Here in the UK up until the past few years, the only time we would tend to encounter air conditioning would be if we went to some far flung destination on holiday which was so hot and humid that air conditioning was the norm everywhere and we soon got to enjoy our cool hotel rooms at night, especially when we were able to get a good night’s sleep whilst outside it might still be almost as sultry and humid as during the daytime hours.
More recently, here in the UK, we have all become more familiar with air conditioning coming as standard in many of our cars and, often, in our place of work.
However, the residential property market has still a long way to catch up with the likes of the USA, where seemingly every house comes with air conditioning installed. So, why have we suddenly become more interested?
Our Summers Are Too Short, Aren’t They?
Installing air conditioning systems in the UK has, up until now, been seen as very much a preserve of the affluent rich. After all, our weather is notoriously fickle, especially in the summer. However, 2006 saw overall record average temperatures in the UK for many a year and with global warming never far from the news agenda, our summers are likely to see even more record temperatures which will only climb even higher and make air conditioning more of a necessity than a desire.
Not only does the climate make our houses warmer, we are using even more electrical devices in the home, such as PCs, photocopiers, laptops and printers that all generate their own heat too which only adds to the misery in the height of the summer.
Most of us will have experienced queuing up for electric fans in the height of the summer, only to find that when the heat and humidity get especially fierce, the fans do little more than simply blow hot heat around which defeats the purpose really. If you install air conditioning, however, you can throw away the electric fan.
Isn’t it Expensive?
With many new home builds coming with air conditioning as standard these days, manufacturers of air conditioning systems have been able to reduce the cost of buying a system and having it installed and have brought that cost down within the reaches of the average home owner. Many systems are now also dual purpose, being an air cooler when it’s hot and a heater when it’s cold so it can also become more cost effective.
Benefits
There’s nothing worse than coming home from a busy day at work in the summer to a boiling hot, sweaty house. Home is where we want to relax and unwind after work and, ultimately, get a good night’s sleep so that we’re invigorated for the next working day.
Air conditioning systems can provide that and, similarly to the likes of a Jacuzzi or hot tub, they are now starting to be considered as the next big ‘must haves’ in terms of us being able to enjoy our leisure time within our home environment. Unlike fans, they’re not noisy and can be installed unobtrusively so you’d hardly know they were there. They can help to dispel toxins in the air and you’re less likely to suffer from breathing difficulties as they often come installed with ventilation properties to filter out dirt and dust.
With summers like last year’s and an increase in the take-up, it’s likely that even more of us will be looking to have air conditioning systems fitted over the next few years.
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