But while many of those expenses can be anticipated at least a few years in advance, it's often difficult to know exactly when a central air conditioning system will need to be replaced — or how much that replacement will cost.

If you only need cooling for a few hot nights a year, portable air conditioning is usually the cheaper option overall. Even if it costs more to run per hour than an efficient fixed system, the lower purchase price means it can take a long time for a fitted unit to make financial sense.

Chauncey grew up on a farm in rural northern California. At 18 he ran away and saw the world with a backpack and a credit card, discovering that the true value of any point or mile is the experience it facilitates. He remains most at home on a tracto..

Nearly every state in the country does not have universal air conditioning in their prisons, a USA TODAY analysis found, illustrating a deadly problem for inmates and staff as climate change threatens to worsen conditions inside facilities. USA TODAY ...