Keeping cool techniques

[TornadoRed]

Hi all,

I know there are several members here in the valley of the sun and elsewhere that experience high heat and I'm hoping for some tips for the summer.

My garage is insulated in the walls and garage door, but I still need to get some more cellulose in the attic above it, as it easily gets into the 110s in the middle of the summer.

Here in Phoenix the nighttime temperatures often hover above 100* until 2 a.m., and get back to that temp before 9 a.m. What do you do to keep product workable when it gets that hot? Working on my Passat after I drove it last weekend I took some microfiber towels and soaked them in ice water and set them on the hood to cool the surface temperature. That worked very well, but it was only 95*ish outside, so when the air temp is 20* above that in a few months, I'm not sure that will be enough.

What should I try?

[cnfowler]

Re: Keeping cool techniques

Since you already have an insulated garage, have you thought about installing a window AC unit (provided you have a window in the garage?) At those temps, I think an AC unit would be the only way to get relief.

Colin

[TornadoRed]

Re: Keeping cool techniques

Unfortunately my HOA prohibits anything sticking out of the house :-(

I have thought about a roll-around A/C unit made by LG, but at $399 and my electric bill in the $300 range in the summer months, I worry that it will cost an arm and a leg to keep things comfortable.

The other problem I didn't mention above is that we have horrendously hard water here, and couple that with the high heat, it's really tough to keep water spots at bay when you're still half-covered in suds while washing. With temps hovering in the 110s in the shade during the day, water instantly evaporates when it hits painted metal and leaves behind a round spot of calcium. Not looking forward to summer...

Did I mention I miss Texas yet??

[DYNAMIC]

Re: Keeping cool techniques

Tornado red have u tried a high pressure steamer?

[BlackScreaminMachine]

Re: Keeping cool techniques

Install a in-line water filtration system. One of the best investments when dealing with hard water.

If you run the car under a constant stream of water so it cannot dry, that could be an options. Wash the car in the garage and squeege the water out when done. Keeping the car in over night. Heck wash at night!!

[Marc08EX]

Re: Keeping cool techniques

Hi fellow Phoenician... I feel your pain. I don't have any solutions for you as I never tried to use anything to cool the garage or paint surfaces down during the summer months. It's a lost cause. I just try not to do a full detail during these times. When I wash the car, I wake up at 5:30-6:00AM to beat the sun LOL! Yes the water here is pretty hard and it's painful to see water spots show up very quickly.

I'm all ears to the suggestions anyone could offer.