San Diego Navy officials are defending their decision to begin enforcing a ban of personal air conditioners in base barracks Tuesday as temperatures in the region soared.
Barracks building 635 at Naval Base Point Loma doesn't have air conditioning, a San Diego Navy spokesperson told KPBS.
The building is old — its electric infrastructure can't handle the power demands of the units, said Brian O'Rourke, a Navy Region Southwest spokesperson.
"Naval Base Point Loma leadership advised sailors and tenant commands on the base that personal portable AC units are prohibited in (Unaccompanied Housing) as they frequently trip circuit breakers and create a safety hazard," O'Rourke said in an email.
San Diego's high temperature Tuesday was 93 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The rooms have ceiling fans and at least one stand-up fan, O'Rourke said.
One sailor living in the barracks told KPBS all the fans do is move hot air around.
The sailor, like all sailors living in Building 635, is assigned to a San Diego-based submarine. KPBS is not using their name because they fear retaliation.
The sailor said their barracks room is unbearable during the day and they can't sleep at night. When they do sleep, the sailor said, they sweat through their sheets.
Sailors in the barracks were given a memo Aug. 31 giving them one week to get rid of their air conditioners.
The memo said their rooms would be inspected Tuesday for the contraband coolers.
The barracks is due for upgrades, O'Rourke said.
President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill passed in the summer of 2025 gave the Pentagon $1 billion to upgrade Unaccompanied Housing across the military.
In May, the Navy completed an environmental assessment that includes renovation for the Point Loma Barracks. The Navy didn't say when construction may begin.
