Air conditioning in Costa Rica

It can be very wet during the time you mention and the areas you mention although Tamarindo and Coco will be drier with less humidity....but still just as hot. In Nosara, many restaurants and other tourist businesses close at this time of year, due to weather
If you are actually moving here, realize that it is not cheap to  live in the beach areas nor is it inexpensive or easy to find good, private schooling for your children. It is wise to obtain Residency and if you are under 55 you will have high healthcare premiums for the mandatory health system.
Locals who can afford it will use A/C as do many expats although if higher up rather at the beach it may feel OK to you. During the rainy season, you must watch out for lightening storms which can happened every day.
Repairs to a/c will depend on your locations

Hello Fergjoy,
The amount of rain is based on location.  We would rather fry like an egg at the beach instead of living in a world of moss and fungi up in the higher levels.  During the rainy season it usually only rains for a couple of hours each day, and then the sun comes out "thus giving you a free steam bath".  LOL  Electricity is very expensive here, so don't rent a big home with a cathedral ceiling "no matter how attractive the rental cost might be".  Some homes can cost about $500. per month to keep cool.  If you rent a bigger home, just use the AC at night in the bedrooms and your electricity costs will be greatly reduced.  You'll also find the grocery stores costing about the same as in North America, but the selection is very poor.  You won't believe what you'll pay for a large bottle of Cola down here, there is no 99 cent Cola like at Walmart.  The chicken is great here, but the beef is like rubber, unless you know how to cook it.  Final notes:  Stay in a gated community, and don't drive at night.  Always be aware of your surroundings, rent a car without a trunk, and don't ever leave anything in the car when unattended.  I personally try to pay someone to watch my car if I leave it anywhere.

We are at 2900 feet above sea level.  We have zero moss and fungi (excluding Edward).  We run two dehumidifiers when needed (highest cost for electricity has been $100 per month).  Don't listen to any "free" opinions, come here and experience it for yourselves.  EVERYONE has an opinion and yours is the only important one !
We drive at night, and have never paid someone to watch our vehicle.  We moved here from Canada and it is DEFINITELY less expensive to live here (not a whole lot) but it depends on how you want to live.  Cola is expensive but we pick limes off the many available trees and make our own beverage.  It is all in how you choose to live.

Thanks for all the info everyone! Lucky for us we don't really drink cola, and are just looking forward to fresh fruit and maybe some coconut water. Probably living off rice and beans in the beginning. We are hoping to survive without AC for the first month since it will cost extra and its not in our budget. I guess we just have to see how we deal with it once we get down there! Everyone is different, I suppose.

Someone mentioned private schools which is a concern of ours, but we've actually managed to find one that we like. Our son is just going into kindergarten, and my feeling is that at this age he's going to benefit from being in a bilingual environment and spending more time outside. We will be able to look into future options once we are down there.

I'll have more questions soon. I'm sure there will be a few opinions on running a business...

Thanks again!
J

As a 'tourist', your son will probably not be permitted to be enrolled in the public school system....and unless in a accredited facility, his education will not be valid in your 'home country' should you return.
You are no doubt a aware that it is not legal to physically work although you can work online?

Yes, thanks! We are aware of this and are planning on enrolling my son in a private school. We are not planning on working in the country but may eventually set up a corporation which is legal to do as a foreigner.

Yes, thanks! We are aware of this and are planning on enrolling my son in a private school. We are not planning on working in the country but may eventually set up a corporation which is legal to do as a foreigner.

You can open a business and hire workers, but there is no need to have a corporation, as there are yearly fees associated with them, although they have been presently 'suspended'.
Suggest you read up on Labor Laws
Meant to add that if you purchase some A/C units and have them installed by the company, they will maintain them, but not so if you purchase units from a hardware store and install them yourself

Good luck!

Thanks kohlerias. We'll have to speak with a lawyer about the type of business to set up when we get to that point. I'm able to find a good deal of information on the process of setting up a business, but any additional info/blogs/personal experiences about starting a business in Costa Rica, impartial advice and personal experiences would be appreciated!

