Community Forums

MisterT · 02-15-2017, 06:49 AM

there's also a big difference in 'HOT' if you have high humidity, like us in GA, versus no humidity...

I'll take PHX 100degrees anyday over GA 85degrees and 100% humidity : /

raineman · 02-15-2017, 07:07 AM

I moved form CA to Phx area. It is seriously hot here. We have a pool that can help. But starting mid summer the pool can feel like a hot tub and is no fun in hot weather. Also be prepared to be inside all summer.

Like anywhere, you learn to adapt. During the summer, if you want to do something outside, you need to do it very very early in the morning. So I walk the dog around 5:30 in the morning instead of 7 the rest of the year. Also be prepared for HUGE air conditioning bills. I mean HUGE. We have seen $400 monthly bills for our 3500 square foot home.

The other odd thing about AZ is that many of houses are painted a desert tan color. After awhile every house and every neighborhood look a like.

Would I move here again? Not so sure. I can say we can afford a lot more here than we did in CA. One of the main reasons we bought an RV was to get out of Phx as often as possible during the summer.

There are pluses and minuses, but it is not for everyone.

raineman · 02-15-2017, 07:50 AM

One more thing. If you want to camp anywhere around Phx (100 mile radius) during the cooler months, you have to plan way way ahead of time. Snowbirds completely take over the campgrounds from November until April. Good luck finding a decent spot during those months

SpaceNorman · 02-15-2017, 08:17 AM

My son recently relocated to Phoenix after having lived in the metro Detroit area all his life. It's hot .... deadly hot ... in the summertime. We drove out for a visit this past fall ... and were there from late September thru the end of October. It was hot then ... although bearable. The air conditioners in the coach ran constantly during the day. The cabinet that contains the electronics for the coach stereo system, satellite controller, DirecTV HD/DVR and Blue Ray player outright cooked. On a couple of occasions - we had equipment "thermal" (i.e., shut itself down due to overheating).

Conversely, the winter weather is pretty sweet. Warm and sunny during the day, cool in the evenings.

One of the things we came to appreciate was the impact that elevation has on temperatures. Move a couple thousand feet "up" in terms of elevation and average temperature drops significantly compared to the temp on the desert floor in Phoenix.

If you've got some flexibility in terms of exactly where you end up staying - consider looking for someplace near to Phoenix - but at a bit higher elevation.

dpinvidic · 02-15-2017, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpaceNorman

If you've got some flexibility in terms of exactly where you end up staying - consider looking for someplace near to Phoenix - but at a bit higher elevation.

I actually looked on Google maps last night...but could not find anything that was a 30 minute or so drive....suggestions welcome.

Raineman: I had wondered about the AC bill....I should ask my daughter. They were leaving their xmas lights on 24/7 during xmas...so I thought that electricity was cheap in AZ...looks to be a bad assumption.

Update: Turns out the daughters AC bill is a little over 300 from what she remembers.

I wonder how much a private pilots license is...and what the flying time would be form Sedona

Dan

DonDee · 02-15-2017, 03:55 PM

FWIW. At 4000 feet in AZ we get about 10 days over 100 in the summer but it cools nicely at night. Over 100 for us means 101-102ish, I've seen one 107 and that lasted a few hours only.
Winter means occasional temps in the 20s, right now it's 65. The lowest I've seen is 14 and that was 2 mornings.
I would not chose to live in PHX myself. but MILLIONS do.

dpinvidic · 02-15-2017, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonDee

FWIW. At 4000 feet in AZ we get about 10 days over 100 in the summer but it cools nicely at night. Over 100 for us means 101-102ish, I've seen one 107 and that lasted a few hours only.
Winter means occasional temps in the 20s, right now it's 65. The lowest I've seen is 14 and that was 2 mornings.
I would not chose to live in PHX myself. but MILLIONS do.

Don,

You got me all excited...then I saw that it was a 1 1/2 hour drive to Scottsdale. Not sure the wife will by that. Any suggestions for something closer with this same elevation?

Just did some research:
Spring Valley and Scottsdale are about the same elevation 1,000ft and 1,200ft
New river is at 2,000ft (1hr drive). This might have possibilities.

Dan

CrossCountryNomad · 02-15-2017, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raineman

I moved form CA to Phx area. It is seriously hot here. We have a pool that can help. But starting mid summer the pool can feel like a hot tub and is no fun in hot weather. Also be prepared to be inside all summer.

Like anywhere, you learn to adapt. During the summer, if you want to do something outside, you need to do it very very early in the morning. So I walk the dog around 5:30 in the morning instead of 7 the rest of the year. Also be prepared for HUGE air conditioning bills. I mean HUGE. We have seen $400 monthly bills for our 3500 square foot home.

