No, actually, I live in Central Mexico up in the mountains (5200 feet) and it is pretty much high desert as far as climate goes.

June-July-August is the rainy season. September through May we might have a total of 10 days with rain. As I write this the relative humidity is less than 20%.

I do understand very well about heat of fusion (80 calories per gram) and heat of vaporization (540 calories per gram) but you really opened my eyes by pointing out the energy costs of dehumidification. It was perfectly obvious once you pointed it out, but I had not given it a thought. An excellent post, as is your usual. Unless you're talking about global warming, but we won't go there tonight.

I feel sorry for the people installing my A/C. They came by the house, took a cursory glance, and decided it would be an easy installation, $150 flat rate. Then... when they got started they found out just how over-built this house is. The roof is 14" thick, concrete, steel and bricks (edgewise). The ONLY place they can put the evaporator is above the South-facing window-wall, which has glass 9 feet tall, going up to a 2.5 foot tall steel beam the encircles the entire house. They were just able to make the necessary hole through the wall (for the coolant pipes, water drain, and wiring) by drilling (hammering and chiseling, actually) at an upward 45 degree angle between the top of the steel beam and the bottom of the domed boveda ceiling. The poor guy had a four-man crew working their butts off in 90 degree heat for eight hours, and managed to almost get the first of the two units installed and operational. I think if he hadn't already unboxed the compressors and dragged them up to the roof he would have backed out of the whole deal. Since this project is coming in about $1500 under (!) my projected budget, I can afford to be generous and I'll give him an extra $100 as a "hardship bonus". He'll be back on Wednesday to [hopefully] finish the job.

tanstaafl.