Having an older home made it difficult to figure out air conditioning. When my husband I bought the house, it was already equipped with a boiler heating system. There were radiators in every room, which worked fairly well. Despite the high ceilings and many, big windows, we were able to achieve a comfortable winter temperature. The boiler is wonderfully quiet, clean and energy efficient. However, it doesn’t provide any means of cooling. With the size of the house and the intense heat and humidity of the summer seasons, box fans weren’t sufficient. Although we managed to cool our bedroom with a portable unit, we really hated the look of it. Our home is located in the historic district, and it is important to us to maintain the integrity of the design and appearance. We don’t have enough space within the walls to install the ductwork necessary for a traditional central cooling system. We were also worried about damaging the original plaster, floors and woodwork. We consulted with a local HVAC contractor, hoping for a solution to our cooling requirements. The HVAC contractor recommended that we install high velocity air conditioning. High velocity air conditioning utilizes a much slimmer and more flexible ductwork that inserts into the walls without needing renovation. The system pushes a great deal of air at very high speed which cools the home rapidly and maintains a very even temperature. Plus the vents are a much smaller diameter and are available in a variety of styles. We are able to have a nice, cool house no matter hot and humid the outside weather.