U.S. Navy Bans Portable AC Units At San Diego Barracks Over Electrical Safety

The U.S. Navy has banned sailors living in a barracks at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego from using portable air conditioners because the building’s old electrical system cannot handle the extra power.

The ban applies to Building 635. Sailors received a memo on Aug. 31 telling them to remove their portable AC units within one week. The rooms were also due to be inspected on Tuesday to make sure the units had been removed.

The ban comes as temperatures in Southern California remain high. San Diego reached 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

One sailor living in the barracks told KPBS that the room is unbearable during the day and too hot to sleep in at night. The sailor said the ceiling and stand-up fans only move the hot air around. They also said they sometimes sweat through their sheets while sleeping.

Brian O’Rourke, a Navy Region Southwest spokesperson, said portable AC units are not allowed because they often trip circuit breakers and create a safety hazard.

The sailor lives in the barracks while serving on a San Diego-based submarine. KPBS did not name the sailor because they feared retaliation.

Why The Navy Banned The AC Units?

Building 635 does not have air conditioning, according to a San Diego Navy spokesperson cited by KPBS.

The building is old, and its electrical system cannot handle the power needed by portable AC units, the Navy said. Using the units can trip the circuit breakers and create a safety risk.

The Navy said sailors living in the building have ceiling fans and at least one stand-up fan.

The AC ban is not related to military security. It is linked to the building’s electrical system and the risk created when the units are used.

The Aug. 31 memo gave sailors one week to remove their AC units. Inspections were then planned to check that they were gone.

Navy Plans To Upgrade Barracks

The Point Loma barracks are due for upgrades, O’Rourke said.

In May, the Navy completed an environmental assessment that includes renovation work for the Point Loma Barracks. The Navy has not said when construction will start.

It is also not clear whether the work will include an upgrade to the electrical system in Building 635.

Congress approved $1 billion for upgrades to Unaccompanied Housing across the military under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed in the summer of 2025.

The Navy has already committed to upgrading the Point Loma Barracks. However, it has not said how much of the work will involve Building 635.

Until the upgrades begin, sailors living in the building will have to rely on the fans provided in their rooms while portable AC units remain banned.

References: kpbs, slashgear