Temperatures are soaring in the East Bay! With highs reaching into the 90s and low 100s, it’s becoming intolerably hot in LaMorinda and especially points farther East (sorry, Concord!)
Heat is especially challenging in our area because many homes in the East Bay are older. Down in San Ramon and Dublin, newer houses are built to handle hot temperatures. But in Walnut Creek, Concord, Lafayette, and other older cities, many homes were built before the world started to heat up.
This can make it hard to adjust to heat waves. But the great news is, we tested some gadgets here at the Bay Area Telegraph that can help you brave the East Bay heat.
#1: Black & Decker Portable Air Conditioner
Growing up on the East Coast, I remember loud, inefficient window air conditioners that we used to install every summer! They barely cooled the room, and I was always afraid they would fall out of the window onto the street below.
Today’s portable air conditioners are vastly more efficient, powerful, and easy to use.
In my home here in Lafayette, California, I have an upstairs that’s barely air-conditioned. On hot days, it gets into the 90s.
I ended up getting this Black & Decker portable air conditioner. You can set it up nearly anywhere that you have a window. You plug it into the wall, run the hose out the window, and you’ve got a cool room in an hour or two.
I even took the air conditioner to Tahoe with me on a recent trip when my AirBNB didn’t have AC!
One thing I love about the air conditioner is that you don’t have to empty the condensation like you did with older portable units. It automatically evaporates condensation and ejects it out the same tube as the hot air.
You can check the price and shipping time on Amazon–often they can deliver one in about 24 hours!
#2: Water Balloon Bundles
If you have kids or are merely a kid at heart, getting outside and playing with water is a great way to brave the heat.
Filling up one water balloon at a time, though, is so 1990s! Today, we have cool gadgets like Bunch O Balloons. Connect it to a hose, turn on the water, and you’ll have around 30 water balloons filled up and ready to go in under a minute.
Concerned about the ecological impact of all that single-use plastic? You can also check out these reusable water balloons, which my kids love.
#3: Honeywell Quietset Tower Fan
With PG&E bills at record highs, running your air conditioner can get expensive.
In extreme heat, it’s often the only option to stay safe. But on chillier nights when your house is still stifling, this tower fan from Honeywell is a great alternative.
As the name implies, this tower fan is extremely quiet but moves a ton of air. I like to position it by an open window at night and let it bring lots of cool air into my house.
You can get one at Target, but you can also order on Amazon. Check the current price, as there are often promotions and coupons.
#4: Duxtop Induction Cooktop
I know it seems strange to recommend something that heats up during a heat wave! But bear with me.
Most homes in the East Bay use natural gas for their stoves. Many chefs prefer natural gas, but during a heat wave, burning gas in order to cook also heats up your home.
The Duxtop induction cooktop is great because it lets you cook with a minimum of waste heat. Induction cooktops use a magnetic field to heat up your pot instead of using direct heating. It’s much more efficient, which means faster cooking times and less heat escaping into your house.
This Duxtop model is great because you can put it on your countertop and use it just like you would any other burner. Just check to make sure that your pans are induction-compatible—if a magnet sticks to it, you’re generally good.
I got mine over at Amazon.
#5: Dripper Hoses
Keep in mind that on very hot days, you might be suffering, but your plants are too!
Sprinklers are very wasteful of water, especially on hot days when a lot of it just evaporates. Instead, use drip hoses.
In my East Bay garden, they deliver water directly to my plants’ roots, and I can turn them on for five or ten minutes in the afternoon on very hot days to ensure that the ground doesn’t dry out too much.
Drip hoses are also a great solution if you want to avoid having to run your full irrigation system all the time.
My sprinklers rest less frequently, and I also water my fruit trees with a laundry to landscape gray water system. But on days when the main irrigation isn’t running, the drip hoses provide a nice top-up. You can see the specific ones I use on Amazon.
Extreme heat can be extremely dangerous. Make sure to stay safe and cool, and always use your air conditioning when it’s needed.
In addition to basic safety measures, these gadgets can help make the East Bay’s extreme heat a little more tolerable!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks!
