Air Conditioning in DR: Necessary? Costs?

[Criss Colon]

I love using "AC".
I like to wake up, under my "comforture" at 2 am freezing my ASSETS off!
It cost about 3,000 pesos a month for each unit I have. We use them at night for about 8 to 10 hours.
There are additional benefits to "AC", other than the lowered temperature.
Like, it keeps the house cleaner as it removes dust.
You can close the windows, so the mosquitos can't bite you while you sleep.
It lessens the noise from endlessly barking dogs, and Dominicans blasting their HUGE speakers, and YELLING for no reason, ALL NIGHT Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong
As the air is purified, allergens, and particles are removed from the air you breath for 8 hours a night.
I'll wager that if electricity was free in the DR, (As It Is For, "Los Pobres!!!", Actually, WE pay for their electricity!)EVERYONE would need a blanket at night!
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You can buy a 5,000 btu airconditioner here, at "PriceMart", or "Carrefor" for about $150 US. Don't ship one.
AND at least if you buy it here, you have a small chance that the warrenty will pay to repair the unit.
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[cobraboy]

You can close the windows, so the mosquitos can't bite you while you sleep.
It lessens the noise from endlessly barking dogs, and Dominicans blasting their HUGE speakers, and YELLING for no reason, ALL NIGHT Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong

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Which is why we use one just in the BR. PLUS they remove humidity which is worse than heat for sleeping...

 

[Ringo]

Breaking my vacation promise.

OPEN THE WINDOWS FOR THE BREEZE TO COOL YOU WITH A SMALL FAN ASSIST. LET THE MOSQUITOES AND OTHER CRITTERS IN. Ahhh... insect screens anyone?

A couple of times a year, the temps, humidity or ocean surf crashing may make us close up and use the A.C. just for sleeping here on the north coast. Ahhhh.... insect screens..... are cheap and easy to install and windows open all day/night. ahhhh.

 

[Acira]

Windows open all day and all night and fans on. We live a bit on a little hill and house is build so that it catches even the smallest breeze. I have not missed an AC here on the North-Coast, not in the house we are living in now.

 

[Chirimoya]

Air conditioning is for wimps! The design and location of your house or apartment can make all the difference.

 

[JMB773]

1. Buy KDK ceiling fans and maybe 1 KDK pedestal fan, the ceiling fans are about 3000 and the pedestal fan is about 4000. I lived in Miami prior to moving here so I haven't felt any real heat here in the DR yet. The weather of the DR reminds me much more of my time in San Diego than Florida.

2. If you run 1 air conditioner 8 hours per day, I would assume that ALONE would be about 100$ a month to run, this is a very rough estimate but when I lived in Cabarete I had 2 ACs running full time and the electricity bill was 500$ a month (was included in rent so I didn't care). William osterman at the casablanca hotel in Cabarete helped me find my place and he was a pretty straightforward guy.

Dominican Republic Real Estate | Houses, Condos, Property for Sale | Prestige Realty

809-935-0809 ask for William

Your saying Dominican weather reminds you of southern California weather? How so???

BTW There is a BIG difference between Miami weather then San Diego weather and the DR weather is NOT like California weather.

 

[sayanora]

Your saying Dominican weather reminds you of southern California weather? How so???

BTW There is a BIG difference between Miami weather then San Diego weather and the DR weather is NOT like California weather.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say.. I conveyed a subjective feeling that the weather in the DR reminds me more of San Diego than Florida.. not exactly sure why, I just know it's not HOT like Miami, it's like a sunny warm with cool breezes.. reminds me of San Diego but I guess since you say it's NOT like California weather I will have to change my opinion????

 

[JMB773]

I'm not sure what you're trying to say.. I conveyed a subjective feeling that the weather in the DR reminds me more of San Diego than Florida.. not exactly sure why, I just know it's not HOT like Miami, it's like a sunny warm with cool breezes.. reminds me of San Diego but I guess since you say it's NOT like California weather I will have to change my opinion????

Sure it depends on what part of DR you are in but on the whole DR is a hot and humid place to live. San Diego is known for its great weather like Honolulu in Hawaii. Southern Florida and DR weather is nice if you like going from a AC car to a AC home 90% of the time.

Santo Domingo, Panama City, Miami and Houston weather is HORRIBLE, but some people like humid weather.

BTW The momment those doors open up at SDQ and you walk outside that HUMIDITY hits you like truck. Give me one airport in California that even comes close to SDQ humidity.

 

[mountainannie]

I found a picture of the tree that grows outside my window on the third floor here in SDQ .. It was growing on the Darwin Peninsula...
now
i
have never been to Darwin and do not think that I could survive there
But my MD told me that I cannot live in SD in August without AC

I am too gringa

I concurr

 

[windeguy]

The weather in California, from San Diego up to San Francisco is better than the DR by quite a bit. But with a few fans I am fine with it here in the DR.

 

[sayanora]

The weather in California, from San Diego up to San Francisco is better than the DR by quite a bit. But with a few fans I am fine with it here in the DR.

I'll be in San Diego in a week so I'll let you know what I think, friends say its cold as hell this year tho but we'll see!

 

[windeguy]

I'll be in San Diego in a week so I'll let you know what I think, friends say its cold as hell this year tho but we'll see!

I see that. Even where i used to live it is cooler than normal. Must be climate change. One thing is for sure, you won't need air conditioning.

