Time till body shuts down

[TACKERDOWN]

I could Google it but its better conversation on here. How long can one work in an attic at this temperature. I didn't I went back the next day, I'm not young dumb and full of beep anymore.

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[VTP99]

133 minutes sounds like a good answer. :grin2:

[Six]

I dont blame you.

Even a young guy shouldnt be up there with out a buddy system of some sort.

The roofs get that hot and when August rolls around we schedule our service calls to make sure we're off the roofs in the hottest part of the day.

[mark beiser]

Wimp! :p

This afternoon I was changing a blower motor in an attic.
I had my 20" high velocity fan blowing air on me, but it shut off on thermal overload, so I got curious and set a thermometer out where it was protected from radiant heat from the roof deck.
The air temperature was 138º.

We pretty regularly work in attics that are that hot, or hotter, 150º isn't unusual.
Makes those all day installs really fun.
Any day where you are going to where it is "only" 100º to take cool down breaks is probably not a fun day...

Hmm, that reminds me, I need to go buy a new fan, mine has some play in the shaft, which I suspect is why it gave out on me today.
So sad, that fan has been my lifeline in attics for close to 10 years. :(

[TACKERDOWN]

That pritty bad when your fan can't handle it. I've never been in a 150 deg. But I used to do attic installs all summer and had some sort of air flow. Maybe I should get a fan. I just don't see it as a good idea any more just to test a system that can wait till the next morn.

133 min that's a good one.

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[mark beiser]

I just don't see it as a good idea any more just to test a system that can wait till the next morn.

My "next morning" for the next couple of weeks are all booked already.:gah:

I suppose that is a good thing though. :)


I have passed out from the heat once.
The house had a brand new black composition shingle roof that replaced a wood roof. No attic ventilation was added at all, it didn't even have soffit vents.
It was >170º on a intensely sunny 74º day...
I was in the attic for maybe 15 minutes, and passed out as I was taking the last step off the attic ladder into the garage!

The customer complaint was that the heat would come on periodically and blow hot air for a couple of minutes, then shut off.
The problem was that the air temperature in the attic was so hot that it was heating the air in the furnace up enough to make the fan/limit control turn the blower on in the heating speed.

There have been a number of occasions where I found manual reset secondary limits tripped by the attic heat.

[VTP99]

Sounds like you might have to do those jobs naked. :grin2:

[corny]

I worked in a plant this week that was pretty hot and yesterday I was in a boiler room and air compressor room all day. Working in the ceiling where the heat collects.

I didnt feel good yesterday morning but went to work anyways and spent all day working in that heat with "the splats".... running to release the kracken even after just sipping on water or a soda.

I left early yesterday when I finally couldnt take it anymore and when I got home last night both my legs and my side and my back started cramping real bad.

I was just exhausted.....physically wiped out..... I finally made it to the bed at about 7 oclock and when I did I was so relieved that I started giggling.

I think with the "splats" and working in that heat all week I must have dehydrated myself or something....

Im not going to do anything this weekend if possible.....no yard work...nothing...

I also might go lie back down after I take my medicine and finish my morning coffee.

[AC5096]

It never ceases to amaze me why in the world we set air handlers and furnaces in attics. They don't take up that much space in a garage or closet.

Got to go change out an evap coil in an attic.:gah:

[TACKERDOWN]

I never had that happen here in PA.

There have been a number of occasions where I found manual reset secondary limits tripped by the attic heat.




They wouldn't fit in most garages around here . that would take up space for the golf bags that never get used .



It never ceases to amaze me why in the world we set air handlers and furnaces in attics. They don't take up that much space in a garage or closet.

Got to go change out an evap coil in an attic.:gah:



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[Sleuth]

It never ceases to amaze me why in the world we set air handlers and furnaces in attics. They don't take up that much space in a garage or closet.

Got to go change out an evap coil in an attic.:gah:
.
HVAC is the very last thing they try to accomodate when laying out plans.

And the first thing they'll whine about when it doesn't work right. Go figure.
:censored:
..

I need to drink 2 - 3 gallons of water a day to stay properly hydrated.

...

