Keeping Cool
The Dog Days of Summer Are Here
The first 10 years or so that I lived in Santa Barbara, the temperatures were mild year round and sweatshirts were required at night no matter time of year. 2011 was the first heat time that I really noticed the temperatures soar above 80 and that was in October. I remember lying on my living room floor with all of the doors and windows open just hoping to feel the breeze, reminding myself that the heat wave would be over in a day or two and I could make it through the 3 day heat wave. Like most Santa Barbarians, I did not have air conditioning at the time (a/c) because it was rare for micro-climate of my beloved beach town to have temperatures peaking above 75 degrees F.
Sleepless in Santa Barbara
As the years have gone by, the heat waves have gotten hotter, longer, more frequent, and have started much earlier in the year. As time went on, I upgraded to fans that promised more air circulation, double-pained windows with UV coating to better insulate, and curtains to keep my rooms dark and cool, all at an attempt to stave off the inevitable: investing in air conditioning.
After a week of sleepless nights where I found myself sleeping with ice packs in my bed to stay cool, I realized there was no way that I could be effective at my job if I continued to be hot, cranky, and sleep deprived! Summer of 2016 was a HOT one and it broke me. I found myself in line at Costco eagerly paying $400 for my De’Longhi Penguino 3-in-1 portable air conditioner, dehumidifier, and fan unit. (Yes, I paid full price at Costo in an “I need it now” desperation to cool off (how to get a deal on A/C units is coming though, keep reading!)
Initially, I only bought 1 unit for my 900 square foot condo and strategically placed fans around the condo to circulate the cool air so that I did not feel like I was walking into an oven when I opened my front door after a long day at work. Although the temperature was usually dropping to 70 degrees F at night, the hot air in my condo was trapped, so while I was at my day job, the De’Longhi was hard at work keeping my place cool during the day so I could turn it off when I got home and open the windows to enjoy the cool breeze.
Blowing Hot Air
Two years ago, we experienced several heat waves where the temperatures did not drop at night. We actually experienced a few Santa Anna wind events, where hot air was blown from inland areas over the mountains to the coastal areas and it actually go HOTTER when the sun went down! Which is CRAZY! I was not going to play musical A/C unit between my living room and bedroom, nor was I going to trade my memory foam mattress for the living room sofa. That meant it was time to buy A/C units for the bedrooms, but this time I was determined not to pay $400 per unit for two more units ($800 total).
I Got it on Ebay!
Instead of heading to Costco for a brand new unit, I decided to look into open box or certified refurbished air conditioning units. That’s how I ended up on Ebay. Although I was unable to find any De’Longhi units, I was able to find some great reviews and deals on Insignia certified refurbished portable A/C units. Since I was buying certified refurbished or open box, I was able to buy 2 units (one for each bedroom) for less than the cost of my De’Longhi from Costco. Plus, the units were delivered to my front door and I did not have to struggle with loading them in and out of my car!
Buying Tips:
Whenever I buy used electronics on Ebay, I use the following to help me decide if this is the right puechase:
- Reviews – I make sure the seller has a lot of great reviews
- This is their business – the seller’s business model revolves around selling certified refurbished electronics and I am not their only customer.
- Return policy – there should be a 30 day return policy so that I feel safe and can return my purchase if I got a lemon.
- It is not USED – I make sure that the product is not being sold as USED from an individual seller.
- All parts included – make sure that all of the accessories are included.
Product Comparison
De'Longhi
vs.
Insignia
It was 94 degrees outside at 1 p.m. on Tbursday, August 20, 2020. Although both units kept my living room and home office cooler than the outside temperature, the De’Longhi is clearly doing a better job of maintaining the programmed 77 degree F temperature than the Insignia!
Keeping WFH Life Cool
Since I bought the Insignias for night time bedroom use, I have never really tested their capabilities during a 94 degree F sunny day until this past week while working from home. Although 83 is a lot cooler than 94, it is still super uncomfortable to watch the temperature on the Insignia climb from 77 to 83 while standing at my Varidesk sweating while writing a geohazard report for a client.