The other odd thing about AZ is that many of houses are painted a desert tan color. After awhile every house and every neighborhood look a like.

Would I move here again? Not so sure. I can say we can afford a lot more here than we did in CA. One of the main reasons we bought an RV was to get out of Phx as often as possible during the summer.

There are pluses and minuses, but it is not for everyone.

That doesn't seem too bad. We have a 2400 square foot house in Marietta, GA. Our summer cooling bill can be over $300 per month. $400 would be a bargain for a 3500 square foot house here.

Just depends on where you are coming from.

As for color the desert tan color. That's understandable, light colors don't absorb as much heat as darker colors.

RV-Writer · 02-16-2017, 03:07 AM

Grew up in Phoenix. Left as soon as I could. Got sent to the big sandbox and missed Phoenix temps for a while. FYI - Evaporative/swamp coolers work really well there. Combine it with an AC and you will have no problem inside and it cuts down on AC bill a little. Get remote start for your car and leave AC on high. Run between house and car when it cools down.

It gets hot but it is relative - go to The Middle East lol. There is Little humidity but an oven is an oven. Payson is nice in summer.

okmunky · 02-16-2017, 06:23 AM

If you do move to Phoenix I would suggest you do so in November or December. Start out with the cooler months and adapt slowly to the new climate. Consider solar panels on your house roof to help with power bills. Put a swamp cooler in your RV garage. Why not get out of PHX in the summer months? Millions do live there so there is a way to survive the heat.

sbleiweiss · 02-16-2017, 06:30 AM

This won't apply to OP who wants to come from CA, but I heard this saying last night: You don't have to shovel heat. I liked it.

terryl · 02-16-2017, 11:27 AM

I lived in So. Cal. (Orange County) from 1989 until I retired in 2007. At that point, I moved to Mesa, AZ (an eastern suburb of Phoenix), and have been here ever since.

Yes, it does get very hot here for about 4 months of each year. You don't get used to it, but learn to adapt. It was more difficult for me, since I am generally not an early riser, and you quickly learn that you're not taking the dog for a walk much past 8:00 A.M. Any major outdoor projects are best handled very early in the morning, or between October and April. In my opinion, the winters are worth the sacrifices made during the summer.

I had a 1907 s.f. home, which started out with summer electric bills in the mid $300.00 range per month. This included a pool pump which ran 15 hours a day. Once I became more prudent with my thermostat settings, and got on an energy saving program with the local electric provider, my highest summer bill was $205.00. But that was with thermostat settings close to 78, and generous use of ceiling fans. That may not work for everyone.

I do agree with an earlier poster who stated that a pool is of little use when the water temps are 95 degrees, and your head is still above the water when the outside temps are nearing or exceeding 115. I sold that home last year, as the novelty of having a pool was exceeded by the cost and effort of maintaining it myself.

This year, I will be building a new home, with an attached 1040 s.f. garage, which will accommodate my RV, 2 classic cars, and my daily driver. The garage will be air conditioned, but on a separate system from the house, so I will only cool it when needed.

I have absolutely no regrets moving from So. Cal. to this area. In fact, I cannot think of anywhere else that I would rather live. Real estate is cheaper, taxes, gas, and many other things as well. And far fewer people, crowds, and traffic, with a freeway system that usually works quite well. Not to mention never having to worry about "the big one" anymore!

Having said all that, I take two trips to Indiana every summer in my RV, and find the Phoenix area temps much more tolerable than 90 degrees in Indiana with their high summer humidity.

Hope you make the right choice!

slickest1 · 02-16-2017, 02:42 PM

A friend of mine used to live in Phoenix and he said at times the lowest heat through the night would be 95 deg. He would go out and do his shopping at 5:00 in the morning. His air conditioning bill was over $400. at times. He had his shop right inside his house ( he was single and his house was his man cave). He was the late Dunner that used to frequent this forum.

I have a cousin that moved to Lake Havasu from CA. years ago and really liked it there. They would travel to Canada and stay with their kids there in the summer months.
They have now moved to the Phoenix area due to their age and wanting to be closer to more medical facilities and a daughter that lives there

biker art · 02-16-2017, 03:00 PM

We lived in Prescott for 9 years and the weather was lots better than Phoenix. Actually had 4 seasons with some snow in the winter. The one thing that bothered us was the wind blowing every day during spring. I once rode my motorcycle to Phoenix during the early summer, Never made it. I got down the high country to the heat and darn near passed out from heat exhaustion. Had to stay in McDonalds for an hour to cool off before heading back up to Prescott. I really liked that area but my wife wanted to move to Oregon. I held off for forty years and ten years ago here we are. It started to rain at the beginning of Oct and it's still raining. We don't tan we rust.