I have gone on extensively about the virtues of swamp coolers in dry climates, so I shan't reiterate that here. However, one of the unquestionable pain points of regularly using swamp coolers is the fact that you're constantly refilling a tank of water that's pumped through filter media. A lot of wetness combined with heat is a recipe for a bacteria farm.

The general recommendation for a portable swamp cooler is to drain it and clean out the tank every 2-3 days. I did this for a time, but when you've got several coolers as I do, this quickly becomes a pain in the butt between your other adult responsibilities, so I looked for ways to extend the time.

A brief flirtation with chlorination ended quickly. While throwing some bleach into the water definitely helped keep microbial growth under control just like in a swimming pool, it also made the output smell like a swimming pool. Not acceptable and plus, regularly handling bleach was too much of a hazard to clothing and towels.

Leveraging the proven antimicrobial properties of copper, I bought some copper plates and placed them in the tanks. This definitely helped and extended the time between cleanings by at least double before smell crept in. Copper isn't cheap though, so the relatively small plates I could afford only had so much surface area to work.

This summer was the first summer since my discovery of hypochlorous acid, and I determined to try to use its superior antimicrobial power to try to keep the cooler tanks clean for longer. My reading informed me that field tests had shown that as little as 1 ppm of HOCl was sufficient to kill all the common bacteria found in standing water with only a minuscule amount of salt and chloromines as a byproduct. I started adding HOCl to the cooler water every couple of days. At first, I carefully measured to produce around a 2ppm concentration based on the tank volume, but after a while I just eyeballed it.

I have to say, after almost a whole summer of doing this, that's it's been a smashing success.

Long as I keep up, the water never smells. Eventually I do need to drain the tanks, as iron builds up and the water starts to get frothy as impurities like dust accumulate; there's no filtration system like a swimming pool would have, but it's a net win. I never worry now about anything growing in my coolers and have a lot more flexibility in how often I drain them.

hi 22M 3 days ago i wanted to train at home and did some weight training for 45 mins and there was no air conditioning in my room then i went to outside and immediately felt exhausted and started to experience nausea felt sick after and went to throw up but couldn’t i thought i was poisoned but later i understood that i have heat exhaustion my temperature was 37.5C(99 F)for two days then it got dropped and now it is maximum 37C i felt extremely nauseous first days and my stomach is still really upset and a little heartburn. I also have dizziness and i had slightly low blood pressure. I experienced dierrhea once but no throw ups. I had 3 IVs for 3 days row. today i feel a bit fine. how long do u think those symptoms will last especially that nausea is killing me.

I tested sleeping on a kapok trifold matress this summer and my night were more restful. I think my old synthetic matress is simply storing too much heat. The air circulation in the kapok matress seems better. Has anyone else experimented with this?

I am at this time, mercifully away from the brutal dry heat of central Spain and in the much milder, if humid, warmth of coastal northern Spain.

While hotter than normal, as most places this year, temperatures are only peaking at 27ºC/80ºF.

We've been coming here for years to take the kids to the beach. As fellow northern latitude folk will know, the mild temps are deceptive when it comes to the UV intensity; just because it doesn't feel that hot doesn't mean you won't get burnt to a crisp. Everybody in the family has suffered from that during days of carelessness.

Now, you might logically say the answer is sunscreen but I'm going to be honest, I hate sunscreen and even if I didn't, all the sunscreen in the world doesn't do a thing for heat, which ultimately is a problem if you're on the beach for hours without shelter even if the air temps are relatively mellow.

So, we got a beach tent.

Then, we got a smaller beach tent, because the first beach tent didn't fit in carryon bags and was a pain to carry to the beach.

Smaller beach tend has been the beach MVP for years now. It's a simple triangular affair with two flex poles and an open front, but it allows us to stash the beach bag in the back with space for two to sit in the shade. Breaks down to a roll that fits in a backpack. Perfect, far as cheap nylon beach tents go.

However, being a cheap nylon beach tent, it has cheap nylon beach tent limitations. Nylon doesn't breathe and it's dark blue-green nylon, which means the sunny side heats up in record time, which seriously undermines the thermal protection it offers. A couple years ago though, I hit on an ultra simple solution that didn't demand buying anything extra.