Another question for you kohlerias, does it cost anything to have ac units maintained by a company,  or is it part of the cost of installation?
Thanks!

http://www.ticotimes.net/2015/05/25/cen … ity-prices

Just came across this article. Maybe there is hope for the cost of electricity.

This would be predetermined by the A/C company.
You may want to read this article and the one on Tico Times

ONLY A TRAVEL AGENT OR REALTOR WOULD TELL LIES ABOUT THE DANGERS THAT EXIST IN COSTA RICA.  The following two posts come from an Expat site and TripAdvisor.


Theft Warning!
by LisaValencia Written Mar 10, 2011
2.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

This is not a subject the travel agents or tour operators like to discuss, but I feel it is necessary. If you are traveling to a country where there is poverty, there is theft. This is not limited to any particular country, it can happen anywhere. Travelers who are informed and aware can make wiser choices.

I live on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Robberies have increased so we have formed citizens groups who work with the police and the public for prevention of crime and help for the victims. Private guards have been hired to patrol the beaches and the streets. Fortunately physical harm is rare, but often valued possessions left vulnerable are nabbed. There are things you can do to protect yourself:

RULES FOR DAY OUTINGS:

1. DO NOT CARRY ANYTHING YOU DO NOT IMMEDIATELY NEED!
I cannot emphasize this enough. When you are on an outing, whether it be the beach or a bike ride:
a. Take only the money you may need to spend - no more.
b. Do not carry your passport. It is legal and wise to carry a copy which shows your entry stamp.
c. Do not carry a backpack or purse, it attracts criminals as they imagine what valuables you might have inside. Use clothes with pockets and take a pocket sized camera.
d. When you go to the beach, take no more than a towel, water bottle, sunscreen and a book. I use a crappy looking beach bag to carry it all.
Do your picture taking on a different occasion and return the camera to your hotel before you go to swim.

2. Avoid isolated areas at night. I never walk the beach alone at night but I am comfortable going anywhere on the beach in the day time - because I do not bring valuables.

3. Don't leave anything of value in sight, in your unoccupied car. A rental car with a trunk is preferable.

4. Always lock doors, shutters, windows, do not leave anything vulnerable - even for a few minutes.

If you follow these simple rules when on an outing, you can forget about theft and just have fun.

Related to:  Singles   Family Travel   Beaches

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2. Re: Why not drive at night?
24 October 2009, 20:30
People don't drive at night because doing so can be rather challenging. Quite often, it is pitch-black, there are no markings on the road, no guardrails, and no signs directing you to your destination. Depending on where you go, there might be no road surface, no bridges, or wide open precipices to fall into.

Combine that with blinding on-coming traffic, the chance of encountering animals on the road, and trucks whose drivers consider you at the bottom of the food chain, and you are likely to have a lot of fun.

Driving here at night is alright if you are used to it. If not, it can be unnerving, slow, frustrating, and dangerous.

https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safe … Costa-Rica
Driving in Costa Rica - World Nomads

Nov 4, 2014 - Driving in Costa Rica under the best circumstances is a challenge, doing so at night is downright dangerous. Many roads don't have adequate  ...

http://thecostaricanews.com/costa-rica- … r-to-avoid

Sound to me like that you are considering opening an A/C service. 

People are trying very hard to avoid installing A/C due to the high cost of electricity,  and if in the building stage of construction, are now adding more insulation and paying extra attention to air flow plus adding an extra wide overhang to help keep the homes cooler during the early afternoon hours. The benefit here is that the nights are not so hot as in many areas of North America where A/C is only used for a few months a year....nor is it a concern in England    Humidifiers are  commonly used, and cost less to run.

More living is done outside than inside...

My wife and I have lived in Tamarindo for 2 years and have been visiting for about 6 years.  While "green season" (rainy season) lasts May to early November, the rain is periodic and rarely lasts all day.  It is more frequent in September-October, and only occasional during the other months of the season.  It is advisable to carry an umbrella during rainy season in case some rain clouds pass through, but it is dry more often than rainy.  However, the humidity is much higher during rainy season than dry season. The high temperatures are cooler during rainy season, but you feel hotter due to humidity.

