Love it, Hate it, Miss it....Expats in DR

Hi there Gypsy!
OK, I give up.....
WHAT'S a swamp cooler?

swamp coolers work best in lower humidity areas The lower the better, That's why Arizona did not have much AC years ago. just swamp coolers use alot of energy vs the cooling benefits in high humidity..they provide zero cooling at 98 to 100% humid days. most end up on the junk pile in places I lived like south texas

evaporative cooler is correct name. has basin full of water that used to get moldy hence the name swamp.
I can lower temps by about ten degrees if 50% humid. not good for high humidity. but we do not have to many days above 70% si they will work

Yes in the right climate they work great and saves huge $$$$ over AC.  But alas won't really work here

Bob K

So, it's a de-humidifier?

You are right, I had the humidity bass-ackwards.  bleach in the water, a few drops will prevent the mold.   Works like a wet hay bale in a barn door.  I used them in Ft Lauderdale, Delray Beach, Boca Raton & in Boynton Beach..  Commercial units with automatic drip dispensers of algae & mold preventers.  No odors or chemicals emitted into the environment.   Granted it was many years ago.

Tomas Cabrera wrote:

So, it's a de-humidifier?

no the opposite.,it works like blowing outside air over a wet rag then onto you. in simple terms

gypsy401 wrote:

You are right, I had the humidity bass-ackwards.  .

that's ok we all get things backwards at times. I do. I knew you knew better since you used them. I bought a bunch of  used ones in government auctions, never made a dime reselling them. don't work in houston

Great discussion.  So,  90 with a light breeze............ too funny.  How about  96 at night and it drops all the way  to oh say 93 at night.  Then the humidity  from mid June all the way to  mid Oct or so can be brutal.  Get ready to sweat.....LOL 

Living by the water helps a lot with the breeze but not near enough. 

But we still love it.

We are so fortunate as most can afford an inverter and batteries, when the electric goes out you still have a fan to get you thru this heat. Now imagine what its like for most locals - no inverter, no electric, no fans LOTS of suffering through hot sticky nights with little sleep.  Then they get up and go to work......... yikes.  This can go on for days sometimes.....

Planner well said.

AND glad to hear Tiny is home!!!

Bob K

we do not have AC .we do not have invertor, nor batteries. and yes it gets hot. sometimes we bring out the fan. Night is not too bad..we take a lot of cold showers

We have AC and have used it about 10 times in the last 10 years. Usually a nice breeze here on the hill. In fact the last two nights I ended up under the covers.

BObK

We have AC and have used it about 10 times in the last 10 years. Usually a nice breeze here on the hill. In fact the last two nights I ended up under the covers.

BObK

We are going to put a second storey on our our house. As a result of recent visits to Super Pola i like the idea of the little room they have to keep drinks cold and would like one, only a little one, where any of us could go to cool down when necessary, then come on out to carry on with whatever. What do you think?

we go visit the mermaid when its too hot jajajajajaj (la Serina).at least I do, my wife thinks i'm loca

Okay, it's a humidifier.

Tomas Cabrera wrote:

Okay, it's a humidifier.

sort of
a humidifier puts humidity into a room but you get no cooling from it.

an evaporative cooler uses evaporation to cool. that's why they do not work good in high humidity. the air is already saturated  with moisture,they do not add humidity if working right

they are called desert coolers also
evaporative coolers have been around since romans.but they were crude barrels of water with slaves standing behind them, with palm  fronds

Thanks Planner, this trip in July is part research and fun. We were just there in February and of course it was beautiful but if we're thinking about living there full time we need to experience a different "Season" before pulling the trigger.

ns143

Thanks Bob K,
I'm curious, I've been putting together a budget for us, how much should I allow for a housekeeper once or twice a week plus a gardner ?

ns143

NS  you have a great plan. 

Texas you are a far stronger person then I care to be.....LOL NO inverter =  horrible attempts at sleep and mosquitoes. No thank you. 