[ryan1088]

Wimp! :p

This afternoon I was changing a blower motor in an attic.
I had my 20" high velocity fan blowing air on me, but it shut off on thermal overload, so I got curious and set a thermometer out where it was protected from radiant heat from the roof deck.
The air temperature was 138º.

We pretty regularly work in attics that are that hot, or hotter, 150º isn't unusual.
Makes those all day installs really fun.
Any day where you are going to where it is "only" 100º to take cool down breaks is probably not a fun day...

Hmm, that reminds me, I need to go buy a new fan, mine has some play in the shaft, which I suspect is why it gave out on me today.
So sad, that fan has been my lifeline in attics for close to 10 years. :(

When your fan quits you and says ":censored: it's so hot up here....I'm out" maybe it's time to get out of there.

[Six]

Wimp! :p

This afternoon I was changing a blower motor in an attic.
I had my 20" high velocity fan blowing air on me, but it shut off on thermal overload, so I got curious and set a thermometer out where it was protected from radiant heat from the roof deck.
The air temperature was 138º.

We pretty regularly work in attics that are that hot, or hotter, 150º isn't unusual.
Makes those all day installs really fun.
Any day where you are going to where it is "only" 100º to take cool down breaks is probably not a fun day...

Hmm, that reminds me, I need to go buy a new fan, mine has some play in the shaft, which I suspect is why it gave out on me today.
So sad, that fan has been my lifeline in attics for close to 10 years. :(


Lol.... your the guy complaining about the widow makers right ? You guys are crazy. Why not invest in a cool vest with extra packs.

Ive had a mild heat stroke before and its not fun. By the time you realize your in trouble its too late. Luckily there were guys around me that got me cooled down and to a hospital.

98 degrees in Houston with about 89% RH that day. I couldnt tell them what day it was or what year it was (i dont remeber any of it ) aftrr coming off a roof with black rubber sheets used as roofing material.

[TACKERDOWN]

.
HVAC is the very last thing they try to accomodate when laying out plans.

And the first thing they'll whine about when it doesn't work right. Go figure.
:censored:
..

I need to drink 2 - 3 gallons of water a day to stay properly hydrated.

...

ain't that the truth . They will spend 500 dollars per fixture for their bathrooms and put the cheapest h vac system in they can. and then complain .

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[gruntly]

This week it's been near 100F all week. Drinking a gallon is easy. Keep your electrolytes up guys (Sodium, Potasium)

I measured a couple of weeks ago on a really hot day, I drank 7L of various drinks... Still lost 5 lbs from the morning

[madhat]

I was working on an RTU, on a black roof, when my boss came up on me. He was pissed because he couldn't get me on the 2-way radio. A few minutes earlier my DeWalt just quit. The heat had opened the battery overloads. He wasn't the least bit concerned about me, just wanted to give me another call. At the end of the day he had to hold the radio over the AC outlet so the battery would reset for charging. I also had to reset my iPhone.

Keep your Potasium up, eat bananas. I wouldn't worry about the salt, as we get too much anyway.

[mark beiser]

FYI, Spicy Hot V8 has loads of potassium.

[WMG]

These really work and make the conditions much more bearable. I just roll it up and drape it over my neck for cooling and sun protection.
http://www.froggtoggs.com/?cooling/details/CP100#

[madhat]

We asked for Cooling vest four years ago. They had several meeting about them, at least one of them was catered lunch. What they spent on the meetings they could have bought one for each of us, rather than just three or four to be used as needed.

[corny]

I didnt do anything all day but lay around the house......feeling a bit better now.....Might go out and mow some around seven.

One thing I forgot to mention about yesterday is that I kept getting swimmy headed too....or what I call seeing stars every time Id make a sudden move.

I should have went home at lunch yesterday.... I have not been that sick at work in a looooooooong time.

I need to bust out the old cooler and start carrying me some drinks around. At the plant Im working at the break room is so far away I put off taking a break to the point where I dont go get anything to drink. Im gonna fix my cooler this weekend or buy a new one and start carrying some water and a couple of sodas ( for the sugar )......might toss in a couple of candy bars or something.

My legs are still hurting from that cramping last night. Not cramping or anything but they just feel worn out.

