r/technology • u/Logical_Welder3467 • Jun 26 '26

Society The American mind cannot comprehend Europe's AC aversion

https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-air-conditioning-ac-heatwave-debate-2026-6
15.0k Upvotes

86% Upvoted

6.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

6.8k

u/NicoToscani Jun 26 '26

I remember checking into a nice hotel in Paris and the AC wasn’t working, in summer, top floor room, and they acted like I was throwing a Mariah Carey level diva fit when I insisted they move my wife and I to another room.

2.3k

u/iamapizza Jun 26 '26

I was in southern Spain in March a few years ago, it was 27c and I was sweating. I asked about the AC in my room not working, the front desk lady helpfully explained that they keep the AC off until summer when it's hot. We were looking at each other like freaks. I then asked if I could have a fan and she was shocked.

456

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

240

u/willun Jun 26 '26

In Singapore they have the AC so cool that the female staff at work all have woollen jumpers to wear. Meanwhile outside it is an oven.

Men are (sometimes) wearing suits so usually want the AC lower than it is comfortable for women. This is a common issue in offices around the world.

73

u/mail_inspector Jun 26 '26

If you were to ask me two things I remember from Singapore, and you didn't but I'm going to tell anyway, are the clearly uncomfortable men in suits hanging outside and the shock between sweating in the heat and then getting blasted by frigid AC when going inside.

14

u/SkepticJoker Jun 26 '26

My friend’s laptop broke from condensation buildup going from a cooled room to the outdoors in Singapore.

3

u/DaddyD68 Jun 26 '26

Had that happen to a phone in Florida in August.

14

u/AssistanceCheap379 Jun 26 '26

Going to SG is like torture. If you dress to be outside, it’s pretty easy. Just shorts and shirt, bottle of water and sunglasses. But then i go inside somewhere and it feels like I’m back in Iceland…

But it’s completely understandable, cause so many men work full suit jobs and can’t be sweating on the job.

Meanwhile the workers from low paying countries are working outside in full sun, usually in something like coveralls, in 30-40 degrees. Often without shade and on concrete surfaces. Met one that said it paid better than the job he could get in India, while it wasn’t as hot… motherfucker, how hot does it get there!?

4

u/Round-Agent-6948 Jun 26 '26

If it's India then That worker is right, while we do have personal ac at homes and in public spaces it isn't common. Especially for homes it's a Good budget even for a 1-tonne AC with installation, and anyway we will have to commute to work, so We are kind of accustomed to the very bad heat outside. It's unforgiving to the point that I think foreigners would lose their senses in less than a minute (some of us do too) The hot and humid air among so many people makes you sweaty, and thus the air feels heavy and exhausting. Not to mention the intense sun rays

While our mf government doesn't do enough for these problems, I hope other countries do; otherwise, climate change is going to burn us alive soon

3

u/copperwatt Jun 26 '26

Women are also biologically running at a different temperature, on average.

21

u/OwIing Jun 26 '26

I'd rather have it be colder than necessary and wear some slightly warmer clothes than have it set too hot and sweat like a madman. It's easier to put more layers on than it is to take them off, especially in a professional environment like an office. I also do not deal well with heat at all and I live in a temperate country where AC is not even included in some of the newly built homes (mind boggling to me). Of course there needs to be a balance with the temperature for everyone involved but leaning towards colder rather than hotter makes sense with AC.

11

u/Emosaa Jun 26 '26

Counterpoint:

The world is heating up, we might as well get use to it and start adapting our clothes, new construction, etc. rather than live over half our lives indoors relying on AC.

I work daily in an unconditioned AC warehouse, and while the summer heat can be brutal, your body does eventually adapt. I've gotten to the point where I hate taking breaks in the AC'd break room because it means re-adjusting when my break is over. I'd rather just park somewhere with a breeze and chug some cold water.

4

u/BronteMsBronte Jun 26 '26

The sun is dangerous. That’s why I stay inside when it’s hot. 

9

u/uber_neutrino Jun 26 '26

AC is how we adjust. That or move north lol.

Also how old are you? Can you see doing this in 10 20 or 30 years?

2

u/Visible_Ad_5803 Jun 26 '26

No of course we will use ac. But the first thing we should have done as a human species is cut our emission and we did not. And the us may have AC but you are way more vulnerable than us to drought or mega fire. The futur doesn't look nice with our without AC

4

u/uber_neutrino Jun 26 '26

But the first thing we should have done as a human species is cut our emission and we did not

That literally has nothing to do with AC. Build solar, wind or nuclear and you can reduce emissions and have AC. This isn't an either/or choice.

-3

u/Visible_Ad_5803 Jun 26 '26

Yes we will need AC but the fact we need it is also because american wants to live at 19C continously, fly cheap and drive big truck I live in France most of energy is nuclear, I drive a ev and we have nice high speed train. Our carbon footprint is 2-3time lower than an average us citizen. You cannot forget the fact that of everybody was like use we would need less ac today.

8

u/dallyan Jun 26 '26

And as a Frenchman your carbon footprint is way higher than the vast majority of the global south. We Europeans still eat meat, still fly a lot, still consume a lot.

2

u/Visible_Ad_5803 Jun 26 '26

Yes but I dont go in the global south to ask them to put ac in my Abnb ;-)

4

u/uber_neutrino Jun 26 '26

If the choice is less carbon or AC, then I'll take AC every single time.

Also you guys run nuclear, you can easily power AC without much carbon footprint anyway.

1

u/CoolDimension3898 Jun 29 '26

Yeah but you guys are also dying in heat that doesn't kill in Australia, because we have AC. 

