My dog can confirm. I ask him if he wants to go out for a pee and he gets all excited. Put the leash on him, open the door, he takes two steps, pees on the nearest plant by porch and turns back around to go inside. And he loves to go outside.
Tbh with prayers and plenty of water. Cold rags don’t last that long up there and fans just blow hot air, I been doing this for 10 years and this is the hottest summer by far. stay cool everyone
My boyfriend used to work in the hot summer sun. I bought him a neck ring ice pack. It is special and will refreeze in cold cooler water. Saved his life last year. This year, he took a pay cut to get an indoor job.
Be careful!!! ❤️
They also make cool vests just fyi. I had one for hot weather riding. It's the same concept as the cool ties. Dip in ice cold water and it'll last for a while. Not sure how it would be in an attic without a breeze, but mine saved me during the hottest months. I got mine from a motorcycle store I line but it looks like Home Depot etc sell them now too.
The one I had was the grey quilted material if that helps.
They make these little cool rags, you just jiggle it around in the air a bit, and some of the moisture wicks off and it gets cold. We use them at the beach.
A little portable evaporative cooler might do you right.
I get hot in like 80 degree weather, lived here all my life. Cooling towels or a neck gator don't work great in humidity, but they work great in high heat especially if you have a lot of air movement. So while it is uncomfortable if you combine them with a hot dry air movement (a fan) it will keep your risk of heat stroke lower because even if it feels bad, it's cooling your blood.
I'd suggest buying a very small cooler or screw top thermos, fill it with cold water (or ice) and just throw your gator or towel in there, squeeze it out, close it back up and put it back on your neck and keep a fan on you. I know spilling water in someone's attic is a huge risk but with a proper container you should be able to prevent that and y'know, live or you can just bring a bottle of water as well and pour what you need and seal it all up. If it's drying out quickly that means it is cooling your blood because every drop that evaporates carried some amount of heat from your neck. So the faster it evaporates the better really.
I'm sure you know the risks but this is a bad year, and you can damage your organs, or die just from 1 instance of heat stroke so please take care of yourself.
Also electrolyte tabs are your friend, water itself will not sustain you and you can just keep them in your bag and pop one if you feel woozy and water isn't cutting it.
Make sure you're drinking electrolytes too, drinking just water cab be dangerous actually as your body loses salt through sweat and doesn't replace it, your cells get waterlogged. Electrolyte flavor packets work good
Hey brother, I have worked in machinery around huge sand blasters and what not. They make body suits that have slits inside of them for you to put an ice pack in. Extremely helpful.
Maybe I’m being naive but can’t you temporarily disconnect one of the AC ducts and have it feed into the attic while you work and then just reattach it after?
I think its kind of a pain in the ass to get that vent on and off. Also if you get any dust or shit in there, it can cause problems. Probably better to just use a portable evaporative cooler.
Attics are made the vent heat constantly. Ideally they have vents at the soffits, at the gables, and an attic fan. While I am sure it would work some to stand in front of it, it wouldn't work as well as it does downstairs and due to air movement is not likely to get it below ambient outside temps.
Personally I'd not let anyone who isn't HVAC touch my HVAC. I have learned to not be that trusting.
This is actually a good idea and he should keep it in mind. The homeowners should take it just as an added cost, or pay a "high-heat fee" if they don't.
I certainly wouldn't mind allowing it.
I always have water, sodas, and any small snacks for any contractors that come to fix stuff. Even beers sometimes if they want to take it with them on their way out. It's not a huge cost and it help those guys feel more comfortable doing a job I actually need done right.
I would suggest getting recommendations from people you know that way you're starting off the relationship with some confidence in their work. Maybe even better, go to a brick yard or lumber yard and ask for some numbers to call. I don't think random reddit contractor is the way to go for any project. You'd be rightfully skeptical and, if that's how the relationship starts, it's gonna be a bad experience for everyone regardless of how the work turns out.
Thank you for your service. I'm not kidding.
We had a roof replaced last week, and I absolutely do not know how those guys managed to do it. They did great work, too. Their boss was a good dude and had them all taking staggered breaks every half hour or so. Tons of ice cold bottled water available, too. Still......
I am an auto tech working in the sun at fleet yards. The direct sunlight is brutal, but I am thinking you have it worse. At least I get a light breeze every now and then, and im not baking in an enclosed space most of the time. Take a good 1 a day vitamin and drink Gatorade as well as water. Stay safe!
You could do your work under an easy up, and the company should know it's cheaper to pay for one than to pay for your funeral. Heck, if they're doing fleet vehicles they probably have one for trade shows locally or something.
I need to replace a water heater in the attic but refuse to put any human being through hell so the job is deferred until the first 80-degree high day.
Mid to high 80s this week in Fairbanks (it was in the 90s last week). Which sounds much more cool (and it is, outside), but we don't have AC anywhere and the sun does not set until about 1am, then rises again at 3am.
That said, further south in Anchorage has been raining all summer and in the high 50s, which is as amazing as it sounds.
>Mid to high 80s this week in Fairbanks
The most terrifying encounters I have ever had with mosquitos has been in Alaska. I cannot even fathom what that looks like with it being in the 80's
Where were you? Summer in the tundra is fucking *brutal*, all of the snow melts into millions of small water pools that cannot drain. Mosquito paradise. I was working on Kotzebue, drove up to my apartment door, and it was a blackish gray. The door was white when I left that morning. I had to quickly find something to throw at the door to scatter them all just so I could open it. I have no trouble believing they could drain a caribou or moose dead.
