Need Emergency Ways to Cool Down

[thebluejackal]

Our AC just went out. This evening. It's blowing and blowing and blowing, but it feels cooler outside than inside and I about fainted when I saw the thermometer on a tower fan upstairs read "84" where the usual "78" is. The unit outside is rattling.

Needless to say, I'm freaking out.

I've set up the fan in my gecko closet to blow over a frozen water bottle and an ice pack right now, which has driven the temp in there down a couple of degrees. I'm also asking my friends and my local herp society to see if anyone can house their tanks (and put my female in the large planted viv in a KK for a couple of days, which she'll hate, but tough titties) until it's fixed.

Any other suggestions in the meantime?

My roach heat pad is currently off as well.

[Gecko Girl]

I have heard you can fold and wet a towel and stick them in the freezer. Cover the tanks with the frozen towels and the cold air will sink down into the tank to keep your animals cool. Rotate out as needed until your a/c is back up. Hope this helps.

[Jaybee]

Also if you have larger tanks you can freeze water bottles and wrap them in a moist towel and stick them right in the enclosure. Again, rotating out as needed. Make sure to use a temp gauge to verify it's not getting too cold.

[that_girl]

Do you only have rhacs? If so, 84 isn't the end of the world. They should do ok for a short time. I'd move any eggs you have though.

[thebluejackal]

I have heard you can fold and wet a towel and stick them in the freezer. Cover the tanks with the frozen towels and the cold air will sink down into the tank to keep your animals cool. Rotate out as needed until your a/c is back up. Hope this helps.

I will try this. I have some kitchen towels I can wet down and freeze.

Also if you have larger tanks you can freeze water bottles and wrap them in a moist towel and stick them right in the enclosure. Again, rotating out as needed. Make sure to use a temp gauge to verify it's not getting too cold.

I can do this in my large tank downstairs, but not the smaller ones upstairs. They're in a very small room, though (Maybe 4' by 6'), so I'll try my best to keep the room cool.

Do you only have rhacs? If so, 84 isn't the end of the world. They should do ok for a short time. I'd move any eggs you have though.

I'll take my singular egg downstairs where it's a wee bit cooler. The thing is that it's now 82 after cracking the windows all night and turning every fan in the house on . . . but that's when it's 77F outside. I'm worried about the 90+ temps later in the day. And yes, only rhacs -- cresteds.

[VetTech2007]

If you can't put frozen water bottles in, you could put some ice cubes in a ziploc and wrap that in a wet towel. We do this a lot with feverish cats and dogs at the clinic and it does cool down the cages, should work great with terrariums. Good luck!

[thebluejackal]

If you can't put frozen water bottles in, you could put some ice cubes in a ziploc and wrap that in a wet towel. We do this a lot with feverish cats and dogs at the clinic and it does cool down the cages, should work great with terrariums. Good luck!

I may have to buy some ice . . . we don't have an ice maker and never use ice cubes. X.x


I'm also using a battery-powered LED lantern in there today that isn't NEARLY as bright as the CFL bulb in the closet, but should be cooler. Just trying to shave off whatever I can. Temp in there currently reads 82.

Also remind me that there is an egg on top of the refrigerator. >.>;

[thebluejackal]

Dogs moved downstairs? Check. Water in crates? Check. Makeshift fan/water bottle AC blowing toward gecko cages? Check. Towels in freezer (which I'll pull out on my lunch hour) and more water bottles in the freezer.

Wish I could move the geckos downstairs, but it's not a happenin' thing with kitties. The only room I could take them to has a poorly insulated window and is just as hot as up here. >,<

Hmmm . . . *snatches a second fan to put in the gecko room*

[thebluejackal]

I've managed to get it to 80 in there!

[Jaybee]

An egg is on top of the fridge? Fridges can get really warm on top so just be careful with that.