We moved from Colorado, a very dry climate, so we are more comfortable during dry season than wet season - but we look forward to rain after several months without rain and enjoy the greenery during rainy season.  Even if you have A/C, it is advisable to have many fans in your house (ceiling fans, floor fans, etc).  Air movement is often enough to keep you cool without running the A/C. Also look for a residence that can receive breezes.  We rarely use A/C during dry season but find we use it more frequently during rainy season due to the humidity.

Electricity unit costs here are about 2.5 to 3 times what we paid in Colorado, so it is wise to use A/C only when needed.

Thank you very much for your response redbeard. That is exactly what I needed to know!

An Eco home is the only way to go, with SIP panel construction, with a plastic roof and insulation.  The home must be built with an air space under it also.  Our builder is a Canadian who uses this method.
http://casasenescazu.com/diary-of-home-2/

Thanks Edward. Very interesting blog! I'm hoping to learn more about eco-home building in Costa Rica. With so many different climates in Costa Rica, it is almost a perfect "laboratory" to experiment with ways to make homes more energy efficient and eco-friendly. I would imagine more people there are incorporating solar panels/solar hot-water heating in their homes. Is this something that you are seeing? Or is the focus on insulating more and eco-friendly building materials?

We have solar hot water with an electrical element for back up.  We are going into our second rainy season without turning the electricity on to it.  When we built the house we roughed in for two instant on propane hot water units in case the solar was unable to keep up and think I would install one of them before using the electricity.  Our last 100# propane tank lasted just over eight months.  We use propane for cooking and for the clothes dryer (when the clothesline does not cut it).  We do have one person in our community that has PV electricity powering three houses but he installed that before ICE's trial expired.  He is very happy with what he installed but it is a BIG $$$ initial outlay.

The standard concrete Tico style construction with metal roofs are nothing more than "pizza ovens".
Some builders claim to be eco home builders "but the walls still have cement in them", they don't use SIP (magnesium oxide panels).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgdcBOWPYZc

Thank you Terrynviv. Is solar hot water standard in new homes?
Edward - what do you mean by pizza ovens? They get really hot?

Edward tends to exaggerate...
If a house has a large overhang it makes a considerable difference to the temperature in the interior. We very seldom use the fans that are installed in our home and we usually have temps in the mid 90's, and just have the windows and doors open from getting up in the early hours until going to bed, every

Solar heating for hot water, is not standard in homes, yet.

Hello Fergjoy -  When the sun is beating down on a roof at high temperatures, the last thing you'd want to have is a metal roof.  The new plastic roofs (which look like clay tile) absorb the heat better, with an insulation blanket under them.  Rain on a metal roof sounds like you are living inside a drum, which makes the plastic roof much better as it absorbs the noise, with that insulation blanket.  Concrete and metal get hot in Costa Rica (at any altitude).  The noise of rain on a metal roof "during the rainy season" can drive you insane... LOL 

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Plastic+ … f+shingles

Edward tends to "tell the truth", and does not sugar coat anything.  Those expats who built homes in Costa Rica "with metal roofs and cement walls", do not want to hear about Edward's Mgo Sip panel Eco home.

I do, however, agree that the heavy rain pounding down on your roof is something no one wants to hear, however, if you have a 'ceiling' this helps to absorb the noise which helps when trying  to have a conversation, watching TV or making a phone call. 
On our currant home, we have a 'plastic roof' but have in the past had metal roof....but it doesn't eliminate the noise but does reduce it.

I also often agree with the points he makes, although not the way he makes them

The quality of the insulation under the plastic roof means everything.  There are types of insulation/foil insulation's which are more designed to deflect heat, and then there are thicker and more dense insulation's which do in fact greatly reduce the noise from rain.  If you have a standard ceiling, the blue hard spray foam is outstanding for stopping the noise from rain (and the heat).  If used on cathedral ceilings it's a bit of an eye sore and should be covered with Malina boards.  Due to the cost of electrical power in Costa Rica, it is not advisable to have cathedral ceilings if you'd like to cool the home on a lot less money.

