Because many landlords are cheapskates, they install air conditioning (AC) units that are too small to efficiently cool an apartment. After a $300 electric bill, many students just avoid their houses during the day and find refuge elsewhere in Davis.

Trying to keep cool this summer? Hit up these spots during the day and take advantage of their free air conditioning!

  • Anyone living in the dorms pays for the cost of electricity in their flat-rate rent, although only some buildings have AC. If they do, chances are the AC will be on. Befriend these people and live on their couch.
    • So, someone could get a $150 AC unit from Home Depot, and plug it in... It might not go unnoticed, however.

They don't meter individual rooms in the dorms.

  • Hang out at Borders while you read books you're too cheap or poor to pay for.
  • Most campus buildings have AC, see if you can score yourself a job, or take summer session classes.
    • And nearly every public building in Davis has air conditioning.
    • If you go to MSB, bring a jacket. Yes it's that cold.
    • The best air conditioning I have found in Davis (aside from the classrooms on campus) is at Cost Plus World Market - ShaunaMcKellar
  • Cheap A/C: Many 1970's era houses in Davis have swamp coolers instead of air conditioners. These work by spraying pads (usually cedar) with water and then blowing air over them. The water evaporates, taking the heat with it. This is much cheaper than air conditioning, because the only noticeable energy consumption is by the turbine fan, which is not much.
    • However, swamp coolers don't work well (or at all) when it's humid out. Luckily, Davis never gets very humid.
  • Considering that virtually every restaurant/business/public buildings has AC isn't this page a little useless? - jh
    • The useless pages tend to amuse. That's useful. [/infiniteregression]
      • Yeah, but not all of them are fun to hang out in all day. - ArlenAbraham
        • The useless pages or the restaurant/business/public buildings?
          • I recall this past summer when it was very hot trying very hard to find places I could just "chill" instead of being outside. I think one person's useless page is another's godsend.
            • No no, those are the useless pages, this one is the useful, just reverse your thinking JH and you will be fine. ~DP
  • In my opinion, the downtown Pete's has the most frigid air conditioning in town. Unfortunately, it's not free to hang out there or even to use their wireless (lame). ~Jillerbean
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