Re: Air Conditioning in Switzerland?
Post 22
Think you people worry too much :)
In the years I was here I've seen Swiss people against A/C (usually quoting health and electricity bill reasons) and I also made Swiss friends that installed one (either their relatives owned the building or they got a mobile one instead).
Us foreginers usually need it more as we're not used to it and some mobile ones are quite quiet (depends now how sensible one is to noise and in which environment he/she was raised...in my case I always had noise around me so I can't really sense it).
With A/C, some guys:
- usually think about the electricity bill for 1-2 months (and no, there are not only 10 days) but instead waste money on gadgets, cars and other things which one could do without (or with less luxury)
- really are immune to heat and can sleep well at night with just a fan (sadly, I'm not so lucky)
- think about health as they never had A/C and get a cold / sick instantly when in an environment with one, so it's understandable (but use one in their car when going home:p); when you grow up with it, you no longer get sick from a cold breeze; at work the new, minergie buildings which cool the air via underground are really a good alternative to A/C and one has the recommended indoor 23 degrees
- true that one tends to ignore the cost of heating 4 months in the winter to the quite high / unreasonable 28 degrees everywhere vs cooling down an apartment for 1-2 months so that you can go to work without big, black circles around your eyes from the lack of sleep when sweating like there's no tomorrow:)
All in all:
- for split units - you have to ask for approvals and it's going to hurt your head
- for mobile unit with little split unit, you just need a little hole in the balcony glass and get the evaucation thingie over there (or keep your balcony door partially open..not so efficient)
- use a mobile unit which gives better ratings noise and energy consuption wise
As always, there is a solution for everyone and what is acceptable for someone is not for someone else (the eternal war between A/C vs no-A/C).
My 2 cents:)