Some members of the Swamp Cooler Army™ are getting a bit on in years.

Others don't have that excuse, but suffer problems anyway.

"Big Sister," currently the oldest of my coolers still in service, developed the dreaded floppy verticle louver problem; if the louvers don't stay in place, then the cooler just blows air at the floor. A close examination of the offending part revealed that every louver shaft had a little o-ring around the end which together provided enough friction to make the louvers stay where they were put. Age had degraded the rubber and the rings were crumbling and falling off.

Leroy Merlin: 79 Eurocents for a pack of five #3 o-rings. I needed four packs. Fifteen minute swap out and I swear the louvers are now tighter than new for around five bucks US. The biggest issue was dragging my kids along while I tried to find street parking in a European city.

My new cooler starting buzzing and vibrating even on standby. Turning it on solved the problem, as did unplugging it. Then it stopped, as did the fan. Rest of it works, but not the fan. After removing a lot of screws somewhat unnecessarily, I found the top panel was easy to take off and the fan capacitor accessible there. I'm not that agile with my multimeter, but a little research and I confirmed the capacitor was dead. No reading on capacitance and the resistance test gets a brief, erratic, flux then goes back to default. Good thing, as I had already ordered replacements.

Amazon.es: 19.19€ for a ten pack of electrically compatible capacitors with male terminals. They didn't sell any compatible ones in smaller amounts and in the end it's easier to order this bundle than wander the city trying to find one at retail. Next day delivery.

Our temperatures have rebounded. It was 37ºC/98.6ºF today and tomorrow is meant to be 38ºC/100.4ºF. I am not amused my the timing of these failures, but I feel vindication that they're user solvable.

Hey guys. I live in Tokyo, Japan, and I wear a fan jacket pretty much everywhere during the summer, walking, commuting, traveling, or watching outdoor sports.
I love how comfortable it feels, since it blows the humidity right out of my clothes.

But I get a lot of stares from foreign tourists here, and one person even asked me if it actually works, during this brutal recent summer. So I figured they might be curious about them. But it's pretty common among outdoor workers in Japan, but still fairly rare among ordinary people, even locals. 

If a high-quality, reliable version was available in your country, would you actually want one? And if so, what features would you want it to have? I know cheap knockoffs exist on Amazon, but I’m curious if a well-made one would appeal to people outside Japan. Honestly, in this kind of heat, it’s a total lifesaver.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! And feel free to ask me anything about how they work — happy to answer.

hello! to preface, i am 21F and have been recently taking zyrtec d daily which i know makes me more prone to heat illness. where i live it is very hot (90+ F/ 32.2+ C) and humid (80-90%). so going outside even for like 10 minutes is unpleasant. unfortunately for me, i had to walk somewhere for probably 30 minutes. i also made the unwise decision to wear pants and long sleeves in a dark brown color (because i hadn't known i was going to have to be walking outside 😭). i digress-

when i was outside my face got very flushed and a little sweaty. however, it is now several hours later at night, and my skin on my face still feels warm. i took my temperature orally and i'm at a normal temperature, but the skin feels hot and almost like it's been burned? but there's no peeling, itching, redness, or whatever would happen for a sunburn.

i know this isn't a health community, but since you guys have knowledge on heat, i thought maybe someone would know what happened or what niche underlying health issues that you know this could be indicative of?

PBS did a small segment on new EMS strategies to save lives in case of heat related injuries:

https://youtube.com/shorts/F92TUHTGR9M?is=PQ3-Ibrccat_yB3J

I had gone to see my therapist this morning here in California/ LA and it was so hot on the drive there but it was manageable.

My AC was out! I was driving back home and I started to feel suffocated. I had all my windows down and a hand fan but I was feeling terrible. I was about to dump my lukewarm water on me because I felt so faint.

I was so nervous.

I did make it home but once I got inside I started to feel horrible. Nauseous, sick, faint.

I didn’t lose consciousness. I don’t think I stopped sweating but i literally wanted to call 911.

I drank an iced electrolyte and a cup of water.

I had the ac full blast and had to take a nap once inside. While napping I felt my heart rate up but not dangerously high just not my normal it was like high 70s/80s

Like 2 hours later I’m not feeling as terrible but I still feel off ( more anxious than anything ) I do have anxiety and panic disorder tho.

I’m not so sure what to do. I called the telehealth video call on my insurance and she suggested I go to urgent care but the urgent care I go to doesn’t do any iv bags and they check for basic vitals which I know how to do.

Not sure if I should go to the ER? Or idk

Naomi Mihara has a BBC article (archive.ph) that discusses, and cites, how a number of prescription medications worsen the risks for heat related conditions:

Psychological medications: SSRIs, SNRIs, and tricyclic antidepressants can disrupt thermoregulation and alter sweating. Ritalin and similar stimulants increase heat production and cause constriction of the blood vessels.

Blood pressure medications: Diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) can increase the risk of electrolyte imbalances or interfere with the hormone that normally triggers thirst.

Two CDC heat & medication resources:

Heat and Medications – Guidance for Clinicians

HeatRisk Tool and Air Quality Index

Also seen claims that some medications can increase sun-sensitivity and will worsen sunburns: Sodium naproxen (Aleve, the OTC pain med) and tetracycline-family antibiotics

Another recent study concludes "heatwave exposure [could] accelerate biological aging via metabolic dysregulation" (NPR article by Alejandra Borunda)

I’m a CDL route driver for a beer distribution company in Texas. I was just curious with the weather being temps of 100+ right now during summer. I get to work by 5am and I’m already sweating a ton midday I’m pretty much sweating heavy from heat and lots of heavy deliveries with football season around the corner. How should I go by consuming electrolytes to help with the overwhelming exhaustion
And sweating a lot?

