For a long time I just went without AC.
I did not want to do the ductwork installation that came with central air conditioning.
I just relied on ceiling fans and opened windows. Ceiling fans get dirty quickly and then pollute the indoor air quality. Around once a month I had to clean every blade on each fan. It was gross, annoying and time consuming. Opening windows was not any better. Dust, fumes and outdoor noises then would come into the home. Also, if the screens on the windows are not perfect, bees and other insects fly into the home. I finally decided that I needed to get a real cooling system. I looked around and found ductless mini splits. A ductless mini split can provide both heating and cooling in one system. The system is non-invasive. It simply requires a few holes drilled, refrigerant tubes and wiring fed through the walls to an outdoor air compressor. The wall mounted indoor air handler sits high on the wall and is a slim system. A homeowner hardly notices it and the system is quite modern looking. Despite being so small and narrow, the device gives whole home cooling. It is clean, silent and provides ideal climate control. I can have cooling without all the drawbacks that I am used to. I can even use it in the winter when it is time for quality heating. The maintenance associated with the system is significantly less than a traditional central HVAC unit as well. I only get it checked out about once a year.