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I will be moving to Honolulu in a few months and I was wondering if you have to use AC all yr. When I went to visit it was very humid the first few days and I couldn't imagine not using AC. So my question is are the winter months AC free is it necessary during the summer months or do trade winds keep you cool
depends where you live I guess? I am in a high rise (14th floor) in Makiki and have not had to use AC at all since I moved here in early June. In fact, I barely use a fan. At night it gets pretty windy. And it depends on your heat tolerance. I'd recommend getting a ceiling fan to save on electricity!
Quote:
Originally Posted by inayak2020
I will be moving to Honolulu in a few months and I was wondering if you have to use AC all yr. When I went to visit it was very humid the first few days and I couldn't imagine not using AC. So my question is are the winter months AC free is it necessary during the summer months or do trade winds keep you cool
Most folks don't even have an A/C unit since they cost so much to run. When choosing a place to live, pick one which has good ventilation and you won't even notice you aren't using A/C. Or find a rental with an A/C and where the landlord pays the electric bill.
I have been here since February and use it all the time. I prefer the temp to be at 72 and the lower humidity. We lived in Makiki for a short time and while the constant breeze kept it cool, on warm days the humidity made it a bit less comfortable.
The first place we lived, we bought a portable AC unit. Couldn't imagine living in that studio again without one.
It can get hot, humid & miserable in July, August & September when there are no trade winds. You may want to use air conditioning then if you can afford the cost of electricity to run it. All you need is a fan the rest of the year.
I live in a new high-rise and using AC all year long, for approx. 1000sqf the electricity bill isn't that bad ranging from $100-150/mo, again, because it's a new building equipped with high efficiency air conditioning unit. I have a friend who rents a small house in the burb paying $300/mo for electricity and they rarely use AC. I personally wouldn't open the windows because it gets really dusty in Honolulu.
You also need to factor in road noise or any noise in general. Most people want to close their windows at night for the silence.
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