Living in the northeastern part of the country, central a/c isn’t entirely necessary.
My buddy and I rely on the boiler for two-fourths of the year, our summers are short & often overcast, cold & wet.
However, we occasionally experience brutal heat & humidity. The cabin becomes horribly warm, sticky & uncomfortable. It’s impossible to be productive while in the afternoon, relax in the evening or sleep at night. The hot, moist conditions are ideal for bacteria, viruses, mold, mildew, dust mites & more than 2 bugs. Opening the windows doesn’t help much. There is undoubtedly little breeze. The screens simply allow fumes, pollen & exterior noise pollution inside. I’ve tried window a/cs however didn’t like them. They look ugly from the inside & the outside & eliminate the view from the window. On especially sizzling afternoons & nights, window a/cs struggle to handle the workload. I find it aggravating to install the units in the Spring, remove them in the fall & store them all winter. Investing into central a/c was a smart decision. I run the system a lot more than expected, often using only the fan to circulate & filter the air. The central a/c keeps the entire cabin perfectly cool & cleaner & healthier. I spent a bit extra for an Energy Star rated AC that offers a 26 SEER & features an stretchy-speed compressor. Because of this, the unit maintains a undoubtedly even temperature, makes undoubtedly little operational noise & is appealingly energy efficient. While my electric bills are entirely higher because of running the a/c, they aren’t inadequate.