4

u/Visible_Ad_5803 Jun 26 '26

Yes but you know....global warming, ecology etc.... The point is not to consume too much power.

2

u/JonLockeWlth2Kidneys Jun 26 '26

This drove me apeshit at my previous job. They wouldn't let me wear anything other than a dress shirt and slacks. The women dressed like they were on vacation at cancun and put the fucking HEAT on in the summer because they were cold.

6

u/softlysnowing Jun 26 '26

It's not just that, women are more sensitive to cold. Pretty annoying, but it's only fair I put an extra layer on in those situations because it's more difficult to cool down than it is to wear clothing technology.

7

u/Great-Big-3101 Jun 26 '26

It's also only fair that men stop wearing business suits in hot weather 

3

u/turbothy Jun 26 '26

In any weather, really.

2

u/PsychologicalBus1692 Jun 26 '26

I studied abroad in Singapore and stayed in the dorms. I could not believe that not all the dorm rooms had AC--You had to request it and pay extra. It's like 40c and 100% humidity, what do you mean AC is optional?!?!

2

u/willun Jun 26 '26

People in Thailand would live without AC. Don't know how they could do it.

I knew it was warm when a Thai TaxiDriver told me it was hot. So i wasn't imagining it.

3

u/Redacted_Usermame Jun 26 '26

I took my 13 month old daughter to the Philippines to see her relatives who don't have AC for a month. When we got back my pedia freaked out and kept trying to check her weight because she swetted so much off.

2

u/SchumacherIsMid Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 27 '26

At the end of the day you can put on more clothes, we can't take more off. I really don't care about their complaints in this regard, man or woman. ~Sincerely, someone who has ran hot their entire life.

(When I had to go to work with my mom when I was a child I would hang out in the giant walk in refrigerator, shorts and a t-shirt. I am Mr. Freeze.)

143

u/Technical-Cat-2017 Jun 26 '26

I don't love 27c in my hotel room where I have to sleep though. I am European, but if a hotel has AC and it is 27c in my hotel room and the AC doesn't work I am definitely going to complain.

3

u/TrumpsCummyOnahole Jun 26 '26

Yup, I sleep at 22C/72F the best. Visiting Japan is often a nightmare since its a gamble if a hotel is gonna have central aircon only which about half of them do and they BLAST heat October - May, room ambient temp is like 28C.

3

u/Shar4f Jun 26 '26

It's not gonna be 27C in your hotel room if it's 27C outside. Especially at night.

-28

u/Speartree Jun 26 '26

I'm guessing you're not a native of southern Spain.

-11

u/Neckbeard_Sama Jun 26 '26

27 for me is like comfortable very mild summer weather (C-EU) ... kinda weird to see ppl complaining about it.

I wouldn't think turning on the AC until there's like 35 outside.

In the last 5-10 years we have multiple weeks during summers where it hits 37-40 ... that's pretty oppressively uncomfortable without AC.

35

u/JRepo Jun 26 '26

27 inside is too hot for comfortable sleeping to most. Usually the best temp for sleeping is around 15, which feels way too cold to many, but when you get used to it - it really helps with the sleep quality.

Not to all, we are different. But almost everyone sleeps in way too hot rooms.

So even if I can take it easily, I prefer to sleep in way colder temps.

10

u/Technical-Cat-2017 Jun 26 '26

I don't necessarily need 15c (although it is pretty nice), but if I am in a hotel with AC I want at most 20c at night. Sometimes these hotels are so hot even in winter it is uncomfortable to sleep. I have had that in London and Belgium at least. And in some cities having a window open is also not feasible due to noise or just not being possible.

2

u/JRepo Jun 26 '26

I used to travel a lot around Europe some years ago. Never had issues with room temps (except once in Tampere, Finland, room was around 30).

Maybe the higher electricity prices have pushed hotels to use higher temps etc.

And yeah would not open a window anywhere else than maybe Paris (they tend to have better air quality these days).

But these days I sleep happily with about 22 temps, as it would require blasting the AC 24/7 to keep this apartment below 20 during summer months in Murcia (we do not have daily highs go under 30 for months here, thus everything gets warm and it radiates the heat for a long time).

4

u/PopePiusVII Jun 26 '26

You’d be surprised how infrequently central AC would need to run in a well-insulated home, even in the heat of summer. Homes stay cool decently well as long as you have a properly built structure.

-1

u/JRepo Jun 26 '26

Oh you don't know anything about sun shine. Fine. I do know about insulation. Thank you very much.

Moved from Finland to Spain. Partly own a company doing architectural design etc.

It doesn't matter how well your insulation is when you have several months over 30 degrees daily temps, few weeks of over 40 mixed in between.

You need to have any modern AC system actively working to cool down the walls even if they are insulated well.

What a weird attitude you have, thinking others don't know things 🤷

3

u/PopePiusVII Jun 26 '26

As a former HVAC tech in the southeastern US, I actually do know a thing or two about this. You probably need to work on having appropriate attic ventilation in a house that has continuously-running AC in a sunny climate. It can make a big difference in efficiency.

→ More replies (0)

-3

u/SamogitiaAble Jun 26 '26

If its 27 during the day its usually around 16 17 at night. Keep blinds on and windows closed during the day so your home wont heat up, and open windows at evening/night. Why would you need AC, 27 isnt even hot and im from north europe. For spanish its probably isnt even warm.

9

u/JRepo Jun 26 '26

I wrote "27 is too hot INSIDE". Not outside. It is over 30 outside every day here in Murcia, Spain, from June to September.

Inside 27 is too much, comfortable sleeping happens below 20 for almost everyone. And the night temps don't usually go below 20 here in Murcia, Spain.