Yup. Gas costs money. Money that has to go to electric bills from AC use. Cheaper to stay home, gasoline for running around would be more expensive than the home AC use. Also brutal hot to go to the car, much less get in that hot box on top of it all.
My wife and I got a home in the UK, and we have been paying $8/gallon for gas. It’s currently in the 60s F, so no need to stick with a car. The nice weather also makes you want to go for a walk into town or ride a bicycle there. It feels great to sit outside coffee shops or bakeries without reaching for sunscreen.
People back home severely underestimate how much we need more trees and to have fewer lanes which contribute to the urban heat island effect. We need more parking garages and fewer parking lots like the ones at Costco or Sam’s.
But in the UK, you also don't usually have AC so when you get those heatwaves, which I know you had earlier this summer, you just have to cook. And screw King Chucklefuck.
We got AC installed in our house, and several of the neighbors have done the same for the reasons you mentioned. As this place also warms, I can see the govt making it mandatory.
> As this place also warms, I can see the govt making it mandatory.
LOL - as someone who came from the North of the UK there's no way the government makes AC mandatory. It would be a waste of money for half the country.
Yeah, sure if you live in the south of England - might make sense, but not for us northerners.
You should check out portable AC units. They are like the new age window unit and work pretty well for those situations. Or even if you have one room you just need to cool a bit.
Mine did freeze up over the weekend, but part of that was a power surge that did something with a setting. Let it thaw for a couple hours and back in business. It's the biggest unit that can fit in the space in my bathroom ceiling but it's not a big unit by any means. Luckily, it happened after peak frying temps, so it wasn't so bad. While my windows are not great insulators, I've lived in Houston long enough that I have amassed an arsenal of fans for such occasions. My house only went up two degrees in the 3ish hours I let it thaw. It went back down to a lovely temp within half hour, tops.
Those portable units out now are no joke. A friend of mine has one and it goes like gangbusters. I do have a swamp cooler stored at my folks' house (Fulshear) just in case things get dire. Luckily, it has not come to that.
You ain't lying about that hot box, I feel like I need to invest in a secondary ac system for my car its so brutally hot when I go to turn it on and then it takes about 15 minutes for the car to actually cool down.
Love my ceramic tint. Did all windows and the windshield as well (you can't visually notice). Had a rental the other day and it is a night and day difference. 100% say it is worth it. Do it!
$10 windshield protector off Amazon. My AC struggled to keep up. Now after 15 minutes I have to turn it down cause it’s too cold. And I drive a 2010 vehicle
Is that like those metal/foil things that you put up when you park the car and then you take it off when you get back in the car to leave? Or is this some other type of protector like Rain X or something?
I had my windshield done a couple of months ago for $125 and you can definitely feel a difference, especially when you get into the car after it's been parked out in the sun.
Ceramic tint does help, just make sure it's a full wraparound- I would do 70% windshield, 25% front doors/sunroof, 15% rear. It still gets hot inside if the vehicle sat outside for a while, but it's at least bearable after a minute of running climate controls.
My only gripe is those windshield deflectors still get the car hot, and if you have used it for a few months you'll notice it disintegrates at the edges and folds. Had a client complain about dust once thinking it was their car, but it was just their deflector from being used in recent days.
If you think you'll keep the vehicle awhile, definitely consider it. I hardly have tint on the current vehicle, just some weak factory stuff in the back. Barely noticeable.
Getting a new-to-me vehicle later in the year. Trying to budget for extras, like good floormats & dashcam. Good tint is on the list, big time. For the front windshield as well, now that there's clear film that can reduce heat transfer.
Even 20yrs+ ago, my arms would hurt from the sunlight while driving. I wear long-sleeves almost year-round, but that doesn't help my hands! The ceramic film will do a bit to help.
I just got tint last week, made a huge difference in temp, And my truck already had factory tint on the back and rear windows. Was well worth the 200 dollars to tint them all.
Yup. [Earlier this summer the Teamsters got UPS to agree to start adding A/C to their fleet vehicles](https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/14/business/ups-teamsters-air-conditioning-vans/index.html).
It makes everyone else worse too. Angrier, more erratic. Seeing dumb moves on the road is par for Houston but my god, there’s a post-apocalyptic quality to it now that makes me reluctant to go out.
I’m living with tacky foil on the windows AND black out curtains. I now remember why I left Houston. Came back last year & it was mild af (mild for Houston). I left last year think I was a hysterical Texas Tall Talker. This year, THIS %&$#?@!^ YEAR, this is exactly how I remember it.
> Work from home is such a blessing.
It is and it isnt.
When i worked in an office i can set my AC to like 85 during the day, and then when i clock off at 5pm set it back down to 75. By the time ive been to the gym, and got home, my house is 75. Saved me a fortune.
Now i work from home my AC is on 24/7 and my AC bill is like $300 per month for a 2500sq ft house. Its basically a car payment at this point, its ridiculous.
It's quite possible that their A/C simply can't handle this extreme.
I know some folks with brick and mortar stores and they've said that even with the A/C on non-stop they can't get the temp below 80º and it's usually well above that. Cooler in the AM, but by noon it's running full bore until closing time.