 

[Ken]

I turn the AC in my bedroom on at night, not because of heat but i have a respiratory condition and taking the humidity out of the night air is beneficial. In the winter months I run it on "dry" rather than "cool" but the room cools just a much as if it were on "cool" Amazing how the temp drops when you remove the humidity. I have been doing this long enough now that I would not like to give it up. Pulling a blanket up to my chin is a bedtime pleasure.

 

[mountainannie]

The OP is only coming down here for the winter.. and I do not think that AC is really essential anywhere here in the winter months for a snowbird whose blood has not so thinnned that they need a sweatshirt when it drops to seventy degrees (sorry.. i have yet to master metric.. spent a lot of time at first here saying oh.. 28 degrees, so this is what it is llike, or OH it is going above 31 better prepare.

But after almost ten years here, I can really feel the differences in temperature and humidity.

Not to say that having an air conditioned room on a hot sunny day is not a treat

just not one that you are going to get here on 300 to 400 a month

 

[Aguaita29]

Hi friendly dr1 people!


How easy is it to get by without Aircon? Will I be melting? I am already cold-blooded and I hated it when my office co-workers pumped up the Aircon to arctic levels. That said, living in Barcelona for the last 8 years, I don't think I would have survived the Augusts without Aircon. I can handle 80s pretty well with just fans. 90s and above, not so much.

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Air conditioning is not NECESSARY! It's a luxury, a perk. You'll be okay with a couple of good fans.

 

[bronzeallspice]

Sure it depends on what part of DR you are in but on the whole DR is a hot and humid place to live. San Diego is known for its great weather like Honolulu in Hawaii. Southern Florida and DR weather is nice if you like going from a AC car to a AC home 90% of the time.

Santo Domingo, Panama City, Miami and Houston weather is HORRIBLE, but some people like humid weather.

BTW The momment those doors open up at SDQ and you walk outside that HUMIDITY hits you like truck. Give me one airport in California that even comes close to SDQ humidity.

I agree with you.The moment you walk out of the airport,the humidity just smacks you in the face!
It feels like opening an oven door.I can't get used to the humidity.I see Dominican women walking
around with long hair and not sweating.I did that and I was drenched in sweat!Now I wear my hair
up or in a pony tail.

 

[Ken]

To the OP. Be glad that AC is not included. The best apartment to rent is one that does not include electricity in the rental price. Rents will be much higher if AC/electricity is included because the landlord will, for reasons of self protection, assume the tenant will use the maximum.

You are much better off in an apartment where you can decide how much electricity (or AC if that is all that is excluded from rent) to use and pay only for your actual usage, not assumed usage.

I guarantee you that unless you run the AC 24/7 and the hot water heater,too, that the combined rent plus electric charge will be less than the rent for an apartment with everything included.

 

[Criss Colon]

Ken,"CB", and Mt. Annie", all used the key word when talking about the benefits of air conditioning, (and there are many, not just lower temperatures)The key word is "Humidity", or to be specific, Lower Humidity!!!!
In the summer months, you can have all the fans you want, but the humidity will not be any lower.
You and your bed will be damp, or "sticky" when you wake up.
Now, "damp & Sticky" in your bed is not always a Bad Thing!
I pay good money to enjoy just that,in some cases! :cheeky::cheeky::cheeky:
It is always cool in my house in Dec. through early March, especially at night. I still like my "AIRE" when I sleep.
When I was a MUCH younger Boy, my father always bought cars with Manual Everything. Transmission, windows,steering, no radio no "Air" nothing "Power".
He said those "things" were not necessary!
And the reality is, they weren't!
Maybe he was just being Frugal, maybe just Cheap????
I don't know.
When he and my mom became "Empty Nesters" the first thing he did, was buy a brand new Oldsmobile 98, LS with every option known to man!
I think he did it (Buy Manual Everything cars, that is) because, like those of you who say that "Air conditioning" is not needed in the DR, he didn't want to spend the money!
After he bought the "Olds 98", he said that he "LOVED" it. and would never buy another car without all the "options"!
And, he never did!
So, keep it real here.
If it were free, we would all have it! :bunny::bunny::bunny:
If only for the health benefits, as Ken and I have already posted.
Except for the very few who want to appear "PC" and extol the virtues of a "Monk Like Existence"!!!!
Like me!
I am sitting in "My Chair" right now, smoking a good cigar, with no "Air", or fan!
But then I'm a Tough Guy! I can hack it! :rambo::rambo::rambo:
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[cobraboy]

I also like the White Noise our (older) a/c wall unit puts out. Masks almost every outside sound except our dogs barking...a good thing.

 

[Hannah Wiley]

I'm not sure what you're trying to say.. I conveyed a subjective feeling that the weather in the DR reminds me more of San Diego than Florida.. not exactly sure why, I just know it's not HOT like Miami, it's like a sunny warm with cool breezes.. reminds me of San Diego but I guess since you say it's NOT like California weather I will have to change my opinion????

That is SO nice to hear!

From what everybody is saying I won't need aircon...at least until August. I am really not a fan (haha, NO pun intended!) of aircon unless I am DYING. I much prefer fans. Ceiling fans really scare me however (I know, I know), so I just can't bring myself to use them. If a lot of you do well with a standing fan, I'm sure I will too. Thanks for the replies!