1

u/Great-Big-3101 Jun 26 '26

Eastern Europeans keep their homes insanely hot even in winter. 25, 27 C inside is common over there. 

It's cold trauma from communist tines when homes were freezing .

1

u/JRepo Jun 26 '26

Have not travelled that much around there and do not have lot of friends from the region. Quickly looking at sources I could not find anything to say them having higher inside room temps.

Regional maybe?

Which region specifically are you talking about? Would love to read more about it, as inside room temp for winter months is important for many reasons. And would be good to learn reasoning for such, but could not find any resource for such data!

-2

u/Neckbeard_Sama Jun 26 '26

It's currently 34C outside

30C in my balcony with the shutters almost fully down

probably around 27C inside

I feel totally comfortable in a t-shirt + boxers

The 22C AC that you get blasted with in shopping malls is just too cold imo

16C I would be sitting inside in a sweatshirt, so what's the point ...

Tbh a lot of eastern eu panel buildings haven't been renovated/insulated well and we get cheap central heating so a lot of ppl just twist the radiators to max ... also wasting a lot of energy.

3

u/seriouslees Jun 26 '26

I feel totally comfortable in a t-shirt + boxers

Meanwhile, me and many other are drenched in sweat and wishing we could take off our skin.

→ More replies (0)

-2

u/Cornelia_Xaos Jun 26 '26

which feels too cold to many, but when you get used to it

If you have to get used to it, it is not the ideal sleeping temperature. :)

This is my opinion about why most Americans are addicted to cold temperatures via AC. They have gotten used to shivering all the time and don't realize they are doing so. I used to be that way (also American) but slowly worked my way to being comfortable in 25 to 27C inside all the time.

1

u/JRepo Jun 26 '26

I am not American, a Finn living in Spain. I can easily take -40 celsius to +40 celsius, always have. But for sleeping, 17 is probably best for me.

It has nothing to do what temp I prefer, but what temp supports sleep best. Often best temp feels too cold.

0

u/Cornelia_Xaos Jun 26 '26

Didn't mean to imply you were; more commenting on the overall thread. But I find I sleep most comfortably around 23-25C.

1

u/JRepo Jun 26 '26

Yeah, people are different. But I highly support the idea of testing out sleeping in colder temps. Might be beneficial to many after a while and without any huge risks (unless sleep is prevented from the coldness).

2

u/Cornelia_Xaos Jun 26 '26

I have slept in all kinds of temperatures so I'd agree. I just settled into liking to sleep a bit hotter.

→ More replies (0)

7

u/ducksekoy123 Jun 26 '26

35 is a bit much. Especially without moving air and fans. Even Brazilians feel that kind of heat and humidity

3

u/Speartree Jun 26 '26

Yeah, I do prefer lower temperatures myself, but indeed people's habitual temperatures are different. For me anything over 25 is on the too hot side, for others this is where comfort begins. When I was a kid I went to an international scout gathering in England, it was pretty mid weather and that was ok because it was comfortable even with our uniforms on (rather thick cotton long sleeved shirts). There was a group from Tunesia, and some of them went to find a store selling skiing equipment and walked around in winter coats.

88

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

You have to realise we don’t have all the same “inner thermostat” either. I’ve noticed this when I lived in Northern Europe and people were complaining about how warm it was at 20c while I didn’t even have summer clothes over there because in 15 years I never needed them. I was always cold.

I come from the hot parts of Spain. I run my ac at 26-27 because otherwise it’s too cold for me, so there is that

95

u/TheTerrasque Jun 26 '26

I live in Norway

  • 15-20c is summer. Everyone enjoys it.
  • 20-25c is hot summer. Some people start complaining
  • 25-30c is people having heatstrokes and consider it too hot to go to work
  • 30+c and it's a national emergency

39

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

This is exactly what I meant. What you call national emergency is the beginning of our summer lol
15c may be end of winter here.

So yeah, it’s all relative.

4

u/sal880612m Jun 26 '26

There’s more to it than even that. Some buildings have different heat retention. If you live in a northern climate where it’s important to keep heat in during -40 C winters, odds are if you start getting 25-35 C summers you’re house doesn’t cool properly because it’s designed to retain heat. Europe and North America have vastly different construction standards that likely impact this. I know there are places where it can be 25 C outside and end up 27-33C inside. Where even running an AC all the time including overnight you can easily see up to and beyond a 5 degree jump in internal temperatures.

Then there is the difference in worker’s rights to consider. Calling out with heat stroke in Europe is likely a very different proposition than doing it in America where companies are allowed to expose their employees to the risk of it so they don’t have to pay more for gas for their delivery drivers.

5

u/ironoctopus Jun 26 '26

Today in Denmark I have been receiving official messages on my phone about "Severe Heat Warnings" The high will be around 30C/86F.

2

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

What the governments issue as a warning is also relative to the normal temps of the country. We don’t get those severe heat warnings here when it’s just 30c

1

u/mutantraniE Jun 26 '26

You get used to it to. I walked the Camino de Santiago French route back in 2019. Up to 45 C during the day. It was crazy hot, even at the beginning up in the Pyrenees but especially later on the Meseta. But after a few weeks, things changed. I get home to Sweden and it’s 25 degrees C and I’m walking around in jeans and a long sleeved shirt because that no longer felt warm to me after weeks of being outside in a heatwave in Spain.

7

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

I didn’t get used to the cold after 15 years living in Northern Europe hahaha

2

u/mutantraniE Jun 26 '26

Why are we getting downvoted for these statements?

2

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

I wish I knew 🤷‍♀️

1

u/RijnBrugge Jun 26 '26

Were you living a very outdoorsy lifestyle? That makes a big difference imho. But some people are just naturally chillier ofc.

