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Recently moved to Riverside, CA from the Bay Area - How to coupe with heat in apartment?

post #1 of 20
9/15/10 at 4:02pm
Thread Starter 

I recently moved to Riverside, CA to attend UC Riverside.  I was originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, with very different (much cooler) weather.  My apartment is on the second floor so the heat is a bit worse.  Outside temperature is about 90-95 degrees F in the afternoon.  Just wondering how people in hot weather areas coupe with the heat in their houses/apartments.  My apartment does have air conditioning (the through-wall type) in the living room but not the bedroom.  It's not ideal for me to turn on the air conditioner because my desk and audio system is also in the living room and the noise of the air conditioner interferes with the music.  Any ideas?  Are there super quiet portable air conditioners?  

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post #2 of 20
9/15/10 at 4:15pm

 

 

Your ears will soon adapt to the aircon,I have mine on all the time during the summer and do not notice it and that is with open phones.

 

That mind you is with a split system,if yours is wall mounted then I feel sorry for you as they are noisy.

 

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post #3 of 20
9/15/10 at 4:37pm

90-95 dont need ac for that ! be a man !

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post #4 of 20
9/15/10 at 10:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by momomo6789 View Post

90-95 dont need ac for that ! be a man !


x2 hahaha

 

4145YX7GQ9L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

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post #5 of 20
9/15/10 at 10:30pm

The water tastes terrible, huh?

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post #6 of 20
9/16/10 at 8:46pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by feh1325 View Post

The water tastes terrible, huh?


Yep.  I can't drink the water directly from the tap like I used to back in the Bay Area.  I got a Brita pitcher filter, and the filtered water isn't too bad.  

 

I got an evaporative cooler today (http://www.air-n-water.com/product/AF-330.html).  It's not doing much unless I sit directly in its airflow :-( 

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post #7 of 20
9/16/10 at 11:23pm
I didn't have AC in LA, so I ran fans a lot of time. They produce some background noise, but I got used to it.

The thing is that most modern fans are pretty awful. I started picking up vintage ones which are far better. Don't worry about the open cages too much unless you have children or cats around. The best fans were made by Emerson. The really old ones are hunted by collectors, but the postwar fans from 1946-1955 are incredibly well made and durable. You can usually find them on eBay for $40-$60.

Look for the 12" and 16" models with overlapping blades - these are most quiet. Maintenance is not bad, either. Emerson made it easy to change out the power and head cords. Just a few screws and you can put on new cords. They do need oil every few months, but that's easy and they don't throw oil. The single-bearing motors are incredible and never break down. I've seen Emersons left outside for years fire right up with new cords and some oil.

A couple other good brands are General Electric and Westinghouse. They're durable, but the motors and oscillators aren't in the same league as Emerson. An Emerson could easily passed on to your grandkids as long as you give it a sip of oil now and then and replace the cords every 10 or 15 years.

Now that I moved to Arizona this week, I'm running the fans more than ever. They're very cost-effective compared to AC. Leaving a fan on usually draws about the same as a 30W or 40W lightbulb. You'll hardly notice it on your electric bill.
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post #8 of 20
9/17/10 at 8:11am

Light clothing and drinking lots of fluid (water or such).

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post #9 of 20
9/17/10 at 2:45pm

Cold beer?

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post #10 of 20
9/18/10 at 9:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post

I didn't have AC in LA, so I ran fans a lot of time. They produce some background noise, but I got used to it.

The thing is that most modern fans are pretty awful. I started picking up vintage ones which are far better. Don't worry about the open cages too much unless you have children or cats around. The best fans were made by Emerson. The really old ones are hunted by collectors, but the postwar fans from 1946-1955 are incredibly well made and durable. You can usually find them on eBay for $40-$60.

Look for the 12" and 16" models with overlapping blades - these are most quiet. Maintenance is not bad, either. Emerson made it easy to change out the power and head cords. Just a few screws and you can put on new cords. They do need oil every few months, but that's easy and they don't throw oil. The single-bearing motors are incredible and never break down. I've seen Emersons left outside for years fire right up with new cords and some oil.

A couple other good brands are General Electric and Westinghouse. They're durable, but the motors and oscillators aren't in the same league as Emerson. An Emerson could easily passed on to your grandkids as long as you give it a sip of oil now and then and replace the cords every 10 or 15 years.

Now that I moved to Arizona this week, I'm running the fans more than ever. They're very cost-effective compared to AC. Leaving a fan on usually draws about the same as a 30W or 40W lightbulb. You'll hardly notice it on your electric bill.

 


Thanks for the information about the Emerson fans.  I didn't know those vintage fans can go as high $650 on eBay!  I'll see if I can a good one under $50. 
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwirugby View Post

Cold beer?


I don't drink alcohol.  But a cold soda or orange juice sounds good. 

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post #11 of 20
9/19/10 at 6:37am

You can try covering your windows, that keeps heat out in the first place.

Keep in mind, that when you cool the room, you have to cool all the objects in that room too.

That's why it's best to maintain a constant temp as much as possible.

Otherwise: Fans. I like the old ones because they're fixable, have oil ports and replaceable brushes.

Of the new fans, check out the Vornado brand. These sit on the floor and are directed diagonally acroos the room.

These're really great when you need the feeling of moving air without your stuff being blown all over.

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post #12 of 20
9/19/10 at 9:30am

Yeah, blocking your windows on the sun side are a big help. First, get a material that will block/reflect direct sunlight from heating your environment. Then put an insulator behind it that will contain a barrier between the heat of the window treatment and the room. The 3m window seal kits give you an air tight seal if you don't plan on using that window. If you have triple pane windows, that would work. I need a dark bedroom to be able to sleep. I've used a sun shade on that room with success. It is key to get the exact measurements to block the light completely.

 

Ceiling fans are nice for circulation and maintaining even temperatures.

 

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post #13 of 20
9/19/10 at 10:31pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for all the great suggestions.  This is the first time I ever lived in such a hot environment.  I think I will stay away from vintage fans because I'm afraid I won't know how to fix one.  I'm not a very handy person when it comes to fixing things that is not a computer.  

 

I will check out the Vornado brand fans.  They seem reasonably priced.  Currently I'm using a evaporative air cooler (the ones where you add water/ice).  Seems to be better than my little 10-inch fan.  Would a Vornado fan be better than a evaporative cooler?  Can they both be used at the same time for better cooling/circulating air? 

 

Unfortunately, it's an old apartment so all the windows are single-pane, all with vertical blinds.  I close the blinds on the sunny side during the day.  After sun down I open the windows and open the blinds slightly to get some cool air in.  Because of the age of the apartment, I don't think the walls are insulated that well.  In the afternoon, the walls are slightly warm.  

 

Happy Camper, what kind of insulating or blocking material are you talking about?  Where can I get them? 

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post #14 of 20
9/19/10 at 11:00pm

1.I recommend the vornado brand also.Setup in bedroom to pull air (aim upwards) in from living room-at low setting to keep noise down. Or setup in living room to blow air into bedroom. Bamboo blinds (close weave) on all windows. Yes there are dirt cheap air conditions from korea ($80-window mount) and room rollable portable a.c. Try Fry's or a Home Depot.

2.Eat light.more vegs and fruit. Fatty foods (f.f) and heavy proteins(beef,cheese) will make you hotter and sweaty. No joke.

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post #15 of 20
9/21/10 at 2:17am

Wear one of these?

 

wifebeater.jpg

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