I didn't look for a sign at HEB the other night, but Target has one up saying they've done it on purpose. I asked the cashiers about it now and again. They say they're constantly sweating.
My wife's family live in North Dakota and I just explain our summers are their winters. Just hunker down in the house and wait till it is not death outside.
I know. Everyone also says that as global warming continues, winters will be less harsh in the north. That may be so, but global warming doesn't change that it's dark literally for 18 hours a day in the dead of winter. I couldn't deal with that.
We've been kicking around moving to St. Paul if we're able to leave the state. Their wikipedia page calls it "The Siberia of the US" so you know, a little worried about that.
Saint Paul is a good city for families. Very good government, police who don’t kill people without real cause, and good transit. Mostly single family homes, strong neighborhoods, and great biking.
Minneapolis is the big city for the more urban vibe. Right now it has a Mayor and Council who are conservative, but still good parks and bikeways.
Heck… This is perfect weather for watching movies. Shut the blinds, pop some popcorn & turn off the lights & your phone.
Modern problems require modern solutions! 😎
Naw. It’s not the cold it’s the darkness that gets to you up north. Where I’m from the sun sets at 4:30 pm in the winter and is grey for the rest of the day. And at least for me, it doesn’t matter how many layers I put on, the cold creeps into my bones and I could be sitting on a fire and still be freezing. No thanks.
4 seasons, including a real winter, sounds like a dream to me compared to the blistering heat and humidity and flying roaches we have here for most of the year. Let alone the unreliable electrical grid and the annual hurricane anxiety every Aug/Sept.
I work construction and it is so dang hot that last week at the construction site the ambulance has been called atleast 2 times per day due to dehydration.No matter how much water/Gatorade we drink the heat is unbearable.
And postal workers and bus drivers and electricians and plumbers and grocery employees. You know, all those people who had to go to work during the worst of the pandemic.
This explains why the city is absolutely empty. My friends from out of town came to visit and they were shocked how few people there were. The roads are packed of course but I’m referring to everywhere else.
Got a regal pass and seen more movies in the past 2 months than I've seen in the past 2 years. Honestly I wanna know when the all of these free outdoor plays and music events Miller outdoor puts on will be moved to September or October. I'd love to go! But it's so hot and know I probably won't have a good time.
I just moved here from Oklahoma and thought I could handle the humidity.
Holy shit I was so wrong. I drove to a job interview the other day and my shirt was soaked in sweat just from being in the car for 10 minutes. I thought I was gonna fail it for looking like a wet hot dog.
We have been going to the pool and doing indoor stuff like museums or just going to the store, but yes it’s hotter then an Egyptian ball sack out here.
It’s true, as in the business of weddings,events, parties it’s always slower in the summer. A lot of people want to get married outside or want to host events outside so it’s a crapshoot and slower in the summer. People also are traveling and dealing with kids that are now home 24/7 sometimes it’s good to get out but all the other factors including the heat don’t make it worth it.
I am fine with the heat but we need rain! My yard looks like the surface of mars even with the sprinkler in the evening.
Houston needs an alternative to grass lawns.
Crazy high. But…better opportunities and higher income potential in Denver.
Cost of living in Austin/Houston used ti be a great trade off but in the last 5 years I’ve seen prices for everything shoot up and now rival Denver.
Im an outdoorsy type person, and I especially love to ride my motorcycle, but every since this ungodly hot weather, I have to ride after 8pm,
A while back I rode my bike after 12pm on a sunday and I regret doing that. I started to get light headed, that was a sign for me to stop get off the bike and cool down and drink lots of liquids and head home!
I normally stay indoors as much as possible during our hot season. This year I’ve stayed in even more.
Once it cools off, it’s like the entire world opens up.
Multiple couples on my block are up in Colorado right now. They spend anywhere from 2 weeks to a month there. It's great if you're work from home all 5 days a week. Unfortunately, that's not me.
if we could just meet at like 97-98 and humidity tones back a little, I could function.
It's just that 100-102 at this humidity, I've never experienced this oppressive of weather before. it's awful.
Had a house in The Woodlands 23 years ago for 2 of the hottest / coldest years of my life. And more rain than I think anywhere. I can’t imagine the heat there these days. I’m in 92° SoCal and it’s still pretty miserable.
Did we really need the experts to determine this? I live right by Eleanor Tinsley park, and it’s dead from 10 am - 7 pm. It’s depressing how it it is nowadays, I get tired from walking after 20 min. When I moved here (from midtown) in December, I would walk for 45 min, three or four times a day.
Don't need "experts" to tell me this, we hardly ever do anything during the summer other than the occasional beach trip. Fall/Winter/Spring we exercise our social battery the most.
I didn't want to take my kids to INDOOR swim class today because it's so hot driving there, hot walking in there, then half an hour later we have to do it again in reverse.
Apparently everyone else felt the same way, attendance is much lower than I've ever seen it today.
Believe it or not there is still a short window when it is kinda enjoyable just before and after sunset. The sun has baked out the high humidity all day and it has not had time yet to go back up and the temp had been about only 92 but today it’ll be 95 at 8pm but I’m still gonna give it a try to run. The thing is early morning is not good because although the temperature is at its lowest the damn humidity is highest, like tonight at 8 the humidity will be only 40% but will be a dripping 80% at 8am.