After three days of this, I was done with the Insignia and headed back to Ebay. This time, I was able to find certified refurbished De’Longhi 4-in-1 (the fourth component being heat) for $250, which is less than half the price of a brand new ($627) and it arrives Tuesday!
I’m still keeping one of my Insignia’s for the bedroom at night because it works great at night when the sun is down to keep my room nice and cool so Beaux and I can sleep in cool comfort. The other one, however, is going on Ebay! Since I am not sure why my Insignia is not keeping up with the temperature that I programmed it to during 94 degree temperatures and have noticed an annoyingly loud whistling sound, I am going to sell the my Insignia on Ebay for parts: $100 or best offer (OBO). This will help recover some of the cost of the new unit. Yes, you can sell broken electronics on Ebay for parts! I have sold everything from a broken Chromecast to a television.
Window Panel Installation Tips
After I installed the window panel, I noticed that my window no longer locked: I had solved one problem but created another. So, I improvised with a SMART window alarm connected to my WINK system, added screw clamps to lock my windows in place, and dropped a wooden dowel in the track.
Problem Solving Tools
Keeping it Fresh
Wildfire season is now year round in California, so that means it is asthma season year round for me. While I cannot always get in the car and drive away from the smoke when the entire state is on fire (like now), I can seal up all of my windows, turn up the A/C, and turn on my air purifiers. Yes, the A/C units do have air filters in them, but they are not designed to remove the scent of wildfire and smoke from the air in my condo.
I bought my first air purifier in grad school during a fire in the Santa Ynez Mountains that rained ash on the city and I needed fresh air in my condo while I hammered out my thesis on coastal erosion and sea-cliff retreat. My first air purifier was also an “I need it now” buy with a 20% off Bed, Bath, and Beyond Coupon on a Honeywell AirGenious 5-in-1 air purifier and deoderizer. I love this unit because it is super quiet, has washable filters, and can double as a fan!
The Honeywell pictured with Beaux at left, but in black. More Power
The Thomas Fire in 2017 forced me to evacuate my condo due to the diminished air quality not just outside, but also in my condo. The morning that I decided it was time for Beaux and I to leave, Beaux and I had woken up to fresh air in the bedroom thanks to my Honeywell AirGenious ! However, the air outside of my bedroom door was a different story: I opened my bedroom door to a hallway filled with smoke. Upon seeing that I called my friend in the Buelton and told her that Beaux and I were packing our bags to ride out the fire in wine country! It was also then that I realized I needed more than one air purifier for a 900 sq ft condo.
Although I love my Honeywell AirGenious , I did not want to shell out another $200 a unit ($400 for two), with or without a Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupon. Plus, while I was out of the smoke zone, I had time to do some research and price shop for the right unit at the right price for my square footage.
I decided to station my existing Honeywell in my home office. 
This was a great buy! It is small enough to fit on my nightstand, has washable filters (becuase buying filters is expensive), and it's half the price of the Honeywell! 
I needed a slightly larger unit for the livning room/dining room/kitchen area (shop based on room square footage). It also fits perfectly under one of my living room end tables where it is out of the way! Paying For It
Does running my A/C and air purifiers increase me electric bill? ABSOLUTELY. Is it worth it?!? YES!!!
Depending on the month, the A/C and air purifiers can increase my electric bill anywhere from a few dollars to straight up doubling my electric bill from what it would be without A/C. However, I’m totally OK with that because I participate in OhmConnect OhmHours that pay me to turn off the lights and reduce my energy consumption for 1-4 hours a day 1-4 times a week. I love participating in OhmConnect because it is a free service that rewards me with points that I can convert to cash just from saving energy!
How it works: 24 hrs before there is going to be an OhmHour, I get a text giving me a heads up to conserve energy when it matters most to the grid and the environment! The more energy I save during my OhmHours, the more money I can make! It’s a great way for me to “unplug” from my new work from home lifestyle while making some extra cash along the way!
Last year, the amount of energy that OhmConnect users saved was equivalent to removing 1,189 tons of garbage from landfills and planting 4,565 acres of trees!
Join me during the next OhmHour! Use my referral link to get $10 when you sign up and connect your utility!
Referral Link: https://go.zyper.com/posh4penniesbae