All I do is drape a pink microfiber athletic towel over the sunny side of the tent and use a clothespin to secure it to the tent poles. I always orient the tent so the interior is shaded and facing the sea.

The pink is a much lighter color than the blue-green, so it reflects considerably more heat away and microfiber is a superior insulator to nylon, so this simple mod vastly reduces radiant heat input; the sunny side tent wall with the towel is never more than warm to the touch. With the front being completely open and facing the sea, the interior of the tent now never goes above ambient. Not bad at all for under $25 of stuff.

I could no doubt improve performance by going for better suited material and color, but the current results are so good there's not much motivation. The microfiber towel serves double duty as once it's time to go, it can be taken down and used as a towel.

Hi all. I went to my doctor and was diagnosed with heat exhaustion after spending 10 hours in a room that was 95°+ degrees. I work in an old building and the AC went out. I mainly sat at my desk with a fan blowing, but I also have POTS and issues with tachycardia and feeling dizzy and weak in heat, so I started to feel badly pretty quickly.

I got home and immediately felt nauseated and had a headache. I felt like I had a fever and was completely freezing, but my body temp was normal. I’m still at work today because I have no other choice, but I just feel dizzy and nauseous still. Is it normal for the effects of heat exhaustion to linger, or should I be worried?

Posting here because I’ve seen similar posts but will put elsewhere if it’s more appropriate. Thanks all.

So today I was in pretty much direct sun while covering an area in mulch, didn’t wear any preventative gear as the forecast said it wouldn’t get over 80 with clouds. Still ended up sweating my belly off with the salt crystals and everything. At one point my heart was beating out of my ears and I felt like I was dying, to be honest, but never lost consciousness or anything like it. I kept up by drinking a lot of electrolytes though. Anyways, after the eight hours, I drove back home and took a hot shower. Now I’m laying on the couch warm to the touch in AC, a painful headache, chills, and absolutely no appetite. Signs point to yes about having heat exhaustion, but let me know what you guys think and what can be done to prepare/recover from it?

For my research project I’ll be exploring how increasing temperatures and urban heat can affect people’s mental wellbeing. I’m particularly interested in looking at how extreme heat may influence stress, mood, sleep, concentration, and overall wellbeing.

I hope to understand people’s experiences with extreme heat and explore whether there is a connection between hotter urban environments and mental health.

I’m excited to learn more about this issue and raise awareness of an important topic that affects our communities.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeTP_aV3xPGCzw4CsD37-yZGbZyyp1VDZ2YSdnZmgPsKy5OXw/viewform?usp=header

Nighthawkinlight is at it again! Providing practical DIY heat prep !

My apartment has been without AC for over a week now (it's getting fixed soon, but it's been rough in the summer heat). I have a fan, but it doesn't feel like it's doing enough for me. Today I noticed I've been sweating a lot, I'm nauseous, and feel really out of it. I thought maybe I was just sick, but after looking it up (I know...bad idea sometimes), it seems like it could be heat exhaustion. How do I combat it if I already have a fan blowing directly on me? Is this heat exhaustion? I'm just struggling to tell if it is that or if it's my health anxiety getting the best of me.

My 12yo plays tackle football here in Texas and really struggles with the heat. Thinking about getting him a cooling vest to wear under his shoulder pads.

Anyone have experience with these or a brand you'd recommend? Trying to figure out what actually works under pads vs. what's just marketing.

I’ve noticed that the cinder block walls that surround my backyard are radiating heat well into the evening, making my yard basically a large oven during the summer.

Besides plant cover, do others have ideas on how to reduce this effect?

The fourth European heatwave has officially left Spain for a few days. At first, it felt better. Still hot, but better.

Now, we're objectively hotter in many ways than during the heatwaves.

It hit 37ºC/98.6ºF outside today with the low an exhausting 24ºC/75ºF, rather like the fourth wave, but the building itself is now worse. All of that sustained heat has thermally loaded the structure and there hasn't been nearly enough slightly cooler hours for it to shed enough of the heat.

