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[Mannybilly1030]

I have a Portable A/C but then my grandmas going to want it. And i thought of evaporative cooling. Its not Hot or Warm but cool its been a stable 60 - 65 degrees and the humidity levels are at 54 or 59 it rarely ever goes up to 74 but when it gots up to 74 the temp goes down 6 degrees. Im trying to get prepared for the summer causes thats gonna get hectic

Please tell me what u suggest. And the A/C i have it buts gonna be alot of work and the evaporative cooler you pull out and add water to it and cools the room

[GrayRodent]

I recommend a condenser type AC unit if you can afford it. Evaporation coolers don't work very well above 50% outdoor humidity and will cause the humidity in the room to rise considerably. At prolonged high humidities chinchillas may become stressed and chew fur and it puts them at risk for fungal infections. It also seems to sensitize them to heat for reasons I can't explain. The only thing you have to be careful of is condensation water generated by the condenser cooler. If you don't get a good seal around the duct or in very high humidities it can produce several gallons of water in a day so you have to have a good bucket and keep track of it every day. Also you must clean the filter once every couple of weeks or it gets complicated trying to fix it when the fins get clogged.

[Mannybilly1030]

I recommend a condenser type AC unit if you can afford it. Evaporation coolers don't work very well above 50% outdoor humidity and will cause the humidity in the room to rise considerably. At prolonged high humidities chinchillas may become stressed and chew fur and it puts them at risk for fungal infections. It also seems to sensitize them to heat for reasons I can't explain. The only thing you have to be careful of is condensation water generated by the condenser cooler. If you don't get a good seal around the duct or in very high humidities it can produce several gallons of water in a day so you have to have a good bucket and keep track of it every day. Also you must clean the filter once every couple of weeks or it gets complicated trying to fix it when the fins get clogged.

I cant afford that right now even though i would want it. My room is small. The windows are small. I have a TV, and a Computer sometimes will make room hot but i want to have the chinchillas happy comfortable and not hot.

[GrayRodent]

The most important thing is to keep the room temperature down. If your evaporation cooler does that then use it. Also I recommend going around and seeing where weatherstripping may help keep hot air out. Of course if you have central AC use that to your advantage as well. Remember that above 76F inside you will most likely encounter heat stress even at rest and above 80F you are risking death. But the recommended best practice is keep the temp 73F or below.

[Mannybilly1030]

The most important thing is to keep the room temperature down. If your evaporation cooler does that then use it. Also I recommend going around and seeing where weatherstripping may help keep hot air out. Of course if you have central AC use that to your advantage as well. Remember that above 76F inside you will most likely encounter heat stress even at rest and above 80F you are risking death. But the recommended best practice is keep the temp 73F or below.

Anything to keep my chins healthy i will find a way to do it. Im gonna talk to my grandma and dad to see where i can find a good evap cooler or if i can keep the portable a/c my grandma has

[GrayRodent]

I would also like to note that I keep my chinchilla usually between 73F and 76F, and he will rarely see 80F. Although this is not best practice he has no problems and there is a calculated risk. I do notice that his behavior changes above 76 and his activity levels goes way down as it approaches 80F but if it does get there you are going to have to extra precautions because there is a risk of heat stress related death and it's really hard on them.
There is a tipping point and activity can easily push them over it and sometimes there is no return. If you think your chinchilla is having a seizure from heat stress first aid is to dip their lower half into room temperature water and then dry them off as best as possible while keeping their temperature as stable as possible. (Do not shock them with cold or it can kill them especially when their fur is wet) and call your vet to have them assess for organ damage.

When things get hot I recommend a target of 76F with 80F as a hard limit (unless you can go below that. In my room it's not always possible). Under cooler conditions try to keep the room around 73F.