The best are the split systems with the condenser that you sit outside. These are made in portable versions that are very similar to the ones that use an exhaust tube. Not always convenient to set up especially if you don't have a balcony.

The simple ones with an exhaust tube do work, but you have to keep the exhaust tube length as short as possible and fab up something like Economisto described if you don't want to cut a hole in a window or sliding door.

I have one in my workshop and as the only window I can use for exhaust is at ceiling height I had to add an extension on the tube, effectively doubling its length. Cold air blows from the unit but the exhaust tube heats up so much the room temp never decreases . A fan blowing over the unit at me keeps the sweat from dripping but I've been eyeing Ricardo now for a proper permanent split unit...

Do any Swiss people have air-conditioning or is it just foreigners who feel it's necessary here?

I'm just wondering...

We installed ceiling fans in the top floor of our house and they really help a lot. They have a summer mode and winter mode. The summer mode draws the hot air up.

We have screens on all the windows so at night we can sleep bug free with windows open. The lower levels of the house are not that hot. I open the windows first thing in the morning and that cools the house. I keep the shutters just slightly open. I sold all our fans (on the forum) as we just didn't need them. I have one thing left called an ice fan. It has two water tanks which you put in the freezer and then when the water is frozen you put the tanks in the machine and it cools a small room. There is no hose or anything.

Maybe I got used to the heat after living in Asia.

Of course some homes are a lot hotter than other but ours was really not uncomfortable today.

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I have seen some houses where the owners have installed air conditioning in a bedroom on the top floor. So yes, it does exist.

I survived three summers in Greece with neither a fan nor air conditioning. I followed Mr Vertigo's advice (retrospectively, obviously ), and also found that sitting with my feet in a bucket of cold water worked a treat.

If you have a hose pipe, you can also spray your balcony in the morning: it keeps the dust down, and helps to cool the concrete down a bit, too.

Keep the shutters and windows closed on the sunward side, open all the other windows, strip your bed every morning and take a cold shower when you get in.

You'll save a fortune in electricity bills!

No one in my family have A/C except in their cars...I was shocked last summer when I stayed with my more wealthier side of the family in a huge house in Wabern thinking for sure they had A/C...nope!...they used large fans and kept almost every window on the top floor open! If it got too hot I would just sit at the bookstore down the street and read and enjoy the A/C!

On a side note...I'm living in Texas right now and my A/C just broke! I have to wait till Thursday for someone to come and fix it...its about (89)F inside the house and (93) outside right now...I feel all you guys pain with no AC

Although it's quite warm in Basel right now, and I expect it to get hotter as it's only the end of June, I think I'm going to survive without aircon.

Firstly, as I'm at work during the day I keep my shutters and sun blind over the balcony down until I get home from work. Also, if I had aircon it'd make the contrast between inside and outside too great and I'd be sitting inside instead of now, where I have my laptop, a beer, and a small light on my balcony. Plus at the weekends I wouldn't want to pop out into town.

It's different in Asia where people seem to travel only to get to an office, restaurant or a shop. Which have aircon. Here, I like walking and cycling around, sitting outside cafes etc and just relaxing on my balcony. I believe aircon will make me too lazy to do any of those.

Open windows at 10pm, close at 8am, and keep shutters down. It will stay cool. Don't let the heat in otherwise it goes straight to your bedroom :-).

Dont whinge. You'll live, it's only a week or two. Max. AC is a bit OTT in this climate.

Manage it, keep it out of your bedroom - and go outside and soak it up!!!! After slip, slop, slap of couse....(is my age showing?)

Lisa

Doesn't that make your bed all wet?

well I woke this morning all groggy from the heat - put on the air con in the study, and bang, freezing air in 30 seconds. This is the best 450 I've ever spent.

Am I the only one who feels happy when its a decent 26C indoors ?

I learned to do as others have suggested as well... windows open all night, close windows in the morning (blinds too, especially if they're outside of your windows as it keeps the glass from heating up ). This method tends to keep the apartment at least livable all days.

Heading to the grocery today to look for things that require minimal (if any) heat to make edible so that the kitchen doesn't become too warm from cooking.


Meanwhile, maybe you'll be cheered by the notion that apparently it is supposed to be a few degrees cooler in Zürich than in Basel for the next week or so.

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The Joys of Opticianry

has anyone actually cut the hole in the window yet and had to have it replaced when moving? costs? Some Swiss tell me it is not too pricey to get a glass place to pop in a new window (whatever that means in Swiss categories )...I'm ok with 2 fans, closed shades all day etc etc but another reason to get the AC is to keep the windows closed all night and not have to deal with the noise outside and of course keep bugs away (live close to a swamp called a Naturschutzgebiet )

Bought a fan from interdiscount yesterday. They have 30% off all fans at the moment from my translation. Maybe climatiseurs too?

The fan made a huge difference though. I kept the window open on Saturday and a midge got in the room and terrorised me all night. Bloody thing buzzing in my ear and sucked all my blood out. I finally caught it in the morning and smacked it when it was sitting on the wall....only to leave my blood splattered on the wall

You'll have to repaint when you leave which will cost you 4k - expensive splat. brrr I'm freeeezing.

get one of these plug in thingies with the fluid container in it. I swear this thing works like a dream..whatever frickin' thing comes in to the room it goes straight down..lasts for like a month and i turn it on hour before hitting the bed and it switches off after like 8 hours...they sell it at Migros and comes in yellow box with pics of the bloody mosquitos etc...

yeah yeah...keep on rubbing it in

I can't handle this heat either! Add couple of powerful PCs, 2-3 large monitors.... top floor flat and it's like HELL! I have a fan running 24/7 but it makes me feel dry and gives me a low intensity headache.

If that was not enough then opening all windows at night to let in cool air in is turning out to be a huge problem because the *itch(female dog) downstairs is like a smoking chimney. She smokes 24/7 even though she coughs like a 500 year old lung cancer patient. Can't even talk to her as she is a serious nut job!

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We be friends long time so......

I have the same situation here, top floor flat, lots of electronics. Actually my PC prompted me to get the aircon, because it sounds sickly when the temperature rises and I cannot afford to lose it. Go get yourself an airconditioner - they really work, and you'll be at peace.

economisto sounds like a nice chap...befriend him and you two might just chill together at his place

I have a ground floor neighbour who likes to smoke early am and around 22-23 but does not sound as bad as your biatch