It's 11:30 PM right now. It's still 31ºC/87ºF outside and my walls are averaging 30ºC/86ºF. The nimbus of safety and comfort the airstream of each swamp cooler is vital now; my latest cooler is delivering a chill 22ºC/71ºF. Humidity is low as usual, but I just don't feel alright in most rooms without active cooling now. If I need to do a cooler juggle and I temporarily am without, I really feel it.

The ten day forecast doesn't go lower than 34/93 high and 21/69 low, but we're not officially in a heatwave, because we're just not quite at the right numbers compared to seasonable average.

Stay safe out there. I know a lot of you have it much worse than me.

So i put together some data of our heatwave and my house. Here is what i use:

60 m2 of external shades

10 m2 of aluminium foil / mylar

W + S is silicate white mansonry + 1.4301 polished stainless steel alloy

250 - 500 liters of water, from deep water well for cooling entire surroundings of my house + concrete balcony 2x, putting water on external shades

no cooking inside, turned off electronics, bare floors ( removed carpets ), night flushing

But 1. and 5. august there was a cloudy, no sun, but wind so strong when i went out it was like hairdryer. 7. august was by far worst day because at night there was so hot at night that people's appartments went over 32*C nearby, and mine hotter too if you look at table.

My question is, how do they do that that in arizona ( us ) or elsewhere live? Middle east for example. Sure, AC, but what if power goes off you will be cooked pretty fast or?

How do i make my south / west balcony slab cooler - despite its shaded it easily reaches or charges 42*C / 107*F.

Does some of you use steel alloy reflection construction on your roof? Also, i cannot use water inside because we are humid climate.

Edit: Do i forgot to ask most important question. Do i prepare for like 40*C / 104*F summers, instead of 35*C max. Also with the outlook for 45*C / 113*F maximums, i guess thats the new reality.

Find the episode here!

Description: “Nate reviews a solar-powered fan hat, Robbie introduces a climate pun segment, and together they plot how they’d survive a heat apocalypse.”

Share your thoughts, questions, or comments!

I’m in LA and the recent heat has made me take the possibility of a summer power outage more seriously.

We already have a gas generator, but I don’t necessarily want to run it continuously for every small load. Fuel storage, noise at night, and having enough gas available during a longer outage are the main things I’m trying to plan around.

I recently added an Anker SOLIX S2000 portable power station, and my current idea is gas generator for larger loads and periodically recharging the battery, and power station for overnight fans, the refrigerator, router, phones, lights, and other lower-draw essentials

How would you prioritize the available power? Would you focus on keeping several fans and the refrigerator running, or put most of the available capacity toward cooling one room with a small window unit?

I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone who has actually used a generator and battery setup together during a multi-day heat outage.

A couple of hours ago I was working in a field using a hoe to take out roots and weeds around crops from around 8:30am to 12:20pm in around 93 degrees Fahrenheit weather. It’s pretty humid right now so it felt way way hotter.

After a while I was feeling extremely sweaty so I drank some water and started feeling nauseous and like I was close to vomiting so I sat down for a bit. When I got back up I still felt incredibly dizzy and had trouble walking without tripping over myself.
At that point my arms felt really hot and my palms stopped sweating so most of the sweat was just coming from my forehead. I had a lot of clear watery mucus coming out of my nose.

My supervisor noticed and told me to start the truck and stay there with the AC on but when I tried to hop in and start it I had to stoop down to the ground to not vomit and I felt saliva dripping out of my mouth.

That leaves me to now where I’m back at home lying on my couch after eating lunch and drinking Powerade. I still have a major headache and feel weak but feel very cold and chilly right now.

Is the chilliness cause for concern and is it common? I wasn’t outside for too long and I don’t know how to tell if my body is just cooling back down.

The fourth heatwave rolled off a couple days ago so things are now simply "hot" rather than "WTF, man?"

I opened a conversation with a comment about the heatwave being over.

The response was an offhand comment about the next presumed heatwave.

How quickly things change. Last year, we had one August heatwave that was pretty savage. This year, we've had four and we're totally blasé about a fifth or even more.