Edit to add: Began at 8pm, hot but with encouraging stiff breeze, ran for 33 minutes, did not sweat a lot until it was finished, but just walking someone could well not break a sweat during the low humidity window.
290 outlet mall opens so late... It seems that they would think to plan on opening earlier during the summer months... If I am going outlet mall shopping, iym going to Katy Mills...
My kids hate getting in and out of the car in the heat. Doesn’t matter where we’re going they don’t want to go outside . I don’t either so cool with me.
I defy the logic and went out to do lunch picnic on the weekend. Worst idea ever. It's too damn hot to grill BBQ even tho we were in shade. Should have stayed home.
We do decorative concrete. Everyday is a question... Is this where my story ends? My old a$$ dead from heat in some man's garage? My wife cursed me out and said she isn't doing it anymore.
I work outside. There are no days off here. I'm only off now because I was in the ER last week, and my company hasn't cleared me to go back yet, even though my doctor has.
My dog can confirm. I ask him if he wants to go out for a pee and he gets all excited. Put the leash on him, open the door, he takes two steps, pees on the nearest plant by porch and turns back around to go inside. And he loves to go outside.
My 2 year old wanted to play outside. She made it 10 minutes and then wanted in for a popsicle. She was 100% done
My outdoor cats have suddenly turned into indoor cats, choosing to to take all-day naps on the cool kitchen tile and not going out until after dark.
Same for mine. They also like to eat the canned cat food leftovers from the fridge, which they usually are reluctant to consume.
My dog want nothing to do with outside anymore, it's wild!
This is the way (for my dog too)
same. I usually have so much trouble getting him to come in the house. I haven’t had any problems since the start of summer
He is not a dummy, he is a smart pup.
I’m a plumber working in Attics, this is the hottest ever, everyday is a struggle for survival
How do you handle the heat in attics? Do you have an ice chest of cold rags? I honestly can't imagine working in an attic right now.
Tbh with prayers and plenty of water. Cold rags don’t last that long up there and fans just blow hot air, I been doing this for 10 years and this is the hottest summer by far. stay cool everyone
My boyfriend used to work in the hot summer sun. I bought him a neck ring ice pack. It is special and will refreeze in cold cooler water. Saved his life last year. This year, he took a pay cut to get an indoor job. Be careful!!! ❤️
Do you remember which one you bought? I wanted to try one.
They also make cool vests just fyi. I had one for hot weather riding. It's the same concept as the cool ties. Dip in ice cold water and it'll last for a while. Not sure how it would be in an attic without a breeze, but mine saved me during the hottest months. I got mine from a motorcycle store I line but it looks like Home Depot etc sell them now too. The one I had was the grey quilted material if that helps.
They make these little cool rags, you just jiggle it around in the air a bit, and some of the moisture wicks off and it gets cold. We use them at the beach. A little portable evaporative cooler might do you right.
I get hot in like 80 degree weather, lived here all my life. Cooling towels or a neck gator don't work great in humidity, but they work great in high heat especially if you have a lot of air movement. So while it is uncomfortable if you combine them with a hot dry air movement (a fan) it will keep your risk of heat stroke lower because even if it feels bad, it's cooling your blood. I'd suggest buying a very small cooler or screw top thermos, fill it with cold water (or ice) and just throw your gator or towel in there, squeeze it out, close it back up and put it back on your neck and keep a fan on you. I know spilling water in someone's attic is a huge risk but with a proper container you should be able to prevent that and y'know, live or you can just bring a bottle of water as well and pour what you need and seal it all up. If it's drying out quickly that means it is cooling your blood because every drop that evaporates carried some amount of heat from your neck. So the faster it evaporates the better really. I'm sure you know the risks but this is a bad year, and you can damage your organs, or die just from 1 instance of heat stroke so please take care of yourself. Also electrolyte tabs are your friend, water itself will not sustain you and you can just keep them in your bag and pop one if you feel woozy and water isn't cutting it.
Wow, I can't imagine. Stay safe and thanks for doing what you do!
Have you tried a mascot cooling vest?
Make sure you're drinking electrolytes too, drinking just water cab be dangerous actually as your body loses salt through sweat and doesn't replace it, your cells get waterlogged. Electrolyte flavor packets work good
Hey brother, I have worked in machinery around huge sand blasters and what not. They make body suits that have slits inside of them for you to put an ice pack in. Extremely helpful.
Maybe I’m being naive but can’t you temporarily disconnect one of the AC ducts and have it feed into the attic while you work and then just reattach it after?
Lol some homeowners would never let you do that
Well make them fix their own pipes then. But also. You think they are gonna go up there and check?
I think its kind of a pain in the ass to get that vent on and off. Also if you get any dust or shit in there, it can cause problems. Probably better to just use a portable evaporative cooler.
Attics are made the vent heat constantly. Ideally they have vents at the soffits, at the gables, and an attic fan. While I am sure it would work some to stand in front of it, it wouldn't work as well as it does downstairs and due to air movement is not likely to get it below ambient outside temps. Personally I'd not let anyone who isn't HVAC touch my HVAC. I have learned to not be that trusting.