Hola fergjoy;
Solar hot water is definitely not standard and there are numerous designs out there.  One must do their homework as there are options from evacuated tube systems with pump and electronic controls to the basic stand alone gravity fed units.  My neighbor has the former and he no longer has a vacuum due to earthquakes.  Prices also reflect the complexity of the unit.

The need for a.c. totally depends on where you live and how your design your home.
You don't need SIP panels though if you can afford them they are nice.

I have stayed for weeks at a time in many homes that are built with concrete and not one of them has been overly hot.

However my Tico friend says his concrete home is very hot. I can tell you why I think that is:
Tico homes tend to have few windows, no screens and no insulation above the ceiling and no ceiling fans, and zinc roofs with nothing on top so the zinc absorbs the heat.

If you live at the beach then the things I mentioned above are going to be more of an issue: ventilation, insulation,ceiling fans and something on top of the roof besides zinc/metal.

Now: a friend of mine built a home at 2800 feet and it is concrete. When I was there I was shocked that it was concrete because it was so cool! (This was on a VERY hot day - in the 90's!)

I said, "How is it that this house is so cool?"
He said it was the foam insulation above the ceiling.
But I also noted he had plenty of open windows and a ceiling fan. And where he lives there is always at least some breeze, much like where I'll be living, also in San Ramon.

I also lived at the beach for a year, at 2 different beaches. Neither house I lived in had a.c. but both had good ventilation. Most of the time I lived on the porch which is what most people tend to do in Costa Rica anyway. Also I am the type of person who gets used to the heat/humidity and after awhile it doesn't bother me that much.

I would say you should only need a.c. if you:
- live at the beach or at sea level (to me 2000 feet or more above sea level is the best way to live in Costa Rica!)
- don't have good cross ventilation from open windows or windows/doors with screens
- don't have insulation below the roof and something on top of the roof to cover up the metal
- are the type of person who can't stand a little heat (don't move to  Costa Rica then unless you plan to live above 4500 feet!)

Everyone will give you a different answer based on their personal experiences. You'll find basically two groups giving advice. Those that will tell you all the reasons not to move to CR and everything that isn't perfect here, (but they still live here) and those telling you it was the best thing they ever did, wish they would have done it sooner, love it, etc. etc.

We moved here 15 years ago, family with 3 young daughters.
Our girls all finished their schooling here, no drama, at least no more than USA/Canada
We have our own businesses here, doing fine.
We drive everywhere, coast to coast, border-border, at all hours of the day or night.
We do not leave valuables visible in a car, but then we never did living anywhere.
If there is a easy local guy watching cars, we tip him when we leave, more out of respect and courtesy
We have never been robbed, or had our house burglarized
We're as obviously "foreign" as they come, blond blue eyed family, and never fely targeted because if it
We have never lived in an "exclusive gringo gated community", and can't imagine why we would, we are Ticos now
We shop at ferias (farmers markets) for all fruits n vegies, and grow our own, 1/3 the cost of the big markets
We have lived all over CR, City, Beaches, Mountains, Farms

There are lots of good construction materials and techniques. The biggest thing that will affect your need for AC or lack of, will be the design of the house and altitude. # of Windows or breezways and placement to catch every possible breeze, and where in CR the home is located. I have been in concrete block / cathedral roof homes at only 1500 to 2000 ft and above, and because they were designed from the start for passive cooling with lots of large windows, never needed to turn on the AC. I have been at a block construction house in the mountains at 1600 ft for the last 10 days, never needed the A/C, as it was designed from the start to catch every breeze, shade trees, etc. I was at a friends house 600 ft lower, designed with SIP panel construction, and was so hot I had to go back up to my place for the rest of the day, and invited my friends up, they could NOT believe the difference in temp.