[timebuilder]

I didnt do anything all day but lay around the house......feeling a bit better now.....Might go out and mow some around seven.

One thing I forgot to mention about yesterday is that I kept getting swimmy headed too....or what I call seeing stars every time Id make a sudden move.

I should have went home at lunch yesterday.... I have not been that sick at work in a looooooooong time.

I need to bust out the old cooler and start carrying me some drinks around. At the plant Im working at the break room is so far away I put off taking a break to the point where I dont go get anything to drink. Im gonna fix my cooler this weekend or buy a new one and start carrying some water and a couple of sodas ( for the sugar )......might toss in a couple of candy bars or something.

My legs are still hurting from that cramping last night. Not cramping or anything but they just feel worn out.


If you get a lot of leg pain, get screened for PAD.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/peripheral-arterial-disease/ds00537/dsection=symptoms

[Six]

I didnt do anything all day but lay around the house......feeling a bit better now.....Might go out and mow some around seven.

One thing I forgot to mention about yesterday is that I kept getting swimmy headed too....or what I call seeing stars every time Id make a sudden move.

I should have went home at lunch yesterday.... I have not been that sick at work in a looooooooong time.

I need to bust out the old cooler and start carrying me some drinks around. At the plant Im working at the break room is so far away I put off taking a break to the point where I dont go get anything to drink. Im gonna fix my cooler this weekend or buy a new one and start carrying some water and a couple of sodas ( for the sugar )......might toss in a couple of candy bars or something.

My legs are still hurting from that cramping last night. Not cramping or anything but they just feel worn out.

" Swimmy headed "

You had what old woman in the South call " the vapors "

[ga-hvac-tech]

I didnt do anything all day but lay around the house......feeling a bit better now.....Might go out and mow some around seven.

One thing I forgot to mention about yesterday is that I kept getting swimmy headed too....or what I call seeing stars every time Id make a sudden move.

I should have went home at lunch yesterday.... I have not been that sick at work in a looooooooong time.

I need to bust out the old cooler and start carrying me some drinks around. At the plant Im working at the break room is so far away I put off taking a break to the point where I dont go get anything to drink. Im gonna fix my cooler this weekend or buy a new one and start carrying some water and a couple of sodas ( for the sugar )......might toss in a couple of candy bars or something.

My legs are still hurting from that cramping last night. Not cramping or anything but they just feel worn out.

If your head was swimming, you were dangerously CLOSE to doing some serious damage to yourself. That symptom is beyond what we should allow ourselves to experience.

I did an install a few years ago in a 135D attic... had a helper along mainly to keep an eye on me. The helper kept a cool towel (wetted with cold water from the sink) around my neck (changed it every 10 minutes). One would not think a cool wet towel would make that much difference, but it DOES!

I was thinking of buying one of those portable 'spot coolers'... but instead got an install crew of hispanics... they seem to not be bothered with it... guess they grew up in it an are used to it. I do make them come down every hour and drink some water & cool off. They fuss, but the do as I ask.

[corny]

I think my legs are hurting today because of all the cramping yesterday evening when I got home. My legs were cramping for an hour or so at least. They just would not stop.

I think it was heat cramps or a combination of that and having to climb around on the lift I was using.

Im going to my heart doc the 27th of july....I may inquire about that PAD stuff anyway.

I remember before going in and getting my stents done that my legs hurt a lot but it wasnt cramping....

Today the muscles just feel sore.....like Ive been thru one heck of a workout.

What I call swimmy headed is a tingling feeling all over.....and you feel like you are going to pass out.

I think I just overdid it last week....... the heat...not going to get something to drink.....my problems holding anything in.......lol.....

Im going to be more carefull in the future......take some breaks....drink plenty of water during the day....maybe a gatorade or some type of drink every now and then to replace things lost by sweating so much.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Acute leg cramping 'can' be lowered levels of potassium, magnesium, manganese. These three need to be relatively in balance... so taking one is not a good idea.

What I was referring to was: If one's head starts 'floating'... as in: dizzy, light-headed, lack of focus, difficult to think, etc... this is beyond what is safe to experience regularly.

