Keeping cool on ABQ’s 100-degree days

Published July 15th, 2024 at 11:10 am

Albuquerque’s summers come sooner and last longer than they used to. They’re also setting new records for high temperatures.

In fact, a new study from the University of Maryland found that Albuquerque’s future summers look a lot like Roswell’s today.

When temps creep close to 100, it’s time to rethink how we stay cool.

Here are a few tips to keep yourself and your loved ones (and your pets!) safe this summer.

When is it too hot to be outside?

We checked with the experts at the CDC. Here’s what they had to say:

For many people, warm weather is a time for fun-filled outdoor activities. However, hot weather and outdoor activities don’t always mix well, especially during periods of extreme heat— times when temperatures are substantially hotter and/or more humid than average for a location and date.

Extreme heat can cause people to suffer from heat-related illness, and even death. People suffer heat-related illness when their bodies are unable to properly cool themselves. Older adults, young children, and people with chronic medical conditions are at high risk for heat-related illness and death. More than 700 people die from extreme heat every year in the United States.

Warmer temperatures can mean higher ozone levels. Pay attention to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index when planning outdoor summer activities, especially if you have asthma or another lung disease.

Track extreme heat in your area. The CDC Heat & Health Tracker provides local heat and health information so communities can better prepare for and respond to extreme heat events. You can use it to explore how extreme heat affects your county, populations that are at risk, and resources for response.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/climate-health/php/resources/protect-yourself-from-the-dangers-of-extreme-heat.html

When is it too hot inside?

Albuquerque homes used to come standard with an evaporative cooler (swamp cooler) and that did great for most summer days, even up into the high 80’s.

We asked Chad Redford at Kidzz Mechanical why hotter summers mean lower efficiency from those old-fashioned coolers.

The biggest issue with swamp coolers in our climate is that 10 or 20 years ago our monsoon season occurred in late August/early September. Now in recent years we get our monsoon season in early/mid July.

When the rains come the relative humidity increases from our usual 5-10% humidity to 25-35% relative humidity. When the relative humidity increases to over 20% a swamp cooler only has the ability to change the temperature or air by 6-7°.

This change in climate has encouraged many people to convert to refrigerated air so that they have the ability to stay comfortable during the hottest days of the year.

And, we all know that swamp coolers can lower inside temperatures by up to 20-degrees. On our hottest days, inside temps can still be unbearable. The National Weather Service shows us that ABQ is seeing more high temperature days each year.

Can I afford A/C in ABQ?

When it gets this hot, it’s time to upgrade your old evaporative cooler or inefficient A/C to high efficiency A/C.

Thanks to new federal instant rebates and homeowner financing, most Albuquerque homeowners can convert quickly without any big up front payments.

Kidzz Mechanical even stocks up on the most popular units and keeps teams available for hot summer weather to ensure they can provide same day and next day service when you need it most.

Here’s how a trusted local team like Kidzz Mechanical can help:

10 year warranty on all parts and labor. 1 price for 10 years of coverage! Our high efficiency package doesn’t only come with a 10 year front to back warranty, but also 5 years of biannually maintaining your equipment and cleaning your duct system.

We don’t only want you to have the best equipment, that provides you with the maximum amount of federal and state tax credits/rebates; we want you to breathe cleaner air, and have a system you don’t need to worry about for years to come. Our premium maintenance package makes servicing your HVAC system turn key and effortless. Just let the Kidzz fix!

We offer great finance plans through Wells Fargo and have many different rate plans to match your budget and monthly income. Take advantage of an affordable monthly payment on equipment the government will give you up to $2500.00 back on when you do your taxes next year! Federal tax credits and State rebates are available for all high efficiency heat pumps! Call us today to learn more! Mention this ad and get a 10% discount on your next high efficiency system!

Chad Redford, Kidzz Mechanical