Air Conditioning - is it a must?

[bonnielass]

Been checking out property in Hua Hin and someone advised me that while A/C is essential in bedrooms, you can do without it in living areas as long as you have lots of open doors/windows and the fresh air can blow through. Has anyone got any views on this?

[Big Boy]

I think thats just about right. Nobody sweats more than me, but I can survive with just a fan in a normal living room, whereas I don'tthink I'd sleep without A/C at night.

[STEVE G]

You can do without if you have lots of fans; I only have one AC for the bedroom at our house in Hua Hin and up in Issan we don’t have any. Fitted ceiling fans are good, not the ornate ones but the large white ones. They move a lot of air, but they don’t make much noise.

[Super Joe]

if youre having a new house built get your developer to put some elec sockets in certain walls in the lounge just below the ceiling, so you can fit some remote controlled wall mounted fans at a later date, if reqd

we find in the hot months the ceiling fans just arent enough and air con can cost too much being on all day
the rest of the year the ceiling fans should do as steve g said

if you dont use the sockets for fans you can use them for speakers and be cool another way

[johnnyk]

I didn't install air con in the living room because I'm quite comfortable with all windows/doors open (with screens of course) and I use air con only to cool down the bedroom then ceiling fan while sleeping.
A friend of mine has a harder time with the heat so he keeps fans on in his living room and sleeps with a/c on.
Everyone is different, you just have to find out how you cope with the heat. You can always have a/c installed later.

[niggle]

Don't forget that if you use air con in the living area you will need to keep windows and doors shut so do you really want to do that. We have windows and doors open with a fan in living area. Bedroom we put on aircon for 1/2 hour to cool room down then fan is suffiecient apart from very sticky nights.

[lindosfan1]

We have a fan on in the living area only, that is sufficient with the mosquito screen. The bedroom we have air con and dependant on the humidity either have it on all night or timed to go off in an hour.
A lot depends on the layout of your house and the wind the last few days not much wind so it has been a bit sticky, but normally fans in the living area are more than enough.

[bonnielass]

Thanks guys for all the sound advice and suggestions. I do like the idea of ceiling fans - so Casablanca! Don't mention Sam. Another question which may not belong here; are mozzies a year round problem in Hua Hin? Where I am at the moment they die off in the heat of the summer. Little bleeders!

[niggle]

Not so many at the moment though they'll be back !
Get a mosquito zapper - that crackle and smell of burning mozzies mm !!
By the way here's a little known fact of no use whatsoever - did you know that mosquitos (same genus) are even found in the arctic - though obviously not the malaria type

[BaaBaa.]

I use air con only to cool down the bedroom then ceiling fan while sleeping.

I' d go along with that,I always stick the AC on when im having a shower so its cool when im getting ready to go out then as JohnnyK says, to cool the room before sleeping.

The living rooms big and airy and I usually have a few doors open when spending any time in there, no need for AC.