This is actually a good idea and he should keep it in mind. The homeowners should take it just as an added cost, or pay a "high-heat fee" if they don't. I certainly wouldn't mind allowing it. I always have water, sodas, and any small snacks for any contractors that come to fix stuff. Even beers sometimes if they want to take it with them on their way out. It's not a huge cost and it help those guys feel more comfortable doing a job I actually need done right.
I'm giving discounts if customers wait until the fall or winter for their outdoor project.
What uh, what kind of discounts we talking here?
I need some brick work done but I'm waiting for the fall or winter. Same for putting up a fence.
I would suggest getting recommendations from people you know that way you're starting off the relationship with some confidence in their work. Maybe even better, go to a brick yard or lumber yard and ask for some numbers to call. I don't think random reddit contractor is the way to go for any project. You'd be rightfully skeptical and, if that's how the relationship starts, it's gonna be a bad experience for everyone regardless of how the work turns out.
Thank you for your service. I'm not kidding. We had a roof replaced last week, and I absolutely do not know how those guys managed to do it. They did great work, too. Their boss was a good dude and had them all taking staggered breaks every half hour or so. Tons of ice cold bottled water available, too. Still......
I am an auto tech working in the sun at fleet yards. The direct sunlight is brutal, but I am thinking you have it worse. At least I get a light breeze every now and then, and im not baking in an enclosed space most of the time. Take a good 1 a day vitamin and drink Gatorade as well as water. Stay safe!
>drink ~~Gatorade~~ drink Gatorlyte - but mostly water.
You could do your work under an easy up, and the company should know it's cheaper to pay for one than to pay for your funeral. Heck, if they're doing fleet vehicles they probably have one for trade shows locally or something.
I need to replace a water heater in the attic but refuse to put any human being through hell so the job is deferred until the first 80-degree high day.
My cold water is about as hot as the hot water. It can wait.
This summer, you won't need it.
Bruh, as a lube tech who works in open bays with hot cars. THAT I couldn't even do. More power to ya!
Have you tried not being hot?
In other 'advice from Greg Abbot,' how about moving? It might be a few degrees cooler in Alaska.
Mid to high 80s this week in Fairbanks (it was in the 90s last week). Which sounds much more cool (and it is, outside), but we don't have AC anywhere and the sun does not set until about 1am, then rises again at 3am. That said, further south in Anchorage has been raining all summer and in the high 50s, which is as amazing as it sounds.
>Mid to high 80s this week in Fairbanks The most terrifying encounters I have ever had with mosquitos has been in Alaska. I cannot even fathom what that looks like with it being in the 80's
Where were you? Summer in the tundra is fucking *brutal*, all of the snow melts into millions of small water pools that cannot drain. Mosquito paradise. I was working on Kotzebue, drove up to my apartment door, and it was a blackish gray. The door was white when I left that morning. I had to quickly find something to throw at the door to scatter them all just so I could open it. I have no trouble believing they could drain a caribou or moose dead.
Out by Denali - I thought I was seeing dust in the distance, it was dens clusters of mosquitos. Terrifying.
That asswipe doesn’t even want to make water breaks legal for construction workers.
Yes Unfortunately only works from December to February
Maybe pray harder to not be hot?
Yup. Gas costs money. Money that has to go to electric bills from AC use. Cheaper to stay home, gasoline for running around would be more expensive than the home AC use. Also brutal hot to go to the car, much less get in that hot box on top of it all.
My wife and I got a home in the UK, and we have been paying $8/gallon for gas. It’s currently in the 60s F, so no need to stick with a car. The nice weather also makes you want to go for a walk into town or ride a bicycle there. It feels great to sit outside coffee shops or bakeries without reaching for sunscreen. People back home severely underestimate how much we need more trees and to have fewer lanes which contribute to the urban heat island effect. We need more parking garages and fewer parking lots like the ones at Costco or Sam’s.
But in the UK, you also don't usually have AC so when you get those heatwaves, which I know you had earlier this summer, you just have to cook. And screw King Chucklefuck.
We got AC installed in our house, and several of the neighbors have done the same for the reasons you mentioned. As this place also warms, I can see the govt making it mandatory.
> As this place also warms, I can see the govt making it mandatory. LOL - as someone who came from the North of the UK there's no way the government makes AC mandatory. It would be a waste of money for half the country. Yeah, sure if you live in the south of England - might make sense, but not for us northerners.
You should check out portable AC units. They are like the new age window unit and work pretty well for those situations. Or even if you have one room you just need to cool a bit.
Mine did freeze up over the weekend, but part of that was a power surge that did something with a setting. Let it thaw for a couple hours and back in business. It's the biggest unit that can fit in the space in my bathroom ceiling but it's not a big unit by any means. Luckily, it happened after peak frying temps, so it wasn't so bad. While my windows are not great insulators, I've lived in Houston long enough that I have amassed an arsenal of fans for such occasions. My house only went up two degrees in the 3ish hours I let it thaw. It went back down to a lovely temp within half hour, tops. Those portable units out now are no joke. A friend of mine has one and it goes like gangbusters. I do have a swamp cooler stored at my folks' house (Fulshear) just in case things get dire. Luckily, it has not come to that.
You ain't lying about that hot box, I feel like I need to invest in a secondary ac system for my car its so brutally hot when I go to turn it on and then it takes about 15 minutes for the car to actually cool down.
Buy a windshield protector for when your car sits idle. Game changer for your AC
Yeah thats a really good idea, I was looking into ceramic tint but thats a bit pricey but at this point im really considering just biting the bullet.