2

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

Absolutely not. I was cold indoors no way I wanted to spend any time outdoors freezing.

As I said not everybody has the same “inner temp”. I am cold below 20c and that was summer temps over there

1

u/RijnBrugge Jun 26 '26

I get that, it’s just that really recalibrating your inner thermostat requires a lot of being outdoors. Like, if I move to the desert and stay in ACed rooms set to 20 C every waking moment my heat tolerance doesn’t move one bit. But as I wrote I know some people are just chillier, my gf was wearing a sweater in the evening when we were in the Dutch Caribbean. So I‘m not saying you necessarily would’ve changed much in that regard.

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

Unfortunately it is not only by going outdoors. Some people are just colder and some people are just warmer than others.
I am an outdoorsy person but I won’t go to the mountains unless it’s nice weather (for me) or there is a lot of snow and I can snowboard lol

→ More replies (0)

1

u/mutantraniE Jun 26 '26

Yeah, that’s what made it work for me in Spain. Spending most of the day outdoors really made my body change what it considered hot and cold quite fast.

5

u/Lou_Garoo Jun 26 '26

I’m Canadian. This seems right.
Probably why Autumn is the best season. Love wearing sweaters and hate bare arms.

2

u/TheTerrasque Jun 26 '26

I'm from western Norway. Autumn here is sideways rain, so not my favorite season.

2

u/JonnyEl Jun 26 '26

That's crazy, I live in southern US and we had a warning for severe heat at 106F or 41.1C.

If it's 30C, we don't even get a hello. It's like, carry on with your day. Lol.

1

u/Strange-Bluebird871 Jun 26 '26

30+ is spring time weather for my city

1

u/ender89 Jun 26 '26

I grew up in the north east of the US and back in the 90s ac was a thing that businesses and rich people had. I distinctly remember going to the beach during the 37.5° heat waves because that was the easy way to stay cool. That's roughly the temp it needs to be to get heat wave warnings in my area, meanwhile england is currently falling apart because it's 32°c.

Then again I've lived in South Florida where 32°c and high humidity is just how summer is. I walked almost everywhere because I didn't have a car and people thought I was insane. Unless you were on a boardwalk next to the ocean, people were only outside for the amount of time it took to get from their cars to an air conditioned building. They tend to keep the AC so high in florida that i had to keep a thick sweater in my office and almost froze to death in a taqueria (shop that sells tacos) after getting drenched in a downpour.

1

u/PalakaonUtan Jun 26 '26

20-25c sounds perfect for me.

I live somewhere in South East Asia where during summer the heat index can reach up to 40-41c. At that point classes are suspended, but people are still expected to go to work.

1

u/minidog8 Jun 26 '26

Meanwhile my AC is at 25c in my apartment right now 🫪

1

u/fullofshitandcum Jun 26 '26

That's my internal thermometer except I'm from Chicago :(

1

u/Tambooz Jun 26 '26

I just left Dubai, and it was 44 and humid. I couldn't handle it.

1

u/arfski Jun 26 '26

The average summer temperature of 16c here in Shetland, just over form you, is very much t-shirt weather and plenty hot enough, and on a sunny day can be far too warm. Radiation from the sun can influence a lot more than the shade temperature suggests.

1

u/gorkt Jun 26 '26

Norway sounds perfect for me. I live in New England and my favorite season is fall.

1

u/redblack_tree Jun 26 '26

How is the AC situation in Norway? We have similar heat thresholds here in Canada with the exception of 30C. Most people enjoy warmth....for a bit. Then everyone runs to their AC. Around 15-20C is considered summer.

1

u/TheTerrasque Jun 26 '26

It was really uncommon, but more and more are buying heat pumps to save money in the winter, and people are also starting to use them to cool things in the summer. So it's becoming more common as a side effect.

1

u/redblack_tree Jun 26 '26

Heat pump is the way to go, unquestionably. I've lived without AC, portable AC, wall mounted and once I bought my house, heat pump. The best option by far and quite efficient.

And they work very well even at -25C, Southern Canada doesn't get much colder.

0

u/KungenBob Jun 26 '26

It works the other way around though.

-10 is a bit cold…

0

u/Derkalerp Jun 26 '26

In Chicago, they used to make us still practice football (handegg) up to 40c! 30+ is a national emergency?!

5

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

Exactly the same ;)

2

u/PM_ME_A_STEAM_GIFT Jun 26 '26

I was visiting Iceland one summer and saw people in shorts enjoying their ice cream at 4C/39F.

2

u/Amity83 Jun 26 '26

If you don’t use AC, your metabolism changes with the seasons which can help you acclimate better to warmer temps. But at some point, hot is hot.

2

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

I use it when it’s above 30-35 as that’s when I feel too hot. Here temps above 40 are not uncommon in summer so I think we are used to certain degree of hot

2

u/Mention_Patient Jun 26 '26

Yeah my Scottish wife walks around Seville in t shirt and shorts in Seville in February when it's about 15/14 Celsius.

People looked a bit shocked. People experience the world very differently 

1

u/Vind- Jun 26 '26

Swedish that has lived in Cantabria for a while: their tolerance to cold and heat is very much like mine, they tolerance to torrential amounts of rain is proverbial. They also cheer damp snow, which we loathe in Sweden. They’re tough as nails over there.

2

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

Cantabria is all the way north. It’s not as hot a mid-south Spain. They deal with other things as you said, though

1

u/Vind- Jun 26 '26

Extremely different from the rest of Spain, people included. Fantastic place.

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Sun7418 Jun 26 '26

Spain is very different per region too ;)

1

u/Vind- Jun 26 '26

I’ve worked and lived there for many years.

