Ok, this has been bugging me for a long time...years actually...but my new neighbors have brought it to my attention again. It's nothing they have intentionally done to me. It's merely something they do, or rather "don't" do, that I just don't understand...
They never open their windows. Ever.
When the first cool days hit Miami, the very first thing I do is sing "Hallelujah!!!", turn off the A/C and open all the windows in the house. Hundreds of dollars are saved. my house gets aired out, and well...it's just NICE! Even when it starts to warm up again, as long as the nights are cool I leave the A/C off. For as long as I can stand it...it stays off.
Now, remember a couple weeks ago when it was COLD down here at night and really wonderful during the day? Well, my neighbors had their AIR CONDITIONER ON!!!!! I'd be outside feeding the cat and the damn thing would kick on...and yes, it was their A/C not the heater. Water would come spurting out of this weird little pipe they have. Correct me if 'm wrong, but I think the only time water (condensation?) comes out is when the air conditioner is on.
They are "those kind of people" that go from A/C to heat with nothing in between. I've known others like that. Say what you will, but it is just plain WEIRD!
Anybody out there one of "those people"? If so, can you explain it to me? I need to hear a valid reason for this because it has puzzled me for years!
14 comments:
Well, I'm for sure not "those kind of people", because our AC has been off for months. But if they suffer from severe out door allergies (like we do), then it might be more of a health issue. When things are sprouting outside, it can make a sufferer really miserable.
I was astonished when, years ago, I went to a homes association meeting in my neighborhood and heard a presentation on how you could nail your windows shut in a cosmetically appealing way. I think the presentation was about home security and reducing access to burglars (who would take your many possessions). The consequence, of course, was that you could never open your windows to let in fresh air or enjoy the mild weather. What astonished me was the assumption that no one would ever want to. They'd simply go from heating to air conditioning and let the machines take care of climate control for them.
I didn't think about the allergy thing. I suppose that could be a somewhat valid reason...
One note: my niehgbor's windows are not the push up kind. They are awning windows. Same kind we have. I love them because if it's raining, you can still have them cracked plus, it'd be alot harder for someone to try to gain entry through them vs. the push up ones. I know if I had the push up kind, I'd be very uncomfortable sleeping at night with them open.
There's the allergy thing and the security thing but in my case it's the smoking thing. I'd love to open my windows in the spring and summer but my neighbors love smoking and the smoke drifts in so the window stays shut.
Waiting for non-smoking neighbors to move in.
Well, when we didn't have a little kitty named Leo who I know would become an escape artist, we opened our windows. Now, we rarely do! I would love to, though.
We're like you.As soon as we can,the A/C goes off,and stays off 'til it is too darn hot and humid to sleep at nite.And we have neighbors,just like your's.I don't think their windows even work,anymore.We love the blessed quietness when the electric meter is whirring.
ooops--meant "isn't whirring."
We're some of those people who never open their windows and it is because of allergies. I am really allergic to pollen. I go outside and work in the yard and play with my horse and get all stuffed up with runny nose and eyes, so it is a relief to come in and take a shower a breath clean air. I love the outdoors and stay out as long as I can, but the house has to stay shut up. It's a pain.
Hmmm...We are almost those people. I detest heat. And to me, anything over 68 degrees is heat! But we do open our windows when the temps get down low enough. It helps to air out the house and fresh air is always better than "conditioned" air.
SCG
We are like you, open windows when ever we can. I love to get fresh air especially at nite for sleeping. I understand about the allergy thing though, since I too suffer that way, it does help to keep the house closed up to keep pollen out.
I am also not 'one of those people' :) I would open the windows and leave them open ANY time I could. Before the baby we would rarely have the AC/heater on...with the baby the loud music in cars and the revving engines flying down our street at night will wake her. We will move her to the back bedroom when it gets nice enough to open them again though - I can't live with my windows shut year-round!
And now that you mention it, I have weird neighbors too. We have lived here 5 years and the house across the street never even opens their blinds! (I open blinds daily, cloudy or not) I chalk it up to shady business ;)
Our house is an older brick house in the mildew capital of the world. Even leaving the closet door open, the leather shoes can get covered with green hair overnight. A landscape engineer told us we had a pocket of water under the foundation, and the moisture seeps up through the floor, and nothing can be done about it. Our whole house smells like a damp basement if the AC is turned off. So we keep it on at all times. Keeping it on keeps down the mildew and the musty smell of an old house. I do love open windows, but the result is not nice. Maybe your neighbors have a similar problem.
I really miss the days of attic fans and open windows. When I was a girl, I slept with my head on the window sill and the air rushing in over my head and body keeping me cool.
When we moved into our current house, the windows were screwed shut. My first big home improvement was to get new windows.
Which I open at night on the second floor and everywhere whenever we're home (when it's nice outside).
Gimme some good ol fresh air any day!
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