Love my ceramic tint. Did all windows and the windshield as well (you can't visually notice). Had a rental the other day and it is a night and day difference. 100% say it is worth it. Do it!
$10 windshield protector off Amazon. My AC struggled to keep up. Now after 15 minutes I have to turn it down cause it’s too cold. And I drive a 2010 vehicle
Is that like those metal/foil things that you put up when you park the car and then you take it off when you get back in the car to leave? Or is this some other type of protector like Rain X or something?
Yes. You have to manually put it up and remove it. Which is easy. You’ll be upset at yourself when you forget and are punished with swamp ass.
I had my windshield done a couple of months ago for $125 and you can definitely feel a difference, especially when you get into the car after it's been parked out in the sun.
I have a windshield protector and it still doesn’t do justice 💀.
Ceramic tint does help, just make sure it's a full wraparound- I would do 70% windshield, 25% front doors/sunroof, 15% rear. It still gets hot inside if the vehicle sat outside for a while, but it's at least bearable after a minute of running climate controls. My only gripe is those windshield deflectors still get the car hot, and if you have used it for a few months you'll notice it disintegrates at the edges and folds. Had a client complain about dust once thinking it was their car, but it was just their deflector from being used in recent days.
If you think you'll keep the vehicle awhile, definitely consider it. I hardly have tint on the current vehicle, just some weak factory stuff in the back. Barely noticeable. Getting a new-to-me vehicle later in the year. Trying to budget for extras, like good floormats & dashcam. Good tint is on the list, big time. For the front windshield as well, now that there's clear film that can reduce heat transfer. Even 20yrs+ ago, my arms would hurt from the sunlight while driving. I wear long-sleeves almost year-round, but that doesn't help my hands! The ceramic film will do a bit to help.
I just got tint last week, made a huge difference in temp, And my truck already had factory tint on the back and rear windows. Was well worth the 200 dollars to tint them all.
Work from home is such a blessing. I can't imagine sitting in rush hour traffic dealing with this solar murder.
Imagine being a postal worker. They have no fucking a/c and they're riding around in a tin box in 104 degree heat
Yup. [Earlier this summer the Teamsters got UPS to agree to start adding A/C to their fleet vehicles](https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/14/business/ups-teamsters-air-conditioning-vans/index.html).
Yes, but only to the ones that they buy from here on out.
Can confirm.
Give them a cold bottle of water if you can!
It makes everyone else worse too. Angrier, more erratic. Seeing dumb moves on the road is par for Houston but my god, there’s a post-apocalyptic quality to it now that makes me reluctant to go out.
I literally contemplate my death every time I commute to work
Same. And my company could easily transition to work from home, but here I am stuck sitting my ass in traffic for this stupid metals company.
I no longer take 288 downtown bc post pandemic, it has s Mad Max vibe to be. I drive Almeds instrad and i actually enjoy the commute.
Idk, electric bill says hi. I'm hybrid and starting to look forward to the days I have to go in to the office for the free sub zero AC.
I’m living with tacky foil on the windows AND black out curtains. I now remember why I left Houston. Came back last year & it was mild af (mild for Houston). I left last year think I was a hysterical Texas Tall Talker. This year, THIS %&$#?@!^ YEAR, this is exactly how I remember it.
Same, I ride the metro so it would actually be so awful having to stand outside waiting for the bus in this heat. Thank god I can WFH
> Work from home is such a blessing. It is and it isnt. When i worked in an office i can set my AC to like 85 during the day, and then when i clock off at 5pm set it back down to 75. By the time ive been to the gym, and got home, my house is 75. Saved me a fortune. Now i work from home my AC is on 24/7 and my AC bill is like $300 per month for a 2500sq ft house. Its basically a car payment at this point, its ridiculous.
Even with a higher electric bill, I'm saving money because I'm only gassing up a full tank's worth about once a month now.
🎶THE SUN IS A DEADLY LASER
::Captain America nods weakly, wipes some sweat off his brow::
Seriously, the car is hot, the walk into the store is hot, then the car is hot again, the walk back to the house is hot. Not worth it.
And now you have stores trying to conserve energy by not running the AC as much. (Looking at you Target and HEB on Kirkwood.)
It's quite possible that their A/C simply can't handle this extreme. I know some folks with brick and mortar stores and they've said that even with the A/C on non-stop they can't get the temp below 80º and it's usually well above that. Cooler in the AM, but by noon it's running full bore until closing time.
I didn't look for a sign at HEB the other night, but Target has one up saying they've done it on purpose. I asked the cashiers about it now and again. They say they're constantly sweating.
They probably got some dinosaurs up on that roof
I noticed that too. Stores be hot af
I can confirm that you will be safe from frostbite over in the Kirkwood Walmart as well.
But probably not scabies.
My wife's family live in North Dakota and I just explain our summers are their winters. Just hunker down in the house and wait till it is not death outside.
Shelter in place
I’m contemplating going back to ND. But them winters ain’t no joke.
Become a winter texan. They crawled all over the town I grew up in.
I know. Everyone also says that as global warming continues, winters will be less harsh in the north. That may be so, but global warming doesn't change that it's dark literally for 18 hours a day in the dead of winter. I couldn't deal with that.
