Looks like we'll be topping 114 again today. My 2 thermometers show 116 but what's 2 degrees. It's crazy when you only get hot water out of the cold water lines. It does save on the hot water heater but good luck on a cold shower. I just checked Minneapolis weather which is 90 degrees, dew point of 72 and humidity of 55%. I guess that's worse than our dew point of 57 and humidity of 16% but not by much. Anything over 110 is HOT especially when overnight low is near 90!
L.A. is having a heat wave too, but the highest prediction is 110 in the San Fernando valley, which some people say has a very similar heat to Phoenix.
Geez, we went out to walk the girls at 9 pm last night and it was still stifling. I know we're near the end of the oppressive heat, but it does get old.
I still have nightmares of -30 before windchill...I'll never complain about the heat ! As I sit inside on the forums :joyous:
So the past three days I've been out working on my tan, there was a time when that was the case, but not of late. I was, however, out in the heat of mid-day rolling lawn bowls at the Bell Rec Center. It was a touch warm, and I didn't stay long, about 45 minutes. It just felt good to get back out there. You do learn to adjust to the heat, whether it be to stay inside or to limit your activities outside. Hell, I find it more challenging to go work out at our rec center fitness areas where members petitioned the RCSC to keep the workout areas in the 60's. That's just too damn cold so I bundle up while working out. And I must say it feels good to get my big old butt back into the gym. My wife swims and the pools too are difficult. When it reaches the mid 115's, there's no way to cool the water down to a comfortable level for a good swimmer. The walking pools are filled, so for those who love to hang out in the water, being a little warm clearly isn't as big a deal. We've been going later at night, but the nights have been hovering past 100 degrees so even then it's hot. I can't begin to imagine LA being that warm. Between the 30 million cars on the road and half of it being concrete and steel, it has to be horrible, especially for those working outdoors in it.
60 degrees in the rec centers? I'd have to wear sweats...that's too cold for me. Brrr I'll take the heat
Yeah, but when you see a nightly forecast low of 90, that is just plain hot! I'm glad my better half does not read this forum, she would be telling me once again that she does not want to "move to hell"! She keeps trying to convince me that Wyoming and/or South Dakota would be a better a better retirement place. Not that she doesn't like Sun City, she really does like it, but that oppressive summer heat has her concerned. I remind her of the nice weather the other 8 months of the year, but she loves the seasons. Of course she does, she is not the one that has to shovel that white stuff off the driveway or rake up 20 bags of leaves each fall. If the predictions for this coming winter come true it may change her mind, they are predicting a pretty nasty one with lots of snow! Personally, I'd rather have the heat than the cold and snow.
We tried to escape the heat by going to San Diego for the weekend. We had to come home because combined with the high humidity there, we were just as uncomfortable. Riverside was 117. We hit Yuma coming home yesterday and the temp said 122. We also failed to drink enough water in San Diego and got heat sick and sunburned. Not much fun.
We watched the Dodger games over the weekend (being a Reds fan, I don't want to talk about it) - and Vin Scully kept mentioning the heat. You know it's bad when Vin talks about the weather, he the last truly great baseball announcers that understands the point of the broadcast it the game and not what is going on in the stands.
Come on BW, man up here stick the shovel and rake in her hand and tell her to just get'er'done. That should cure anything that ails her Sun City vibe. BTW, don't mention my name, I don't want to be on her bad side.
Oh yes, Mr. Scully is still alive and kickin'. It will be a sad day when he is no longer around. I'm preparing the black arm bands now.
So, with all that heat I'm sure your electric bills are probably highest this time of year just like mine are here in the Midwest. But, my home is well insulated so it isn't so bad. I was wondering about SC and if DEVCO insulated well enough that homes there are energy efficient as originally built or if this is something that's typically upgraded. I know that way back when, when power was relatively cheap, insulation wasn't the big deal it is now.
Hey Henry, Someone who already lives there can probably supply a better answer, but in our search for a home the ones we have looked at have all had "energy efficient" up grades. New windows, doors, and added insulation (if there is an attic space).
The earlier homes weren't that well insulated. For instance we have added insulation in the attic/rafters at the museum and that was the first home built in Sun City. The first 5 years the homes were slump block and people tell me that works pretty good as an insulator. In 1965, following a masonry strike, they went with wood frame construction and while DEVCO understood the problems with trying to keep heat out, back in the 60's and 70's most homes weren't all that energy efficient to begin with. That was one of the deciding factors for us to stucco our home. By adding the inch of Styrofoam, the lathe and then two coats of stucco (sand finished) we increased the R value dramatically. They go right over the existing lap-board and bricks (yes we covered them) so in essence you double + the outside thickness of the house. The summer bills do get high, but like many, we have added the solar. The beauty of course comes from the soft usage fall and spring months when you can stockpile credits to cover the soaring summer bumps. And of course there's always the old standby that has been used by so many Sun City residents over the years; set the thermostat up and go to one of the centers, bowling alleys or libraries and hang out where they keep it way cool. Another one of the beauties of living in Sun City: with a thousand piece puzzle, you get to keep moving the pieces to make them fit perfectly for you.
Great points V; all of those items are a must have for energy efficiency. And if you are going to stucco, be sure and do all of them before you do so. Otherwise there's lot's of patching after the fact.
J & V, and Bill, I appreciate the comments...this is something we'll definitely keep in mind. So many of the photos of home listings have roof mounted ACs and I think I've read on an earlier post that has to do with where the ducts run, perhaps in slab construction? Solar is something I've thought about for years and in SC it seems like it would a particularly good idea with all that sunshine. Bill, is your setup with the utility "net metering"? I think that's when you have one meter and it can actually spin backwards....that I'd like to see and especially on a home I owned!
