It’s the first day of summer and with many 90 degree plus days in Wisconsin lately, one might think we’re right smack in the middle of July. From the looks of things, we’re in for a scorcher this summer and extreme heat can be very dangerous, so today I’m sharing heat stress prevention tips to keep you and your loved ones safe. JMATEK sent me a product and information for this feature, but all opinions are my own.
When the temperatures rise, it might be best to stay out of the heat because extreme heat is nothing to mess around with. If your home doesn’t have central air or an air conditioning unit, I highly recommend investing in a portable air conditioner, like the Honeywell Portable AC HL12CESWG, that I received. Portable air conditioning units are on wheels so they’re completely portable and require no heavy lifting as long as you’re not taking it between different levels in your home.
The units are large, but can stand against a wall, as long as it’s by a window, and be placed wherever you’d like. These are so much more convenient that window unit air conditioners because of their portability, as well as the fact that they don’t have to be taken in and out. Instead, you would just take the vent out of the window and close it back up.
A hose connects to the back of the unit, then to the vent that you would place in the window. The hose is flexible so can be easily adjusted to be as long or as short as you need it to be. As you can see from the image above, our hose has a decent amount of slack in it, so we could move it even further from the window if need be.
The portable air conditioning unit has numerous controls, for your ultimate comfort. You can choose between low, medium and high fan speeds, and even use the unit in fan mode. You can select the temperature you’d like it to cool the room to and even set a timer or sleep mode.
The vent on the unit itself actually closes when not in use too.
Portable air conditioning units come in a variety of sizes, so that it is easy to pick the one that is right for your room. You can buy them on Amazon and many other retailers like Walmart, Target,?Lowes, Best Buy and Home Depot.
Now less get on the topic of heat stress prevention for the hot summer ahead of us. Everyone is at risk of extreme heat but those most vulnerable are babies and the elderly, along with athletes, outdoor workers, people with heart conditions and those without access to air conditioning. Take a look at the infographic above for all of the statistics. They might shock you!
Heat stress prevention tips
Here are some heat stress prevention tips for you and your loved ones.
- Keep yourself hydrated. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to take a drink, and alcohol should be avoided.
- Keep yourself cool. Take a cool shower or bath and wear light, breathable clothing. NEVER leave anyone in a hot vehicle, including pets!
- Seek shelter from the heat. Get into an air conditioned area and consider evaporative cooling units for outdoor areas.
