Indoor Heating in FL Accommadations
 

Although it may sound like an oxymoron to many, the fact nonetheless is that even the warmest areas of FL _sometimes_ get cool enough to require heat and there are many parts of the state in which heat can be necessary during much of the winter.

I am interested in hearing of people's experiences with the heat in various FL hotels and condos, especially what _type_ of heating system there was and whether there was any humidification system. I have allergies and am extremely sensitive to overly dry air and forced-air heating.

I am interested in most of the beach areas, north as well as south, east as well as west.

Thanks.

Just want to add that I require an indoor temp. of around 74 degrees farenheit and 35-40% relative humidity to be comfortable.

Also, when it is warm _outside_ and there is a good breeze, I actually prefer enduring an indoor temp. even as high as close to 80 with open windows over using A/C.

Most people in Florida have the standard central heating and air. If you're talking about brands, it varies considerably. Most of Florida only gets cold during December and January.
We are still in the 70's right now. We will have a fluke day or two where the weather will get downright chilly, and our lows can sometimes be cold (in the 30's--but again, that's usually in Dec/Jan). We did have 20's for highs a few years ago, but those were record-breaking temps and are quite rare. Again, we're in the 70's right now.
One thing to consider is the humidity.
Florida is VERY humid for several months during the year. There is little humidity in the winter months, but you will be very exposed it in the late spring and summer months. A good AC unit is a must.
I think, all in all, you will love living in Florida. We've lived here 8 years now, and, because it is a major vacation destination, people will still ask me if I ever feel as though I'm living on vacation. My reply to them is that I still feel that way every day. Also, talk to your doctor--he may have some ideas for you.

All hotels I've ever been in no matter where they are located have forced hot air heating unless they are old grande dames and perhaps have radiators--and now that I think of it, we have actually stayed in one in the Berkshires--an 18th century hotel! With A/C and it's accompanying duct system a must for much of the year, that is what you are going to find. Most have individual controls for the room and many lower tier hotels or motels have "through the wall" A/C.

Dehumidifying the air is more of an issue than humidifying it in FL. I doubt seriously that you'll find hotels with humidifiers attached to their systems. You can get little portable units, such as you would use with children with respiratory problems, pretty inexpensively if that's an issue and it should solve your problem. From Tampa on down, you won't have long stretches of heat use which is what dries the air so. It's more like a day or two here or there. We did without our A/C from about November through April...but even in the dead of summer, my A/C is set at about 80 (at night) to 85 in the day...anything less and I'm cold. You can control that pretty well with individual controls in each room.

Any place where you'd have a balcony you can certainly control your temps and humidity by opening the slider. The majority of hotels are built with fixed windows...

I've spent a lot of time in hotels, living in them for 12 years, :) 8 of them in Florida, but have virtually no knowledge of condo construction. I would think it would be much the same however.

OO is right about high humidity being an issue. Dry air is not.

We owned a condo in Naples for five years and never turned on the heat between January and March, though the air conditioning sometimes came on because we had a Humidistat, a device that turns on the air conditioning when the humidity rises high enough to support the dreaded Florida Black Mold. We had to leave the Humidistat and our air conditioning on for the 8 months we spent up north, a not inconsiderable expense.

Local lore in Florida is that south of the Peace River you will have little or no need for heat. This isn't entirely true, but I can tell you that they have frosts north of Fort Myers and up the central spine of the state -- Ocala, Orlando, etc -- and good heat is necessary in these parts, and it is much more likely to be forced air than radiant, the other good option.

People in the deep south and Florida buy their HVAC units for their ability to cool not heat. You'd have to look very very hard to find a home that doesn't have heat.

I don't think we turned on our heat once last winter here in Naples, but this year I have turned it on several mornings in a row about a month ago when we had a "cool snap". We're having another one now (dipped to the mid 40's at night but back into the 70's and probably 80 by today) but I didn't turn on any heat. It's been years since we've had a frost at our place.

Our air conditioning system has "heat strips" which is usual in Florida. They are not a furnace but rather very expensive to run strips in the unit that heat up -- think oven coils -- and cost a small fortune to run. No there is no humidity added, but rare is anyone who needs more humidity ever that you get naturally in Florida!

I have allergies and hate the dry heat from putting the heater on, but I, like most people in Florida have central air and heat. Had to use the heat a couple of early mornings this week. I usually don't put it on unless I really have to and try to get away with not all night if I can help it.
As OO said most hotels and condo's have forced air heating and cooling, no humidifiers.
Which part of Florida are you going to? Chances are in north Florida and even in Central Florida you will need heat.

We are in Central Florida and the past 2 months we have gone back and forth from heat to A/C. It is very confusing but the weather around the country has been weird too.

Thank you to all who replied, I really appreciate it.

A few more questions:

1. Can one expect to keep their room temp. from falling below 74 degs. or so in most hotel rooms?

I was in Miami Beach between early Feb. and early March several years ago and there were a few days when it got at as low as around 47 deg. or so. I recall that despite setting the thermostat in my room as high as I could, it never felt as if it got above around 68 or so.

2. On a completely different note, I'm curious as to what is the minimum temp. at which people sunbathe and/or swim. (Excluding in a wet suit and excluding the few and far-in-between hearty souls who will brave really cold temps such as Polar Bear club types)

Now some info. which might be helpful to others who sensitive to the drying effect of indoor heating and/or suffer from allergies:

1. The "wet towel" solution:
Soak a towel then wring it out well and hang it to dry, preferably as close to a source of heat as possible. As the towel dries, the water will disperse into air and humidify the room somewhat.


2. Hot compresses.
Come to think of it, since indoor heat can cause and certainly aggravate sinus problems, I might as well as mention that placing a _hot_, wet cloth (a washcloth is good) over the forehead and eye area can help alleviate sinus pain and pressure. I saw a specially designed compress which can be heated in a microwave. (try allergyasthmatech.com or a similar source).

3. Vent/Duct Filters:
Another idea I thought of for allergy sufferers such as myself would be to bring cut-to-size filter-sheets which can be placed over the vents/ducts along when travelling. These are obviously extremely lightweight and hardly take-up any space. They should also be available from allergy product sources such as the aforementioned Allergy Asthma Tech.


4. Verify that pets are not allowed before making a reservation!

And of course,
5. Inquire about the smoking policy. Remember that smoke travels pretty far and wide; booking a "non-smoking" room, in and of itself, is far from a guarantee that smoke will not waft into the room from other areas.

Sorry to say the bottom line is that some hotels will have good heating and some will not. It is impossible to say generally that any hotel will or will not keep the temperature up to a certain level.

As to how cold can it be when the fools go into the water? Some will be there no matter how cold it is.