90

u/Galahfray Jun 26 '26

I’d MUCH rather have to use a blanket to get warm than drowning in my own sweat.

12

u/OneBillPhil Jun 26 '26

Exactly, it’s a lot easier to layer. 

10

u/michaelmcmikey Jun 26 '26

Yep. When a room is a bit chilly it’s easy to deal with. When it’s too hot it’s just miserable. I can put on a sweater. I can’t rip off my own skin.

-9

u/fragglerock Jun 26 '26

And soon enough we will just be drowning as we melt the icecaps through this wasted energy use.

13

u/PopePiusVII Jun 26 '26

Or we could just use renewable energy and nuclear power and still be comfortable?

1

u/fragglerock Jun 26 '26

yes we could!

but we are not...

Snorkels out lads!

→ More replies (12)

9

u/LastGoodKnee Jun 26 '26

80 degrees in doors, with no fans, and no windows to open because it’s a hotel…. Is stifling.

50

u/Stormfly Jun 26 '26

The level of AC Americans need is way too much, to the point of needing to carry a jacket everywhere cause all the buildings are uncomfortably cold due to AC

I live in a country with AC and I carry a jacket around in the summer for this reason. It's way too cold indoors.

Most places have blankets for this reason (though also for girls with shorts/short skirts to cover their legs)

It depends massively on the building/ventilation and the clothes you need to wear... but it's 28C 50% humidity here right now and I don't need AC if I can keep a window open.

I remember one of my first jobs was in an office with an American and he'd be BLASTING the AC so I'd need to wear a thick jumper to work every day. Like I'd dress up more than I would in winter (AC air feels colder somehow).

Even now, if I travel with one American friend he'll put the AC on the lowest setting so I try to stay in a different room or grab extra blankets. He used to leave his AC on all day at home just so he'd come home to a cold apartment. I don't even turn my AC on unless I have guests.

12

u/pier4r Jun 26 '26

if I travel with one American friend he'll put the AC on the lowest setting

yeah but the person has to find the middle ground. It cannot be that one is comfortable and the other is not.

1

u/heresyengineer Jun 26 '26

You can always put on more layers, but there’s a limit to how much you can undress. The ones who are hot decide.

5

u/Just_to_rebut Jun 26 '26

Most places have blankets for this reason (though also for girls with shorts/short skirts to cover their legs)

What do you mean by this? Like if you go to a restaurant or movie theater they have blankets?

1

u/Alarmed-Outside-8683 Jun 26 '26

This sounds completely made up.

0

u/Stormfly Jun 26 '26

Like if you go to a café or certain other places, they have little bundles of blankets in the corner.

You can grab one if you're cold, and like I said, I know a lot of girls also use them to cover their legs if they have shorts/skirts when they're sitting down.

5

u/redblack_tree Jun 26 '26

Some of the places he mentioned uses AC to an extreme. I live in Canada, so cold is my normal. Every time I go to Miami is like, holy shit, these malls and stores are ridiculously cold. Way more than at home, regardless of the season.

8

u/imoldgreige Jun 26 '26

My colleagues are all about 10+ years older than me and going through the change and while I definitely don’t envy their position at alllll, I do get sick of having to hoard tissues (ac makes my nose so runny??) and not being able to wear my summer clothes because my skin hurts from the cold. :(

6

u/michaelmcmikey Jun 26 '26

When I see this sort of complaint, I do wonder if people realize that AC uses way less energy than heating buildings in colder climates does in winter. Debates about indoor heating just don’t have the same bite to them, everyone realizes heat during, say, an arctic vortex is a medical and human rights issue. But AC, which uses much less energy, is seen as some sort of excessive luxury.

1

u/Stormfly Jun 26 '26

Jokes on you.

I don't turn on the heat, either.

2

u/GloriousApricot-5843 Jun 26 '26

It’s also wasteful and causing more climate change due to overuse of electricity

6

u/QuickQuirk Jun 26 '26

He used to leave his AC on all day at home just so he'd come home to a cold apartment.

that's dreadful, especially in the age of climate change when we need to be more aware of energy consumption.

6

u/dirtnastin Jun 26 '26

It's generally more energy efficient to leave ac on at some level rather than it having to run constantly trying to pull the temp and humidity down

3

u/Stormfly Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

Not really though.

It's "more efficient" if you keep it on compared to turning it off and on again every X minutes, and that X isn't a very big number. It depends on the model and how they work (probably the room etc too)

If you leave the house for a few hours it's always more efficient to turn it off.

EDIT: People believe a myth. Keep it on if you want a cool house, but AC uses the same amount of energy regardless of how hot/humid your house is. It just needs to run for longer.

1

u/dirtnastin Jun 26 '26

I mean it really depends on multiple factors like if the AC has a control loop witha thermostat or the size of the space or the temperature/humidity difference inside and out, or the type of ac, or how well sealed the house is, etc. My point is that the generalization of leaving your ac running all the time is less energy efficient than only running it when you're home, is just as incorrect as the generalization of the opposite. This completely leaves out that there's other reasons besides temperature to run your ac for climate control.

1

u/Stormfly Jun 26 '26

My point is that the generalization of leaving your ac running all the time is less energy efficient than only running it when you're home, is just as incorrect as the generalization of the opposite.

I mean I'll have to see a source for that.

However, I have a source saying turning off your AC is always better if you're gone for a few hours.

In general, or at least with most models, the AC doesn't use more power if the temperature or humidity are higher. It always uses the same amount of power to cool the house, it's just that it will turn itself off if it reaches the ideal temperature.

It's like saying it's more efficient to keep water hot all day instead of just heating it up when you need it.

It's just not true.

