moving from the northeast

Discussion in 'Sun City General Discussions' started by new2town, Jun 17, 2018.

  1. new2town

    new2town New Member

    Hi Everyone, We're planning on moving to Sun City from the northeast and I have a couple questions I hope you can help me with. First roaches give me the hebbie jebbies and I was wondering are they a problem there. if so what can be done besides keeping your place clean.
    Second I have no experience with swamp coolers, should I stay away from places that have one in favor of Central Air?
     
    Cynthia and CMartinez like this.
  2. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    Different uses. I have a swamp cooler and air conditioner/ heat pump. They are used at different times of the year. You can do without a swamp cooler but you can't do without an air conditioner/ heat pump. Personally, I like having both. When it is just a bit warm, its nice to use the swamp cooler and leave windows open. But when it get hot, a swamp cooler will not work. Some don't like swamp coolers but I do.
     
    CMartinez likes this.
  3. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    Hey n2t, welcome to the forum and better yet congrats on the coming move to Sun City. You will be amazed just how good living the Sun City lifestyle is..

    There are some roaches here, so I buy the big spray bottle of bug killer and spray twice a year. Pretty much tales care tf the problem. Lots of people hire an exterminator to spray the property regularly, that’s a little more expensive but also more effective. Some of the older palm trees are like breeding grounds for them, so pay attention to what is growing in your yard.

    The second is a little more tricky. Swamp coolers work good until the humitty gets high, then they are worthless. We had one when we bought in 1999 and thought it was awesome. Once we realized June, July, August and September were just too humid we quickly got rid of it. We have ceiling fans in every room and leave them run 24/7.

    I suspect others may have differing opinions, so please jump on in.

    Again, welcome.
     
  4. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    BP, are you saying you don't have an AC, just fans? Can't be.
     
  5. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    We’d be in big trouble without AC. In fact we have three AC units, though we keep the two set at 82 degrees and the third is a mini-split unit we turn on when needed.

    You were posting while I typing and when I read your answer it brought a smile to me face. When we first moved here, we loved our swamp cooler. They are just loud and if you don’t crack a window they are even worse. We got rid of ours when we had a problem. Those spring and fall months the swamp cooler works, the nights are cool enough to crack windows.
     
    CMartinez likes this.
  6. CMartinez

    CMartinez Well-Known Member

    Hi there new2town, I hail originally from New Jersey, so I am familiar with your questions and hope to be able to answer them accordingly. First of all, back east they are literal roaches, usually associated with dirt and grime. We have roaches out here as well, except the are usually called Palmetto Bugs. Roaches on steroids, they are big, but are not associated with dirt or filth, rather as their names states, Palmetto and other palms grown in the area. We do also get these buggers in and around the sewer, as they crave water, and since the desert is pretty hard to find a lasting supply, they like to hang out in the sewer and water drain pipes. As Bill stated, spray for them two or three times a year, and you are good to go. And there are services you can hire that will come and spray on regular intervals to keep them at bay.

    While having a swamp cooler is nice to have, you will need air conditioning in the summers here. The swamp coolers do require regular maintenance as it is merely water running over a pad, with a fan blowing on the cooler water. Arizona has hard water, and the mineral build up causes the pads to become less effective over time. The pads are usually inexpensive to replace, and you can maintain them yourself as well. Also, as the summer gears up, the water is less cold and is actually quite warm, so the efficiency of the swamp cooler is lost due to the warm water running over the pads. This is when you need to have the AC.

    Now, having said all of that, you will love living in Arizona, and Sun City is the best place to live in the state. There is much less humidity in the summers, and yes, in comparison to the east coast, it is a dry heat. Taxes are cheaper than probably what you are used to paying, groceries and especially fruits and veggies are a steal compared to the east coast. The amenities here in Sun City are above and beyond anything else in the country, and we are a close drive to Mexico and Las Vegas if you are so inclined.

    Get on out here, it is a great place to live, can't wait to hear you are officially in the neighborhood. Living is good in Sun City, AZ!
     
  7. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    Mine is super quiet. I can barely hear that it's on. And you have to open one window or it doesn't work correctly...it builds up pressure. I also like the bit of added humidity it adds to the dry air. You do need to deal with slamming doors though :eek:
     
  8. new2town

    new2town New Member

    Hi Guys, Thank you all for your quick and helpful responses. I really appreciate it and I'm looking forward to enjoying the Sun City lifestyle.
    B.Pearson recommended spraying twice a year with bug spray any recommendations on what brand works well? Thanks!
     
  9. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    I've used the Ortho for years, but the last time we were at Lowes, the Black Flag was like $3 cheaper and they have a good reputation. Used it the last time and it worked well. Which reminds me, i'm coming up on 6 months. The biggest thing is to find the continuous spray bottle. For years you needed to pull the pump action back to get it to spray. The latest Black Flag was just point and shoot. Same thing on spraying for weeds. They grow through the rock when it rains (which it seldom does), but a quick shot from the weed killer works nicely.
     
  10. new2town

    new2town New Member

    Thanks BPearson I'll remember to get the continuous spray bottle.
     
  11. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    I've been meaning to respond to some of the things Carole said about swamp coolers. Why is it women seem to have a better grasp of details than us guys? Anyway, it triggered the memories of those old swamp cooler days. We needed a water line to our massive swamp cooler on the garage. They are little more than cooled water cycling through the big swirling fan inside the unit. C is right, best open a window so the cooler air being blown into the house has an escape valve. The unit itself wasn't noisy, but the escaping air rushing through the house sounded like a wind tunnel.

    When ours had issues, we toyed with getting it fixed, but most of the nights we would have used it (fall and spring) it was nicer to open doors and windows and let fresh air in. Even when the days heat up, the nights tend to cool down at those times of year. My wife got sick of the massive beast sitting on the garage and so she climbed up there and starting ripping it off. Surprising how quickly she freed it from the bolts holding it, and as we lowered it to the ground, she said let's just put it out front with a free sign on it.

    Before i finish the story, that is the single best method of getting rid of still useful stuff. Free is one of the single most important words in Sun City; especially if you have the word food behind it...but that's another story for another time. The box itself was a square that was probably 4 or 5 feet tall. The drum from the inside and holding pan for water wasn't much, but collectively it was pretty good size. It took 15 minutes. A neighbor came along and was delighted about the opportunity to grab it. I'll never forget the old guy pushing the monstrosity down the street on a flatbed of some sort.

    Only in Sun City eh?
     
  12. pegmih

    pegmih Well-Known Member

    My condo association had a contract with Amera Pest Control.
    For over 10 years, we paid $4.50 a month
    We have been informed the price would now be $15 a month.
    That's quite a big increase.
    Consequently a lot of us are cancelling.
    We can do it ourself!
     
  13. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    Good on you for dropping out peg. The cost of a bottle is about equal to the new monthly rate. Shameful to take that kind of an increase. I suspect he figures some of the older owners will just pay it.
     

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