Aircon

Monday, 11th August 2003
The Netherlands are hot. Our national meteorological institute has declared these hot days an official heat wave. The Dutch cool down next to water. Beaches and swimming pools are full.

To me it feels like I'm near the equator again. I enjoy the heat. As far as I'm concerned every summer may last 12 months. My blood is full of tropics, I'll take them all along.

My physical speed slows down, I start relaxing at breakfast,
Special thanks to Menno Zeilstra
for supplying the real
IBM keyboard.
get my bike out of the shed and cycle slowly to the train station. The office of my current OO-PHP project is air conditioned. It is a bit of a shame. Behind a cool keyboard (a real IBM one!) the hot weather passes without notice.

I only struggle in the evening. At home the heat accumulates over the day. Sweating on the damp sheets I find it hard to sleep. A fan does help, but its buzz keeps me awake.

I wish I had an aircon. Air conditioners are strange devices. They dispose heat to somewhere, where it does not bother you, withdraw heat using evaporation. An aircon is

There must be a way to mimic the cooling. I have to wet my house, let it cool down by evaporation. Armed with a bucket of cold water and a watering-can I water the outdoor walls. The hot stone walls suck buckets full of water. The neighbours must think I have gone mad:

Nut is watering his house.

Fine with me. It works.
  1. The water evaporates from the wet walls.
  2. The hot moisture stays outdoors very nicely.
  3. The house cools down, like it just rained.
Wet walls are an excellent air conditioner. The bedroom is nice and cool. The fan can take a break. After earlier sweaty nights I make up for my missed sleep. I sleep all to well: I oversleep myself and enjoy it!

When wet walls keep me cool
I don't mind being a fool.

Till next nut,
Nut