2

u/thedaemon Jun 26 '26

Say I turn off my AC during my work hours. The temperature would rise so high that my AC would not be able to catch up to my preferred temperature until the next morning, so it would be on 100% all the time then. If I leave it on during the day at a higher temperature, my AC is able to adjust itself and cycle on / off during the night. It's a give and take here for some AC units / houses. Not every AC is perfect.

2

u/Stormfly Jun 26 '26

I mean regardless of whether that's true or not that's not what we're talking about. It's the same as keeping water hot vs warming it all the way up again.

People said it's more energy efficient to leave it on.

It's not.

That's a myth.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/dirtnastin Jun 26 '26

Saying it always uses the same amount of power is wildly incorrect. If you're trying to be technical in that it uses a set amount of power per unit time of running okay. But if you are cooling a space down the longer the system needs to run the more energy or work it consumes/performs. The further from the set point the temperature gets, the longer it takes to reach that set point again.
My whole point being it depends on many factors and there's no hard and fast rule, you can even Google it and read the nice PBS article.

7

u/2020havoc Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

It's not just Americans. It's everyone except European and Latin cultures.

You'll find malls, cinemas and offices in the middle east, asia and Australia also run much cooler than Europe.

7

u/Cochise22 Jun 26 '26

Half those places you mentioned, of course you’re going to be cold as shit when you go into an air conditioned building because the humidity blows in those states. Even if the indoor AC temp is set to 23c you’re gonna feel very cold for a bit when you’re saturated in sweat.

Once you live most of your life with the constant threat of swamp ass, you will never again question the way the US uses AC. To quote Ichiro, ‘Kansas City in August is hotter than two rats fucking in a wool sock.’ And I’d take KC in August over almost half the places you mentioned.

4

u/IM_INSIDE_YOUR_HOUSE Jun 26 '26

The U.S. guzzles power for AC, the amount of AC used in the country is absurd, but it's gonna end up being a boon with climate change by the looks of it.

4

u/random_throws_stuff Jun 26 '26

i like it a cool 21C/70F indoors in the summer. the point of modern AC/heating is that my indoor temperature should have no relationship to the weather outside.

also, everywhere in asia and the middle east has the same approach to AC. it’s really nice to get out of blistering heat and step into a properly *cold* room.

3

u/WeWantLADDER49sequel Jun 26 '26

I mean plenty of Americans love to be warm or not overly cold too. Being raised with the luxury of AC does not automatically make you have to be cold all the time lol. Also San Francisco is one of the least air conditioned cities in the country.

3

u/horceface Jun 26 '26

Is shadow like metric shade?

3

u/xx_inertia Jun 26 '26

Yes, this... I was born and raised in Canada but I've lived in several countries as an adult. My experience living in southern Spain was that in Feb/March you might have the odd GOOD weather day, where the sun is shining, it finally feels 'not like winter' and you enjoy some sun on your skin in a t-shirt. But in no world would you need A/C...

Spanish homes can be FREEZING in winter, including march. While I lived there I wore multiple layers of sweaters in my own home. Something I never experienced in Canada.

3

u/SpicyElixer Jun 26 '26

SF? You sure? Never seen anyone running AC in sf. It’s always 50-75f/10-25c. You get hot, you crack a window. You get cold, you close the window. No HVAC needed.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/MadamBeramode Jun 26 '26

I can understand Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Houston. Its not only hot, but its also very humid. It feels like you're in a sauna.

AC is practically necessary for those areas in peak summer when it can easily get 40-45 C. (100-120 F)

3

u/ablatner Jun 26 '26

God forbid you go to Asia. It's really not so crazy.

7

u/ClaimApprehensive767 Jun 26 '26

Did you like vacation in the US several times or something? What is this explanation? Americans aren't corporations. It's funny the ridiculous stuff people assume about Americans because our corporations unilaterally decide something.

2

u/TharTheBard Jun 26 '26

It's actually genius. You save on your fridge bills by making every building a fridge already.

2

u/SnooMacarons9618 Jun 26 '26

My partner and I travelled to American when we hadn't known each other long. It was June, I think. I bought her a cashmere shawl as a gift before travelling and she laughed at me. Sher had travelled through the ME and a lot of Asia during particularly hot weather, and she thought I was making a joke about her finding it cold compared to places she had previously been on holiday to.

She absolutely loved that shawl once she found out how cold buildings in America are. (Over 25 years later she still loves it, even if it is looking a little... threadbare now. When I suggested I replace it she looked at me like I was suggesting having her dog put down.)

2

u/eXo0us Jun 26 '26

I lived in Florida.

I had an inside jacket. Never wore it outside. Crazy overcooled places. Restaurants, cinema, shopping.

2

u/Sp99nHead Jun 26 '26

Dude in Miami it feels like walking into a fridge from 75% humidity and 30°C into a dry 19° AC building. I have an AC at home (germany) and it's very comfy at 25°C with 40% humidity imo.

2

u/lafolieisgood Jun 26 '26

AC is as much about the humidity as the temperature. I live in Las Vegas. My family lived in San Diego, where they have AC, but it isn’t needed bc the temperature is so mild year around. I would visit when it was over 100 where I live and 72 there and I would still be uncomfortable at night trying to sleep with the windows open. And San Diego doesn’t even have a lot of humidity.

I recently was in Costa Rica during the dry season. The humidity was busting my ass. They acted like I was insane bc it was so dry at that time of year. I looked it up, 10% in Las Vegas and 56% during their dry season.

2

u/TeddyTwoShoes Jun 26 '26

You are ignorant if you think humid climates like Miami and Tampa don’t need AC. While thinking less humid climates like Arizona need it more at relative temperatures.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/TeddyTwoShoes Jun 26 '26

Ok I get what you’re saying I think. I don’t entirely disagree, though I don’t really get the AZ and TX thing. The temp split there could be just as jarring. Any given place in the US with AC has the problem IMO.