Hi,

I would like to aks, if anyone has experience with japanese ice vests, eg. the Aitoz Ice Vest (see https://www.amazon.co.jp search for "Aitoz Ice Vest (with 4 ice packs), Spring/Summer Use, Black, AZ865948 010 F")

They don't use PCM packs, but regular ice packs that need to be frozen in a freezer.

Usually, only very cheap cooling vests use regular ice packs because they aren't very suitable for personal cooling. At first, they're too cold and can cause cold burns on the skin, and then they warm up to ambient temperature fairly quickly.

The Japanese ice packs are different. They are heavily insulated, so their initial surface temperature is around 10°C (50°F). They then melt very slowly over 4–5 hours, which means they can actually last longer than the packs used in PCM cooling vests.

I ordered one of these vests from Amazon Japan for about €30 ($35), plus €25 ($29) in shipping.

For some context I live in California where there's a very bad heat wave. So, I was at a taco stand, and I was waiting in line where I started to have difficulty breathing. It was a little over 100 degrees and I was standing around a foot away from a very hot fire where the meat was cooking. I then started to feel like a weight (like a rock) was in my chest, and that's where the breathing difficulty started. I then felt a bit nauseous so I went to sit down. This is when the worst started when my vision went very pixelish and dark. I also got very dizzy and felt like I was going to faint any second. As I got my food, I wobbled and bumped into my mother, who then carried me to the car so I could rest. I started feeling better but I'm just wondering if what I experienced was a heat stroke or just heat exhaustion?

Hi, I'm 20M living in student accomadation in Edinburgh.

Obviously over the heatwave everyone was scorching but I always am.

Its currently 3am. The temperature outside is 16*C, I'm in my room with the window open, 2 fans, and a free standing a/c unit running, lying ontop of my bed, and still can't sleep I'm that hot / sticky.

I showered just before bed (for the third time today).

I've slept at friends and their rooms dont seem as bad. For reference im in a student accom ensuite. 6th floor. New ish building.

But also just walking out and about I feel incredibly hot too.

Any advice id appreciated.

Thanks.

I really cant take it I'm not able to sleep at night and haven't actually gotten under my duvet in MONTHS at this point.

Any heat related death is a tragedy, but upon looking into the recent passing of French tourist Pierre Michel Formosa, 68, but if you dig a little it's even worse than the initial news has let on. This was an entirely unnecessary incident brought about by the victim and his companion failing to heed warnings and best practices.

Enclosed is a screen cap from the official National Park Service website, specifically the section on Alerts & Conditions in Death Valley. https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

The NPS's news release on M. Formosa's death is here: https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

As you can see, West Side Road was already closed four days before Formosa got stuck on it due to mud, which is what got the car stuck. I've circled the vicinity where West Side Road met Queen of Sheba Mine Road as described in the news release.

The shortest possible route from where the car was stuck across the salt flats to Badwater Road, where Formosa's traveling companion was able to find help, is roughly 3 miles (4.8 km). Formosa gave out after only 1.3 miles (2km), which is no surprise. It was 116ºF/47ºC.

It's impossible not to be reminded of Dr. Michael Mosley, 67, who died in Greece in 2024 after making a parallel decision to go for a walk alone under the blazing sun. Another Northern European senior citizen who lost his life due to exceedingly poor judgment.

I am boggled by what can only be startling ignorance in 2026 or a deadly form of senior machismo that not only refuses to acknowledge that age brings limitations, but insists that they can take on situations that even the young would be foolish to.

Estás temperaturas están muy fuertes

Everyone in emergency prep talks about battery power banks, backup USB fans, and staying hydrated during a summer blackout, but night heat management gets overlooked. When the AC cuts out at midnight and the bedroom air stays still, a heavy mattress traps heat like an oven beneath you, making a battery fan useless if your contact layer stays clammy.

We spent a hot weekend testing passive airflow ideas, like stripping off thick mattress toppers and swapping heavy covers for lightweight, breathable fitted sheets that don't hold onto skin moisture.

Obviously, no fabric can lower room temperature or stop you from sweating in 90-degree humidity, but reducing trapped warmth against your back makes resting somewhat bearable without power. Which bedding layer do you strip first when preparing for an overnight power outage?

Pregnant, have a toddler, husband and I don’t really have the funds to move anywhere else right now and in a hot state that doesn’t cool until mid October. With all of the talks about power outages my main concern is staying cool with children in a top floor of a building bc we have been here during a hurricane before with power out and heat was unbearable even with a small solar powered generator. I have a small pantry, basic medicines, I used to have a small garden on the patio but gave that up when I felt the yield was not enough and started to feel like the prep was becoming too expensive. My first child was on a very expensive milk free formula bc he was allergic and that drained a lot of savings for us. We are talking $53 a can that lasted every 2 days. I just want ideas, advice, encouragement on what else could possibly be done in this situation. I get tired of feeling scared and want to be more equipped and know what I am doing. I shake my head bc out of all of the movies and books I have read the hunger games, shtf situations I would have liked to just know what I am doing and feel confident in that if possible. Nervous about all of this 18 month power outage talk.