4 ms·

Yes, of course, it would be a miserable place without AC, no question. The climate is pretty stable though, with the exception of rainy season. But the point i

by Udo 12y ago

Yes, of course, it would be a miserable place without AC, no question. The climate is pretty stable though, with the exception of rainy season. But the point is, it gets just as intolerable (maybe even more so) in Germany.

adventured 12y ago
I don't understand how it can be cultural to want AC when the highs are 31 degrees C all year? Isn't that logical in response to oppressive heat that rarely lets up (not to mention very high humidity)? I'm just not entirely sure how Germany could be more intolerable in regards to needing AC / dealing with heat. Germany doesn't seem close to being on the Philippines' level regarding heat. The average highs in Berlin only reach 25.5 or so degrees at the peak in July, and only briefly stay up there. Frankfurt isn't much different. Could you by chance show me some data for Germany regarding what makes it so intolerable compared to the Philippines?
- Udo 12y ago
  Heh, recently I seem to be unable to say anything on HN that isn't received with extreme skepticism and controversy ;) First off, I was talking about Germany when I said the reasons for not having AC in private households is that "it's just not done", when it is in fact common to have this in offices. Maybe it's subjective, but in the tropics the temperature stays pretty stable, there are frequent rain showers (about once a day), and of course the general proximity of the ocean also helps making the Philippines subjectively OK in my opinion. A heat wave in Germany will typically not see any rain, the sun just burns down mercilessly, and the air does not move. Again, these are subjective reasons, and there is nothing wrong in principle with you denying the validity of my claim, but personally I don't want to live here without air conditioning.
- Amezarak 12y ago
  I don't live in the Phillipines, but I do live in the Deep South, where temperatures in summer more often than not sit around the mid-nineties (35C) - highs get around 100, or 40C - on top of very high humidity. 25.5C is actually cooler than the temperature many of us set our air condition to down here. I keep mine around 26.5C and regard that as pleasantly cool! It's hard to imagine that's what some people regard as hot enough to warrant AC. :) So I too am not really sure why Germans would need AC if that's the average high.
  - Udo 12y ago
    That's because 25.5°C is not anywhere near the peaks we're seeing here. Right now, it's nice and cool, scattered clouds, exactly 25°C outside where I live. Nobody would dream of turning on the AC right now, in fact it would be nice if it could get a little bit warmer and sunnier. When summer was starting out this year, it got to 32°C outside my home in the shadow, but that still wasn't a heat wave. During a heat wave, this rises to the mid thirties, and can in extreme situations approach 40. Lots of unremitting sunlight and stagnant air can drive the actual temperature people experience in cities much higher. Mind you, I'm not arguing that Germany has the most extreme climate on the planet. Yes, you can easily pick a hundred thousand places that are far worse, and you guys in the Deep South are very very tough and all that ;) It's a different thing to argue that in Germany you flat-out don't need air conditioning, especially if you never experienced how bad it can get. But even if this is all just a sign of my own special and extraordinary weakness, I still feel better when I have one.
    - Amezarak 12y ago
      Well, not too tough. We had an ice storm last winter - the first one where I live in at least 30 years - and it was chaos and panic and unbearably freezing cold at a horrific -9C. :) Certainly anything around 32 C would justify aircon though, I think, especially if there's any humidity involved. So now I'm surprised that more Germans don't have AC!
      - Udo 12y ago
        > and it was chaos and panic and unbearably freezing cold at a horrific -9C. Hey, that is pretty grim. Winters here have been pretty mild recently, I just hope nothing unfortunate happens to the North Atlantic Drift, or it's going to be apocalyptically arctic... > So now I'm surprised that more Germans don't have AC! That was my point when I started this. All of our cars have it, stores and offices have it, but then for some reason we come home to our sweltering roof apartments and bake to death!

by Udo 12y ago

adventured 12y ago

I don't understand how it can be cultural to want AC when the highs are 31 degrees C all year? Isn't that logical in response to oppressive heat that rarely lets up (not to mention very high humidity)? I'm just not entirely sure how Germany could be more intolerable in regards to needing AC / dealing with heat. Germany doesn't seem close to being on the Philippines' level regarding heat. The average highs in Berlin only reach 25.5 or so degrees at the peak in July, and only briefly stay up there. Frankfurt isn't much different. Could you by chance show me some data for Germany regarding what makes it so intolerable compared to the Philippines?

Udo 12y ago
Heh, recently I seem to be unable to say anything on HN that isn't received with extreme skepticism and controversy ;) First off, I was talking about Germany when I said the reasons for not having AC in private households is that "it's just not done", when it is in fact common to have this in offices. Maybe it's subjective, but in the tropics the temperature stays pretty stable, there are frequent rain showers (about once a day), and of course the general proximity of the ocean also helps making the Philippines subjectively OK in my opinion. A heat wave in Germany will typically not see any rain, the sun just burns down mercilessly, and the air does not move. Again, these are subjective reasons, and there is nothing wrong in principle with you denying the validity of my claim, but personally I don't want to live here without air conditioning.
Amezarak 12y ago
I don't live in the Phillipines, but I do live in the Deep South, where temperatures in summer more often than not sit around the mid-nineties (35C) - highs get around 100, or 40C - on top of very high humidity. 25.5C is actually cooler than the temperature many of us set our air condition to down here. I keep mine around 26.5C and regard that as pleasantly cool! It's hard to imagine that's what some people regard as hot enough to warrant AC. :) So I too am not really sure why Germans would need AC if that's the average high.
- Udo 12y ago
  That's because 25.5°C is not anywhere near the peaks we're seeing here. Right now, it's nice and cool, scattered clouds, exactly 25°C outside where I live. Nobody would dream of turning on the AC right now, in fact it would be nice if it could get a little bit warmer and sunnier. When summer was starting out this year, it got to 32°C outside my home in the shadow, but that still wasn't a heat wave. During a heat wave, this rises to the mid thirties, and can in extreme situations approach 40. Lots of unremitting sunlight and stagnant air can drive the actual temperature people experience in cities much higher. Mind you, I'm not arguing that Germany has the most extreme climate on the planet. Yes, you can easily pick a hundred thousand places that are far worse, and you guys in the Deep South are very very tough and all that ;) It's a different thing to argue that in Germany you flat-out don't need air conditioning, especially if you never experienced how bad it can get. But even if this is all just a sign of my own special and extraordinary weakness, I still feel better when I have one.
  - Amezarak 12y ago
    Well, not too tough. We had an ice storm last winter - the first one where I live in at least 30 years - and it was chaos and panic and unbearably freezing cold at a horrific -9C. :) Certainly anything around 32 C would justify aircon though, I think, especially if there's any humidity involved. So now I'm surprised that more Germans don't have AC!
    - Udo 12y ago
      > and it was chaos and panic and unbearably freezing cold at a horrific -9C. Hey, that is pretty grim. Winters here have been pretty mild recently, I just hope nothing unfortunate happens to the North Atlantic Drift, or it's going to be apocalyptically arctic... > So now I'm surprised that more Germans don't have AC! That was my point when I started this. All of our cars have it, stores and offices have it, but then for some reason we come home to our sweltering roof apartments and bake to death!