Bakersfield Temps to Hit 98 Today

Did summer sneak up on you? We were spoiled by what felt like below average temps through most of May and now it feels like the high 90′s have ambushed us like a coconut throwing monkey in a palm tree!

This is the first year we’ve been ahead of the heat wave. We spent the weekend prepping our air conditioning units, cleaning the coils, clearing the area and we checked our attic for leaks in the vents. Living in Bakersfield where temps can easily soar above 105 in the summer and there are no breezes of which to speak, it goes without saying that you are going to be dealing with air conditioning and working overtime to pay for the electricity bill.

Currently, we live in a newer home with decent insulation, dual pane windows and as much energy efficiency as one can expect from your average home builder. Since we don’t have a custom home we didn’t have a whole lot of say in the matter. Our air conditioning intake units are positioned on the side of the house where they are in the summer sun for at least 8 hours a day; that means our units are working harder to cool hot air. If they had just been placed on the opposite side of the house they would have had shade the majority of the day.

Our plan is to install A/C misters similar to the products at www.coolnsave.com or AC Mister. Next step is to put a reflective solar shade above the units to block the blistering summer sun.

We are fortunate that our house has a great north/south exposure, but the next step is to do some solar screens on the exterior and possibly one to two awnings (both for aesthetics and shade) as well.

We don’t have any hard proof (read: too lazy to research this) of climate changes in Bakersfield, just long term Bako-residency memories, but it sure seems like grandma and grandma used to say, “at least it’s a DRY heat” and we’re not convinced that’s entirely the case for 100% of the summer anymore.

Eventually, we might make a move toward the expense of a solar attic fan or a whole house fan and evaporative cooling system which would greatly reduce our air conditioning use as long as we experience dry heat. If the humidity creeps up evap coolers aren’t of much use around here as most people know.

For more energy saving tips check out this great article by Mr. Electricity.