Yesterday was soooo HOT in San Diego. Here in San Marcos (north county) my computer showed this at 4:30:
107 DEGREES - WOW
SDG&E actually did turn off my air conditioning in the afternoon. I realized it was getting warmer and muggier, even though the A/C was cranking away, and then I realized it wasn't putting out any more cold air.
On the 5:00 news they had a story about the heat, and said we set an "all-time power usage record" in San Diego and Monday was the hottest day of the year in San Diego County (actually it was an all time record breaker for the whole area including Los Angeles). I'm lucky I was off, I was able to stay inside with my A/C until it was shut off (only for a few hours).
I have a back-up system, which I'm going to bring with me when I'm full-timing, if I can fit it somewhere in the rig, and it doesn't use too much power. I'll have to check on that before I decide for sure. (I still have to learn about the energy stuff, solar, propane, batteries, deep charge batteries, deep cycle batteries - HELP! - but not yet. )
It's a portable swamp cooler. I just roll it wherever I want it, add lots of ice and water, plug it in and turn it on. The one I have now has lots of different settings, and a remote control, so I don't even have to get up to use it. It has a timer in case I want to use it for specific period of time then have it turn itself off.
This isn't the exact one I have, but very similar. Boy, do they make a difference!
When I was in Pollock Pines, we had a very hot summer and I didn't have air conditioning in my house. I was working at Chile Bar Slate Mine at the time. I worked in the office for the General Manager, but I was still considered a miner, had to wear jeans and steel toed boots, and had a full face respirator that I used occasionally when the slate dust wasn't under control.
I'll tell you, I'd get home from work, turn on the swamp cooler, throw all my clothes in the washer, jump in the shower, and when I'd finally sit down in the living room (which was upstairs in that house) it was already cooling down. I'd sit right in front of this little baby, and it was heaven.
I don't use it much here in San Diego, but I've brought it out a few times this summer. Sure was glad I had it yesterday.
From me and Katie, have a nice comfortable day, everyone! : )
