relished it when I did. I don't think I'll ever get used to it.
Perhaps it has something to do with the vast differences in climate across the United States, and communication among homeowners between climates?
Not many people realize this, but Seattle is the highest latitude major city in the US, at approximately the same latitude as Paris. Most Seattlites also do not have air conditioning. But most everywhere else does. The vast majority of American cities have climates much closer to Madrid or Rome.
I should have thought that the answer would have been obvious. In the US, it stays summer for months, it's hot as hell for months. 95 is not even worth bothering to get up and switch the AC on.
tl;dr, it was hotter and for longer and English houses were not already better suited to keeping heat in and out, you'd likely see more air conditioners.
Meanwhile, you can buy one on Amazon if you can't keep your curtains closed for those multiple days of 95f.
"England it's getting hotter and hotter" - Wolfram Alpha would disagree with you there. At least it hasn't averaged any hotter since the 70's.
tl;dr, it was hotter and for longer and English houses were not already better suited to keeping heat in and out, you'd likely see more air conditioners.
Meanwhile, you can buy one on Amazon if you can't keep your curtains closed for those multiple days of 95f.
"England it's getting hotter and hotter" - Wolfram Alpha would disagree with you there. At least it hasn't averaged any hotter since the 70's.
Perhaps slightly off topic, but I was reminded of this story about how the political transformation of the "new south" may be linked to air-conditioning: http://www.pri.org/stories/politics-society/new-south-made-p...
I've lived in the South and Midwest US my whole life. Reading the title and the article I had the reaction "Is this study a joke, air conditioning keeps people cooler?" Reading the comments here I see that many folks are, in fact, surprised that the heat and humidity can be (literally) unbearable.
Florida for example, was largely considered largely uninhabitable until the invention of refrigeration and pesticides to control the Malaria-spreading mosquitos.
Florida for example, was largely considered largely uninhabitable until the invention of refrigeration and pesticides to control the Malaria-spreading mosquitos.
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I wonder how long it will take until this gain will be offset by the environmental damage the increased American energy use is causing.
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