I had my first heat stroke (almost passed out) in my late 20's... it is a REAL issue that can cause permanent damage. And IMO it is not macho, it is stupid, to push one's luck with heat. Not fussing, just passing along my view.

[AC5096]

If your head was swimming, you were dangerously CLOSE to doing some serious damage to yourself. That symptom is beyond what we should allow ourselves to experience.

I did an install a few years ago in a 135D attic... had a helper along mainly to keep an eye on me. The helper kept a cool towel (wetted with cold water from the sink) around my neck (changed it every 10 minutes). One would not think a cool wet towel would make that much difference, but it DOES!

I was thinking of buying one of those portable 'spot coolers'... but instead got an install crew of hispanics... they seem to not be bothered with it... guess they grew up in it an are used to it. I do make them come down every hour and drink some water & cool off. They fuss, but the do as I ask.

These work great. When I remember to take one with me.

Directions on how to make them.
http://www.west-point.org/parent/wpp-grad/Coolers.html

[Six]

If your head was swimming, you were dangerously CLOSE to doing some serious damage to yourself. That symptom is beyond what we should allow ourselves to experience.

I did an install a few years ago in a 135D attic... had a helper along mainly to keep an eye on me. The helper kept a cool towel (wetted with cold water from the sink) around my neck (changed it every 10 minutes). One would not think a cool wet towel would make that much difference, but it DOES!

I was thinking of buying one of those portable 'spot coolers'... but instead got an install crew of hispanics... they seem to not be bothered with it... guess they grew up in it an are used to it. I do make them come down every hour and drink some water & cool off. They fuss, but the do as I ask.

The cold neck wraps work so well due to their proximity ro the carotid arteries in the neck.

Its a large artery and cooling the blood flowing through it helps to keep your core temp down.


There is a recipe for some substance online somewhere using alcohol and ice water. You take that rag and submergw it in this stuff and it cools you down instantly.

[TACKERDOWN]

Some good info glad I brought it up. Thee was one mention on the salt.
My old employer used to take salt tablets when he was younger and he ended up having issues from raising them, I wish I could remember what the prob. Was but all I remember is him telling me not to take them.

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[Kaleun494]

This is why I'm glad that the majority of houses in my area have the indoor units in basements. I'm currently wrapping up a rare attic install from scratch so not only do we have to get a unit up and running we have to install all new duct work as the house never had central AC and it ran off hot water heating.

[crbn79]

The cold neck wraps work so well due to their proximity ro the carotid arteries in the neck.

Its a large artery and cooling the blood flowing through it helps to keep your core temp down.


There is a recipe for some substance online somewhere using alcohol and ice water. You take that rag and submergw it in this stuff and it cools you down instantly.

I used polarbreeze brand bandannas while I was in the Middle East for a year. When heat gets over 120 nothing "fixes" it, but those certainly helped. I usually got about 1-2 weeks of repeated use out of them.

[Punisher]

I had my first heat stroke (almost passed out) in my late 20's... it is a REAL issue that can cause permanent damage.

Happened to me several years ago. Age(33) for the first and only time. Helper found me unconscious on the third floor.
We were being careful, limiting time in attack, taking breaks, drinking water, checking on each other regularly. That last one probably saved my life; when he called to me and got no response they came to check. The EMT said I would have died without help. My body temperature was over 104* when they got there.
Stay safe everyone.

[ga-hvac-tech]

I had my first heat stroke (almost passed out) in my late 20's... it is a REAL issue that can cause permanent damage. And IMO it is not macho, it is stupid, to push one's luck with heat. Not fussing, just passing along my view.


Happened to me several years ago. Age(33) for the first and only time. Helper found me unconscious on the third floor.
We were being careful, limiting time in attack, taking breaks, drinking water, checking on each other regularly. That last one probably saved my life; when he called to me and got no response they came to check. The EMT said I would have died without help. My body temperature was over 104* when they got there.
Stay safe everyone.

I have never passed out... however I have had many a time my body quit sweating and I became light-headed... I have learned to watch carefully for the signs and NOT flirt with them. The job (and the customer) can wait if I am anywhere near heat issues.

I have gone outside and doused my head with the garden hose many a time... takes about a minute yet will save one's body from serious damage.