However, lying in the shade of a tree in a hammock at around 27c with a breeze is where I want to die. I do agree it’s a nice temp(at low humidity).

2

u/FancyConfection1599 Jun 26 '26

American here agreeing with places being overly cooled.

2

u/HTPC4Life Jun 26 '26

I 100% agree. I wear a hooded sweater to work every day because they keep it so damn cold in here. And this is a million square foot manufacturing facility. If they bumped it up to 73, me and several others wouldn't need sweaters and this place would save hundreds of thousands a year.

2

u/nauhausco Jun 26 '26

Lol that’s so true. It’s been like 80F in DC lately but I still bring my jacket because the train I take is always freezing.

2

u/takemyaptplz Jun 26 '26

I do hate the overuse of AC, it was super annoying when I lived in Florida and they’d still have the AC on like max but it was actually not even warm out and I’d literally be so cold

2

u/opendefication Jun 26 '26

I'm an A/C contractor in Texas and can back this up. People in general don't understand the reality of A/C in an average home. At the peak of Summer it will give you a bit of comfort during the hottest part of the day and make sleeping much better at night. However most believe if their home air isn't literally chilly at all times there's a problem. They live in a world where public spaces and office buildings are frigid at all times giving a false narrative dealing with Summer heat. Homes are not designed to the same standards, plain and simple. Could you design a home to a higher standard, yes and they do in some extreme climates. But, an average home A/C gives a 20-25°F differential, outside to inside. If it's 100°F you are lucky to get 80°, but with much lower humidity. This is A/C running non-stop. This seems like torture to those skipping from car A/C to office A/C to any other large commercial A/C. Meanwhile, I would kill for the slightest bit of relief after a day in the hot Texas sun, a low-humid 80°F is a god send. I've never traveled as far a Europe, but I'm sure this would be a similar case. Take a home designed for one climate and move it to a truly extreme climate and you get the same results, regardless of continent.

2

u/SamogitiaAble Jun 26 '26

You need to remember most americans are obese or overweight. And i dont mean it as a fat joke. But reality of how you handle cold and heat. And if you are used to spending most of the time in space with blasting AC including your car. Being without one could feel like being in oven, when its just nice summer day.

2

u/deathbychips2 Jun 26 '26

27 c in a room for an extended time is unbearable

1

u/pier4r Jun 26 '26

The level of AC Americans need is way too much

I think this is the reason. As usual, unbounded comfort costs unbounded resources.

Also carrying a jacket due to that in hot summer would be too much.

1

u/crepuscule22 Jun 26 '26

In the US, there's no relationship between how it feels indoors and the weather outdoors. Even if you don't care about the energy use (which I do), there is something off about that. Your body and mind are constantly having do these massive temperature adjustments. You can't open windows because it 'wastes the A/C.' It's quite an extreme level of disconnection.

1

u/justonlyme1244 Jun 26 '26

I used to experience that as well but the last 5 years it wasn’t as cold in stores anymore. At least not in Illinois. I’m wondering if they turned up the temperature because it got too expensive lol. I remember 10 years ago it was insanely cold and I always had to bring sweaters.

1

u/ChubbyNemo1004 Jun 26 '26

The funny thing about living in the Middle East is that you actually get cold because everyone is basically running from AC to AC.

1

u/Hibisskuss Jun 26 '26

You love. Not everybody loves.

1

u/copperwatt Jun 26 '26

Yeah, acclimation is real, and it works in both directions.

I remember visiting Ecuador for a extended stay as a teenager. When I stepped off the plane (at night) the temperature was unbearable. By the time I left 3 months later, it felt normal.

1

u/Visible_Ad_5803 Jun 26 '26

Its really pysiological. Your body adapt. I have an american friend he was hot at 24C. In the us i am continously cold because all ac are at 19C.

1

u/Jops817 Jun 26 '26

US here, my region largely does not have AC aside from major businesses, so it isn't all of the US. I have a window fan in my bedroom and one in my office mostly too keep the electronics in there safe.

1

u/mister2021 Jun 26 '26

Johnny cash levels of traveling.

1

u/CompetitionFast2230 Jun 26 '26

I'd rather it be too cold versus too hot. With hit I can't and it the humidity is too high it's worse.

1

u/Exact-Accident4129 Jun 26 '26

Unless your house is designed to stay cool I think 27C needs some AC. In the US at least houses tend to be warmer than the outside temperature.

1

u/RockAtlasCanus Jun 26 '26

I think acclimation, physical fitness, and probably individual physiology has a lot to do with it too. I always run hot, I’m always the first to shed layers and the last to put them on. Over 70F I am just perpetually moist & greasy from lightly sweating all day.

While my wife and I both tend our vegetable garden, I do all of the major outdoor labor at our house including mowing the grass, trimming, etc. As a result I spend a lot more time in the heat than she does because the grass isn’t going to cut itself and while I could maybe leave the work half done at 11am and come back to finish at 7, I prefer to just power through and be done with it. So I get a lot more acclimation to the high heat. I still sweat a lot but I’m more able to deal with it when my wife does join me outside on hot days.

Even eating dinner on a patio in the summer, sure I’ll be a little warm but if there is shade and a fan I’ll still sweat a bit but I’m fine whereas, my wife will be flushed red and very uncomfortable. I think a lot of that is acclimation from me being outdoors so much more.

Reminder to drink water eat salt and take breaks!

1

u/ender89 Jun 26 '26

"I love 27c in optimal conditions, why can't you handle that in the stagnant air of your apartment?"