Granca - my guess is that little room will cost you BIG time, it is air conditioned or like a refrigerator, and there goes the electric bill. And you won't be running that on an inverter........

nah.i sleep fine. its not that hot at night. mosquitos not a big problem we have screens on windows. we are all accustomed to it. You get used to it.. I can survive anywhere. if I can sleep in a humid swamp I can sleep anywhere. home is like 5 star hotel to me

Housekeeper on a  daily basis should be about $500 pesos a day plus lunch.  Gardener $400 plus lunch.  ON a daily basis both are  bit more expensive per day than if hired full time.

Bob K

Good info Bob,  remember that housekeepers are being put on the gov't insurance now,  that adds a bit of cost and hassle.  Now sure how it is going to apply to part time people but full time needs to be registered.

Has that become law or are they still arguing about it?

Bob K

Its law,  they started registering people this week apparently.

Hey Bob.
Here in Cabrera, housekeepers/cooks are between 4-6000 pesos
per month, 6 days a week inc. lunch. Gardeners, 1 day per week
for 1-2000 pesos per month.
You are quoting "gated Communities" rates.

Yes I am.  Here gated or not housekeeper is $8000-$10,000 plus lunch and transport.  Gardeners closer to the $8000 rate.

For our house keeper we also pay her insurance and have put both of her daughters in private school.

Bob K

wow we pay zero,

Gee sounds like its a daughter or two????   You may not pay but it costs you.....LOL   

Easy to say  rates differ by location and lifestyle..

My house cleaner is great. I just showed her the new vacuum today and she couldn't believe it. I can eat off the floors now! Love it!

planner wrote:

Gee sounds like its a daughter or two????   You may not pay but it costs you.....LOL   

Easy to say  rates differ by location and lifestyle..

nah my wife
kids live on there own

we do all the cleaning, gardening and house work. we can hire people but we don't

We enjoy like having house staff it frees up our time to do lots of other things.  I know it is not for everyone bit certainly works for us

Bob K

The lady cleans my place for 300 pesos and does a great job. That's less than $8. In Colorado my place was twice the size but cleaning costs were $75-$350 for a one time clean. That's just nuts.

Texas, I'm with you.  Exercise is good for you, too easy to get lazy & fat with out it.  Plus the satisfaction of having accomplished something worthwhile.   I do my own everything including laundry.  I would go nuts just sitting around watching others do the things that I'm capable of doing.  Even if I were rich, I would still do it.  Maybe not the laundry though.  Different strokes I guess.

Dreamtime we may have had this conversation before but where in Colorado.  We moved here from Conifer.

Bob K

Thatd be me, too, Gypsy.  I'm kind of picky, too.  But I can see the advantages of having help, if you're working part time, or have other involvements.  And it is nice when you are able to help others , too.

Boulder. The absolute worst place I've ever lived in my life. It's hard to believe people are piling into that place like its #1 on the planet. Totally insane.

The same issue is with everything in that city. House and construction workers, plumbers, painters, etc. It's endless how expensive and a royal pain it is to do things there. I tried for 3 years to get a landscape crew to come out and do the sprinkler system. Only two people came out. One gave a quote for top dollar and he couldn't even do it till the end of summer. Just nuts to live there.

dreamtime wrote:

Boulder. The absolute worst place I've ever lived in my life. It's hard to believe people are piling into that place like its #1 on the planet. Totally insane.

The same issue is with everything in that city. House and construction workers, plumbers, painters, etc. It's endless how expensive and a royal pain it is to do things there. I tried for 3 years to get a landscape crew to come out and do the sprinkler system. Only two people came out. One gave a quote for top dollar and he couldn't even do it till the end of summer. Just nuts to live there.

was a good place years ago in the  60's and seventies but then people with money move In  and change everything,(for the better or worse) and it happened all over  Colorado.you could not pay  me money to hang out in to many of those towns today.

That is some of the reasons as to why we lived up in the foothills in unincorporated Jefferson County.  Lived on acreage shared with elk and other critters.  I do miss is a tad.

Bob K