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Having a literal melt down

ALM

Hello

I'm sure everyone is going through this. 

Today I got so anxious about the heatwave that I didn't know what to do with myself. 

Spent so much time trying to logically figure out how to escape the heat that I got really upset and even hotter. 

I just can't function in this heat. It's so disregulating. 

Previously I've tried a number of different fans, a very expensive loud air conditioning unit, staying in a hotel with ac (very expensive). I don't think it's possible to escape the heat unfortunately.

How do you manage? Do you have any tips? 

Any suggestions greatly appreciated 

Parents
  • ALM said:
    Do you have any tips? 

    I would recommend using one of the fans and have a tray of cold water (ideally with ice in it) and position it so that the air blown by the fan passes over the tray. You may need to boost it with a box or something similar to get to the right height.

    This then blows cooled, moist air that is great for keeping cool. You obviously need to be close to the fan (ie not in another room) for this to work,

  • in reply to Iain

    Are these types of fan legal in the UK? I would of thought there was a hazzard having water and electricity so close?

  • in reply to TheCatWoman
    TheCatWoman said:
    I would of thought there was a hazzard having water and electricity so close?

    The fan is a conventional one - the tray can be just a bowl of ice or cold water which can be 20cm or so in front of the fan to prevent contact. Since the wind is blowing away from the fan then the water vapour will not be an issue of the fan itself.

    As for safety, there are electrical outlets in most bathrooms for things like hairdryers or shavers and there seems no concern over these in general.

    All appliances should be fused and the mains as well (I realise you live in an ancient house but I hope the electrics are up to code) so in the event of and short circuit due to a spill then the fuses should detect the increased current flow and trip / blow.

    In conclusion, there is no inherent danger here and when water is actually poured into the fan then it has safety mechanisms to protect you.

Reply
  • in reply to TheCatWoman
    TheCatWoman said:
    I would of thought there was a hazzard having water and electricity so close?

    The fan is a conventional one - the tray can be just a bowl of ice or cold water which can be 20cm or so in front of the fan to prevent contact. Since the wind is blowing away from the fan then the water vapour will not be an issue of the fan itself.

    As for safety, there are electrical outlets in most bathrooms for things like hairdryers or shavers and there seems no concern over these in general.

    All appliances should be fused and the mains as well (I realise you live in an ancient house but I hope the electrics are up to code) so in the event of and short circuit due to a spill then the fuses should detect the increased current flow and trip / blow.

    In conclusion, there is no inherent danger here and when water is actually poured into the fan then it has safety mechanisms to protect you.

Children
  • in reply to Iain
    Iain said:
    there are electrical outlets in most bathrooms for things like hairdryers or shavers and there seems no concern over these in general.

    This is nonsense - and concerning, given that you've previously said you work in property development and do some building work yourself. 

    In the UK, as the NICEIC explains, there are heavy restrictions on electrical sockets in bathrooms. And "most bathrooms" certainly don't have electrical outlets for hairdryers.

    The Electrical Safety Council also advises: "Never bring mains-powered portable appliances such as hairdryers ... into a bathroom. You could be severely injured or killed."

    Iain said:
    All appliances should be fused and the mains as well (I realise you live in an ancient house but I hope the electrics are up to code) so in the event of and short circuit due to a spill then the fuses should detect the increased current flow and trip / blow.

    Neither a Residual Current Device (RCD) nor a fuse is guaranteed to prevent electric shocks. As the Health and Safety Executive explains:

    "A Residual Current Device (RCD) can reduce the likelihood of an electrical injury but a shock can still cause very serious or fatal injuries, so an RCD should only be used as a secondary means of reducing the risk of people being injured by electricity." 

    Iain said:
    there is no inherent danger here

    On the contrary, putting an open bowl of water close to a mains-powered fan introduces an obvious electrical hazard.

    And that's before considering that autistic people can have particular problems with clumsiness (there are plenty of threads here about that). So it's easy to see how a fan or bowl could be knocked over, causing them to come together. Personally, I wouldn't put an open container of water anywhere near a mains-powered fan.