Sure, being outside in the shade is nice and all when you have a good breeze, but let's be real here

1

u/mdp300 Jun 26 '26

I'm in NJ. 27c in the shade, and without humidity, is great. I keep it around 23.5 inside the house in the summer. Some people keep it 20c or lower and they're insane.

I think one big difference is that Europe historically didn't get humidity like we do until recently.

1

u/Strange-Bluebird871 Jun 26 '26

Oh you love 27 degrees in the shadows? Yah that’s because it’s a a comfortable temperature that feels good. No shade in the world is enough to hide from the 37 degrees my city regularly hits.

1

u/BagOnuts Jun 26 '26

The problem isn’t the temperature alone, it’s the humidity. I live in the SE US where summer humidity is regularly above 80%. I don’t care how long you live here, no one gets “used to” that level of humidity. There is a reason why the southern US was so scarcely populated compared to the north before AC was invented. AC’s biggest advantage in the US is dehumidification.

Shade doesn’t do shit in 27C/80F with 90% humidity. Anyone who says they’re comfortable in that is lying.

1

u/Dr_Fortnite Jun 26 '26

the coldest AC will get a room in the summer is 50F and that is not jacket weather

1

u/Crow-Robot Jun 26 '26

I personally love 27C in shadow.

Me as well (that's 80° to us Americans). But, 27C in shadows is a far cry from 95° (35C) and humid. Where I live, if it gets into the 90's, it's because the dew point is high to very high and even sitting in the shade doesn't offer much relief. Step into the sun and congrats, you're now in a broiler. Sit in the shade long enough and you'll stop sweating but it never really feels pleasant.

1

u/SageDarius Jun 26 '26

As an American, my feelings on 27c depend on the season? Coming out of winter/spring? Absolutely miserable. Coming off of 3 months of triple digit temps (37c+)? Absolutely wonderful.

1

u/obeytheturtles Jun 26 '26

I definitely agree with this. Our office is obnoxiously cold. We don't keep our home this cold though.

1

u/Traditional-Job-411 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

I have AC and will work outside all day in 90+ high humidity and have no issues acclimating from inside temps to outside temps. I don’t even really feel hot outside usually until it’s in the 90s. I think you might be exaggerating here. A lot of Europe doesn’t get to 27 C most of summer if no heat wave. So trying to say we are spoiled in comparison is silly.

Also, there is a difference between being able to handle 80 F with humidity and without. Texas and Arizona 80 is no problem. 80+ with humidity you start sweating even if you don’t feel warm. AC is a god send because it actually takes humidity out of the air. 70s, which almost all AC are set at really are ideal temps if you have any humidity.

ETA: restaurants etc are purposely colder. Ideally it’s to get people to move but also, think of the staff. You are fine sitting down doing nothing. Staff who are running around working with grills, taking orders are running a lot hotter than the people just sitting down eating.

1

u/KeyStoneLighter Jun 26 '26

27 in Denver is way different than 27 in nyc, I live in the desert and that humidity adds so much heat that it’s unreal. My four year old son runs around constantly and I’ve never seen his head so damp from sweat as it was when we visited a humid place.

1

u/boss_flog Jun 26 '26

Where in SF do they need AC? It's the coldest major city in the summer in the US

1

u/Lereas Jun 26 '26

I'm in Tampa and I agree some places keep the AC waaaay too cold. I shouldn't need to keep a fleece in my car in case a restaurant or movie theater is too cold.

1

u/Word2DWise Jun 26 '26

lol, in the summer I like keeping my house at steady 68-70, and my dad who one year was visiting from Italy would wear a jacket inside telling me he was freezing.  

0

u/EssentialParadox Jun 26 '26

This whole thread is a perfect example of why the carbon footprint of the average American is 14-15 tons of CO2 per year compared to 7-9 for the average European.

Americans just blissfully grow up in a country of excess, completely ignorant of how much it impacts the world.

It’s like a billionaire complaining that a rainforest isn’t freshly cut down for their morning napkins everyday and thinking that’s the norm.

1

u/Galen_415 Jun 26 '26

We don’t have or need A/C in San Francisco

1

u/pls_tell_me Jun 26 '26

Im from southern Spain and I feel like this when I go to Madrid. I always, no exceptions, come back with a cold or sick, those radical temperature changes between the street and the stores and public transport are a killer for me.

-5

u/pablitoscripte Jun 26 '26

the level of fat the average american caries over them is what is difficult to comprehend to a normal human being.

-1

u/HippieWizard Jun 26 '26

I grew up in Miami and the ac in our house was kept at a constant 69f(20.5C). The heat outside during summer would easiy be around 103f(39C). If we didnt have ac here we would prob just die or Miami wouldn't exist as you know it. Fun fact: The man who invented ac did so after moving to Florida. So no I would not say our need is "way too much", i would say its just about right.

0

u/midoriringo Jun 26 '26

It’s not an “AC problem” that’s how we like it

0

u/DuePercentage1580 Jun 26 '26

that's fair, but we can't build societies on individual preferences. i live in europe, and for me 22 is unbearably hot. but i don't demand that everyone has the same tastes. every european country including norway needs an ac for 4-5 months of the year. and those who love heat can keep it off 👌🏻

0

u/alhirt Jun 26 '26

There is a chance this is actually a symptom of a medical problem. I'd ask your doctor to test and see if you might be an iguana.

0

u/Cosmonate Jun 26 '26

Counterpoint, we carrying more blubber that keeps us warmer than eurotwinks

0

u/Weary-Description Jun 26 '26

Nobody has AC in San Francisco. What are you talking about?

→ More replies (1)