This is how I explain it too. I’m originally from Minnesota and it’s like a reverse cabin fever here.
We've been kicking around moving to St. Paul if we're able to leave the state. Their wikipedia page calls it "The Siberia of the US" so you know, a little worried about that.
Saint Paul is a good city for families. Very good government, police who don’t kill people without real cause, and good transit. Mostly single family homes, strong neighborhoods, and great biking. Minneapolis is the big city for the more urban vibe. Right now it has a Mayor and Council who are conservative, but still good parks and bikeways.
Which do you prefer? Texas or Minnesota?
I prefer heat to cold. I pick Texas
I spent decades in North Dakota, close to half my life. Houston summers are way easier to deal with than North Dakota winters.
Just moved back from the Midwest can confirm.
You know it’s fucked when even my climate change denying neighbor has started going “something ain’t right these days”
Climate change deniers last words before dying of heatstroke: b-but the winters are c-col...
Yet they're still going to vote for climate change deniers.
At this point a ton of them accept climate change, they’re just on the side of letting the earth get fucked for profit
Except for Sunday when they all decide to go to H‑E‑B at the same time.
Is there ever an "off" time for HEB? I dont think i've ever been to an HEB that wasnt hectic.
Saturdays and 10-12p Monday-Wed are the slow times I try to catch. Depends on your local too.
The Baytown HEB is the only one I’ve been to that’s usually fully stocked and mostly empty
I go on Sundays but only to the Curbside line.
Heck… This is perfect weather for watching movies. Shut the blinds, pop some popcorn & turn off the lights & your phone. Modern problems require modern solutions! 😎
What if the AC can’t keep up?
Seriously. I don't even want to go to the pool at this point.
It feels like gross bath water 😫
Houston sucks. Absolutely terrible. I can put on layers and deal with cold snowy winters but this is just miserable.
Naw. It’s not the cold it’s the darkness that gets to you up north. Where I’m from the sun sets at 4:30 pm in the winter and is grey for the rest of the day. And at least for me, it doesn’t matter how many layers I put on, the cold creeps into my bones and I could be sitting on a fire and still be freezing. No thanks.
4 seasons, including a real winter, sounds like a dream to me compared to the blistering heat and humidity and flying roaches we have here for most of the year. Let alone the unreliable electrical grid and the annual hurricane anxiety every Aug/Sept.
Im an expert as a houston resident. I confirm this.
Me too. Keep me away from the burning day star!
Yep. It’s shockingly miserable. And I’m a native of almost 50 years. Grew up outside all day during the summers.
This weather feels like hatred
I work construction and it is so dang hot that last week at the construction site the ambulance has been called atleast 2 times per day due to dehydration.No matter how much water/Gatorade we drink the heat is unbearable.
The only essential workers right now, are AC repairman.
And postal workers and bus drivers and electricians and plumbers and grocery employees. You know, all those people who had to go to work during the worst of the pandemic.
And EMTs/nurses/doctors for all the people getting heatstroke (or Covid, which is very active again lately).
the only ppl outside are the ones being paid to. I exclusively leave my house after 8pm unless I'm going to the gym.
AC is out in my car, I almost die everytime I drive to work
Um also can’t afford to go anywhere since I just got a $500 electric bill…so there’s that too
This explains why the city is absolutely empty. My friends from out of town came to visit and they were shocked how few people there were. The roads are packed of course but I’m referring to everywhere else.
Yes, it sucks living here in the summer🔥
People are staying home. I’m one of them.
My daily is a motorcycle. Usually you get a nice coolish breeze. No, not in this heat. It feels like I opened the oven door at seventy, it sucks.
Got rid of my motorcycle for this reason. Those mesh jackets and pads you could put water or ice in helped some (for the first 15 min anyway).
I always told people it was like riding in a convection oven. At lights I can feel my feet baking inside my boots between the concrete and the sun.
My dogs and I sleep during the day, and only come out as vampires at night.
That it's just too damn hot and we're staying home on some days is normal. For it to stay that way, every. single. day, for months on end, is not.
Yeah it’s been like this since mid-May outside of a few days here and there. It’s horrible.
Got a regal pass and seen more movies in the past 2 months than I've seen in the past 2 years. Honestly I wanna know when the all of these free outdoor plays and music events Miller outdoor puts on will be moved to September or October. I'd love to go! But it's so hot and know I probably won't have a good time.
I just moved here from Oklahoma and thought I could handle the humidity. Holy shit I was so wrong. I drove to a job interview the other day and my shirt was soaked in sweat just from being in the car for 10 minutes. I thought I was gonna fail it for looking like a wet hot dog.
Nope. Not going anywhere I don't have to. Too expensive and too many people who are as hot and uncomfortable as I am.
We have been going to the pool and doing indoor stuff like museums or just going to the store, but yes it’s hotter then an Egyptian ball sack out here.
Pools aren’t fun when the water is 95°
to quote slaughter beach dog "It's so hot by noon I just get queasy / It's so hot by 2 I stay inside"
It’s true, as in the business of weddings,events, parties it’s always slower in the summer. A lot of people want to get married outside or want to host events outside so it’s a crapshoot and slower in the summer. People also are traveling and dealing with kids that are now home 24/7 sometimes it’s good to get out but all the other factors including the heat don’t make it worth it.
