Things are heating up. Is it time to cool off? Air conditioning in San Francisco.
Record temperatures in San Francisco
Three days ago the temperature soared to a whopping 92 degrees in San Francisco’s Financial District and this was no record high by any means. In fact, the hottest recorded day fell in the same month reaching 103 degrees on June 14, 2000, and more recently reaching 100 on September 6, 2022.
The general consensus is that most homes in San Francisco do not have AC. The majority of inhabitants have been able to rely on the cooling ocean breezes and afternoon fog to keep cool. Compared with other metropolitan areas, the adoption of cooling units for SF remains low but is on the rise. According to 2019 American Housing Survey Data we were surprised to see over 47% of San Francisco’s 1.7 million homes had air conditioning. With new construction and ongoing renovations, we expect that number to have risen.
| DATE | TEMPERATURE |
|---|---|
| June 14, 2000 | 103 degrees |
| July 17, 1988 | 103 degrees |
| October 5, 1987 | 102 degrees |
| September 14, 1971 | 101 degrees |
| May 30, 2001 | 101 degrees |
| June 14, 1961 | 101 degrees |
| September 16, 1913 | 101 degrees |
| September 8, 1904 | 101 degrees |
| October 4, 1987 | 100 degrees |
| September 8, 1984 | 100 degrees |
| October 4, 1987 | 100 degrees |
| September 8, 1984 | 100 degrees |
Rising temperatures may have you wondering what options you have to cool your home and whether the purchase will add value to your San Francisco home?
Get A Fan
This is by far the cheapest and easiest solution to hot days. Circulating air wicks moisture and cools the body.
Cost: Units start around $20 and you can upgrade to ceiling fans that run from $200 and up, not including installation.
Window Unit
These are designed to fit in your window, can be self-installed, and are best for apartments and single standard-sized rooms.
Cost: Falls between $300 to $1,100
Portable Unit
A free-standing cooling unit that can be used to cool a specific area in a home. They can easily be taken with you when selling your home and are a good option if you can not install a window unit. Portable units will need to vent hot air outside and tend to use more electricity than other options.
Cost: They typically run between $200 and $500.
Wall-mounted / Ductless Mini-Split
These are more expensive than the window units and need to be installed by a professional, but are unobtrusive, do not block a window, are quiet, energy-efficient, and can provide heating in winter.
Cost: The equipment will cost anywhere from $3000-$5000 with installation costs.
Central AC
If you are looking to cool the whole house, this is going to be the best option. Virtually invisible inside the home, is energy efficient, and adds value to your home investment. On the downside, there is a much larger upfront cost, needs to be installed by a professional, and requires maintenance.
Cost: Depends on the size of the home but falls into the $7,000 – $12,310 range.
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