So IMO, has far more to do with passive cooling / modern open design and altitude than anything else. My other place in Escazu is also modern (10 year old Condo tower) block construction, been there 3 years, and never turned on A/C, and that is largely because its 3500 ft elevation and windows / balcony on 2 sides

Hope that helps

Excellent post!

I get tired of people who live in Costa Rica complaining about it all the time. If you don't like it, go back to where you came from.

It's one thing to have isolated complaints here and there; it's quite another when every post is negative, the dark side, the bad side. My god, if I posted about the bad side of living in the USA every day I'd have a book in a short time!

I totally agree with you re building. From what I have seen cement can be cool or it can be hot. Depends on how it's done. Insulation and ventilation: those are the 2 keys. The building materieal doesn't matter if it's put together right. One thing is that you CANNOT have poor insulation or loose construction (gaps on doors and walls where cool air can escape) if you are in an area that does require a.c. (like some beaches or near some beaches where there is not enough breeze).

Otherwise, ventilation and insulation will ensure your home is not a pizza oven. Pizza ovens are caused by a lack of V & I.

OceanViewCostaRica wrote:

Everyone will give you a different answer based on their personal experiences. You'll find basically two groups giving advice. Those that will tell you all the reasons not to move to CR and everything that isn't perfect here, (but they still live here) and those telling you it was the best thing they ever did, wish they would have done it sooner, love it, etc. etc.

We moved here 15 years ago, family with 3 young daughters.
Our girls all finished their schooling here, no drama, at least no more than USA/Canada
We have our own businesses here, doing fine.
We drive everywhere, coast to coast, border-border, at all hours of the day or night.
We do not leave valuables visible in a car, but then we never did living anywhere.
If there is a easy local guy watching cars, we tip him when we leave, more out of respect and courtesy
We have never been robbed, or had our house burglarized
We're as obviously "foreign" as they come, blond blue eyed family, and never fely targeted because if it
We have never lived in an "exclusive gringo gated community", and can't imagine why we would, we are Ticos now
We shop at ferias (farmers markets) for all fruits n vegies, and grow our own, 1/3 the cost of the big markets
We have lived all over CR, City, Beaches, Mountains, Farms

There are lots of good construction materials and techniques. The biggest thing that will affect your need for AC or lack of, will be the design of the house and altitude. # of Windows or breezways and placement to catch every possible breeze, and where in CR the home is located. I have been in concrete block / cathedral roof homes at only 1500 to 2000 ft and above, and because they were designed from the start for passive cooling with lots of large windows, never needed to turn on the AC. I have been at a block construction house in the mountains at 1600 ft for the last 10 days, never needed the A/C, as it was designed from the start to catch every breeze, shade trees, etc. I was at a friends house 600 ft lower, designed with SIP panel construction, and was so hot I had to go back up to my place for the rest of the day, and invited my friends up, they could NOT believe the difference in temp.

So IMO, has far more to do with passive cooling / modern open design and altitude than anything else. My other place in Escazu is also modern (10 year old Condo tower) block construction, been there 3 years, and never turned on A/C, and that is largely because its 3500 ft elevation and windows / balcony on 2 sides

Hope that helps

Does anyone know if propane or natural gas air conditioners are available in Costa Rica?  I think they are used mostly for central air conditioning systems, but I am not sure. The only electricity they use is for the fan.

Amazon sells large propane air conditioners, but I didn't see any small ones.

I used to have a full size refrigerator that used propane when I lived in a house without electricity in the states, and many small refrigerators in RV's run off of propane.

Build an Eco home and you won't need AC.

No, you won't find propane A/C's here nor will you find extra large tanks that are filled by someone driving a truck. Even getting a 100lb tank is difficult and you need to find the dealer and go to pick them up, whilst the small tanks are easily found even in small communities.

No natural gas here...

We have a distributor that delivers 100# propane tanks to your door step.  He is very reliable.  24,000 colones per tank.

Then you struck gold!!!