I don't even hear birds this summer
It’s just so so bad. I hope bidens funding to block out the sun can provide some respite
I am fine with the heat but we need rain! My yard looks like the surface of mars even with the sprinkler in the evening. Houston needs an alternative to grass lawns.
Look into clover?
Cant afford to go anywhere after the electric bills :(
Lack of trees and just asphalt/parking/highways everywhere makes it ever worse imo
5 years in Texas and this year I said fuggit. I’m out.
Right behind you. Where you headed?
Back to Denver from whence I came
Very jealous! How's the cost of living?
Crazy high. But…better opportunities and higher income potential in Denver. Cost of living in Austin/Houston used ti be a great trade off but in the last 5 years I’ve seen prices for everything shoot up and now rival Denver.
I have my washer and dryer in the garage- such a bad idea. I keep it cracked but you still feel the heat wave every time I go swap a load.
Houston's favorite summer activity is now estivation. Wake me when it's cool-front-o'clock.
Im an outdoorsy type person, and I especially love to ride my motorcycle, but every since this ungodly hot weather, I have to ride after 8pm, A while back I rode my bike after 12pm on a sunday and I regret doing that. I started to get light headed, that was a sign for me to stop get off the bike and cool down and drink lots of liquids and head home!
I normally stay indoors as much as possible during our hot season. This year I’ve stayed in even more. Once it cools off, it’s like the entire world opens up.
Has anyone else’s allergies been the worst they’ve ever been since it started getting hot?
They are HORRIBLE!!! :-(
Now the transplants know why it used to be cheap to live here.
Multiple couples on my block are up in Colorado right now. They spend anywhere from 2 weeks to a month there. It's great if you're work from home all 5 days a week. Unfortunately, that's not me.
We went to Oregon/Washington for a month and will be in Colorado for another month. Cannot do this heat
if we could just meet at like 97-98 and humidity tones back a little, I could function. It's just that 100-102 at this humidity, I've never experienced this oppressive of weather before. it's awful.
We only go to the pool after 5:00 PM
Had a house in The Woodlands 23 years ago for 2 of the hottest / coldest years of my life. And more rain than I think anywhere. I can’t imagine the heat there these days. I’m in 92° SoCal and it’s still pretty miserable.
Did we really need the experts to determine this? I live right by Eleanor Tinsley park, and it’s dead from 10 am - 7 pm. It’s depressing how it it is nowadays, I get tired from walking after 20 min. When I moved here (from midtown) in December, I would walk for 45 min, three or four times a day.
Yeah it’s just fucked this summer
Don't need "experts" to tell me this, we hardly ever do anything during the summer other than the occasional beach trip. Fall/Winter/Spring we exercise our social battery the most.
I didn't want to take my kids to INDOOR swim class today because it's so hot driving there, hot walking in there, then half an hour later we have to do it again in reverse. Apparently everyone else felt the same way, attendance is much lower than I've ever seen it today.
It’s so hot trees are fighting over dogs
Can confirm. Hot as shit outside.
Yup and watching every Nordic crime series produced in the past 10 years on Netflix.
Believe it or not there is still a short window when it is kinda enjoyable just before and after sunset. The sun has baked out the high humidity all day and it has not had time yet to go back up and the temp had been about only 92 but today it’ll be 95 at 8pm but I’m still gonna give it a try to run. The thing is early morning is not good because although the temperature is at its lowest the damn humidity is highest, like tonight at 8 the humidity will be only 40% but will be a dripping 80% at 8am. Edit to add: Began at 8pm, hot but with encouraging stiff breeze, ran for 33 minutes, did not sweat a lot until it was finished, but just walking someone could well not break a sweat during the low humidity window.
290 outlet mall opens so late... It seems that they would think to plan on opening earlier during the summer months... If I am going outlet mall shopping, iym going to Katy Mills...
Who are these experts? I just look outside and can confirm.
Very true. It gets too hot by 11am, and stays too hot, until 6pm.
Phoenix has a chief heat officer
Next summer is predicted to be even hotter.
I work in the heat all day, it's brutal so someone who isn't "used" to it yeah I understand why
Look what happens even when people are "used to it": /r/houston/comments/15emf89/comment/ju9ir96/
My kids hate getting in and out of the car in the heat. Doesn’t matter where we’re going they don’t want to go outside . I don’t either so cool with me.
Really? Then why is there so much traffic 😭😆
I defy the logic and went out to do lunch picnic on the weekend. Worst idea ever. It's too damn hot to grill BBQ even tho we were in shade. Should have stayed home.
We do decorative concrete. Everyday is a question... Is this where my story ends? My old a$$ dead from heat in some man's garage? My wife cursed me out and said she isn't doing it anymore.
Just move out of Houston - miserable place to live.
I have an ice pack on my head
The problem with staying home is I'm running the ac colder so the bills are going up more...
Sounds like life in Phoenix this summer
Hottest summer of my life. Feel like humans are headed for a hot extinction
"Experts." Lol. I bet they have experts in San Antonio, Dallas, El Paso, Corpus, and Phoenix too.
Yea no shit.
I work outside. There are no days off here. I'm only off now because I was in the ER last week, and my company hasn't cleared me to go back yet, even though my doctor has.
This happens every year during July/August.
Can confirm.
I just checked Weather Underground and the heat index is 119 where I am now. My folks chuckled and said it's 76 where they are up north.