primitive goes "old fashioned" with air conditioning

[franksolich]

Frank, my advice about using the dry ice was strictly for lurking DUmmies, not humans.   

I don't think our house has very good insulation either, but it seems to hold the heat of the day in long after it cools off outside at night.

I knew the comment was directed at the primitives, but I was struck by how often it's recommended one close off the house during hot weather (of course not with dry ice); in theory that keeps the house cooler.

I dunno, but at the moment I'm not likely to experiment with that.  I'd just as soon leave it wide open.

[thundley4]

I knew the comment was directed at the primitives, but I was struck by how often it's recommended one close off the house during hot weather (of course not with dry ice); in theory that keeps the house cooler.

I dunno, but at the moment I'm not likely to experiment with that.  I'd just as soon leave it wide open.

We didn't have AC when I was growing, so I spent most summer days outside, but that was easier since there were no video games and only 3 TV channels.

There were many times I'd sleep outside when it got too hot, but things were different back then and safer.

[franksolich]

We didn't have AC when I was growing, so I spent most summer days outside, but that was easier since there were no video games and only 3 TV channels.

There were many times I'd sleep outside when it got too hot, but things were different back then and safer.

I can't tell you how bad it is out here--I might post photographs later today--Nebraska and Kansas yellow and brown and burning, and South Dakota and North Dakota nearly so.

The house is an oven, but it's been an oven outdoors too.

The Great Barack Drought of '12, we're calling it.

Since we're talking here about the breadbasket of America, the primitives in blue states and blue cities are going to feel it themselves, in the grocery check-out lines.  Too bad for the primitives.

Most farmers of course have crop insurance, but paper currency in a farmer's pocket doesn't make up for the scarcity of foodstuffs; their price soars anyway.  And while I dunno for sure, maybe it's been a good year with plenty of rain down in Florida, but one can't subsist on a diet consisting wholly of oranges from Florida; one likes bread, beef, and stuff too.  (If Florida in fact is having a similar drought, I apologize; I really don't know.)

This is the hottest and driest summer in the Upper Great Plains since the summer of 1956; before our time.

It's even too hot to sleep outdoors.

[thundley4]

I can't tell you how bad it is out here--I might post photographs later today--Nebraska and Kansas yellow and brown and burning, and South Dakota and North Dakota nearly so.

The house is an oven, but it's been an oven outdoors too.

The Great Barack Drought of '12, we're calling it.

Since we're talking here about the breadbasket of America, the primitives in blue states and blue cities are going to feel it themselves, in the grocery check-out lines.  Too bad for the primitives.

Most farmers of course have crop insurance, but paper currency in a farmer's pocket doesn't make up for the scarcity of foodstuffs; their price soars anyway.  And while I dunno for sure, maybe it's been a good year with plenty of rain down in Florida, but one can't subsist on a diet consisting wholly of oranges from Florida; one likes bread, beef, and stuff too.  (If Florida in fact is having a similar drought, I apologize; I really don't know.)

This is the hottest and driest summer in the Upper Great Plains since the summer of 1956; before our time.

It's even too hot to sleep outdoors.

Most of the grass around here was greener in January and February than it is now.  Normally in the summer I'd hear someone mowing their yard every day of the week, but the last lawn mower I heard was on July 4th when we mowed our yard.

The only benefit to the heat and dryness is that there are very few mosquitoes this year.

[wasp69]

[youtube=425,350]lm0e2TwvXfQ[/youtube]

That's pretty interesting, Bally.

[JohnnyReb]

This is the hottest and driest summer in the Upper Great Plains since the summer of 1956; before our time.

It's even too hot to sleep outdoors.

I remember an extreme draught here in '54 and again in '56. I was 9 and 11 years old at those times. I stayed with and watched over an irrigation rig in our pasture. In '54 it was powered by a V/8 Chrysler industrial gas engine. In '56 it was powered by a CAT diesel. In '56 I had to do all the work by myself, move the 6" pipes and gun by myself, maintain the pump unit...lived with the damn thing night and day...but at least it was cooler than staying at home.

[franksolich]

I remember an extreme drought here in '54 and again in '56. I was 9 and 11 years old at those times. I stayed with and watched over an irrigation rig in our pasture. In '54 it was powered by a V/8 Chrysler industrial gas engine. In '56 it was powered by a CAT diesel. In '56 I had to do all the work by myself, move the 6" pipes and gun by myself, maintain the pump unit...lived with the damn thing night and day...but at least it was cooler than staying at home.

I'll have to ask old-timers about 1954; everybody who was around, remembers 1956, and that the next year, 1957, brought plenty of rain and good times again.

Of course, now 1956 has been eclipsed by the Great Barack Drought of '12, and is giving the one from 1934 a run for the money.  At least here on the Upper Great Plains; I dunno how it is down over there in South Carolina.

You know, I was surprised when I was illuminated some years ago, about irrigation.  It's not free, even if the water is.

At the time, I was told it costs circa $1800 a day to irrigate, for either diesel fuel or electricity.

I had no idea.

And this was during the good times of George Bush; I'll bet it's more now, and is the reason farmers this year just said to Hell with it, and let the crops die.  One can afford to do only so much.

[Rebel]

If coolant is escaping into the air, the air conditioner won't be working for long.

The only thing coming out of an air conditioner is cool air - which I guess could affect some people's breathing.

This. The freon isn't supposed to be escaping. If it is, when it gets too low, your copper tubes will freeze up and your condenser will really be in a world of ****.

[Rebel]

BTW, AC's work by manipulating physics. Real interesting principle. Think about this, when you grab a cube of ice and hold it in your hand, is the cold transferring into your hand? No. The heat from your hand is transferring into the cube of ice, lowering the temperature of your hand as the heat is transferred. Same principle used in an AC.

[JohnnyReb]

I'll have to ask old-timers about 1954; everybody who was around, remembers 1956, and that the next year, 1957, brought plenty of rain and good times again.

Of course, now 1956 has been eclipsed by the Great Barack Drought of '12, and is giving the one from 1934 a run for the money.  At least here on the Upper Great Plains; I dunno how it is down over there in South Carolina.

You know, I was surprised when I was illuminated some years ago, about irrigation.  It's not free, even if the water is.

At the time, I was told it costs circa $1800 a day to irrigate, for either diesel fuel or electricity.

I had no idea.

And this was during the good times of George Bush; I'll bet it's more now, and is the reason farmers this year just said to Hell with it, and let the crops die.  One can afford to do only so much.

Also in '56, we had a "truck garden" behind a pond. The hills came down to the pond and behind it was a flat, sandy, rich, creek bottom. The drainage was just right. We just syphoned water over the dam of the pond and let the water run down the rows to the creek....made a fortune at the farmers market 60 miles away. The next year there was plenty of rain and we just let the cows crop the "truck garden". It wasn't worth gathering because everyone had a good crop. We never did that again.   ...thank goodness.