Keeping reptiles cool in this heat when cool spots become too hot

So for the past couple days, our A/C couldn't keep up with the heat and raised our ambient temperature several degrees. This raised our hatchlings cool spot into the dangerously high, giving them no place to cool down. I wanted to throw this simple temporary fix out there in case anybody has a similar problem during these heat waves.

I use a two step approach for our enclosures. Our bp's are doing fine in their racks so this is more directed towards lizard/tortoise etc owners.

1) Set up a fan right over the cool spot but facing away. The idea is to suck the hot air rising out and send it away, creating a continuous hot air movement away from the cool spot. I found setting the fan facing the enclosure lowers the hot spot too much.

2) I mist the animals regularly and also spray the cool side with lots of cool water several times daily. This way the heat works to evaporate the water instead of heating the air. The downside is the humidity is being temporarily raised but I feel it is a valuable trade off to keep the enclosure cool.

We have been letting ours play in the tub more then usual.

How hot is too hot for a beardie? Our heat pump went out and our house is hot, super hot!!! I have cut off all the heat lamps and they get UV about 10 hrs a day, and I have been misting, but he isn't eating as much as usual, and it seems to be too hot for my monitor and uromastyx so I have fans around them. Any suggestions (other than getting a new heat pump, I'm working on it, they're expensive!!!)

Their cool spot should be under 83 with the mid 70s highly preferable. If he's not eating, it could be a combination of it being too hot and also the lack of a basking light. They do much better with an actual basking area. I would temporarily sacrifice the basking light for a cooler tank though if it's one or the other.

I'm not sure what you could do. If he's in a tank then place it on the floor where it's slightly cooler. The fans are a good idea. I would also spray him and the cool spot often with cool water to make the heat dissipate its energy evaporating it instead of heating the air.

Thank you for the ideas!! I was actually thinking of asking this. Our AC is older than I am and can only cool the smallest room in the house (the kitchen, where it sits), so it's been toasty here. :/

My 8 year old daughter somehow convinced her mother to let her get a beardie so this is great info. Thanks!

It might be a little to much work, but you can make a radiator-style setup. Get 15' or so of nylon fish tank tubing and weave a pad and hook it up to an aquarium pump that feeds cool water from a reservoir. The setup is almost identical to a radiant pool heater but instead of heating with sunlight, the water will absorb the heat.

http://i01.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/124/826/440/440826124_208.jpg

If you don't wanna make something they also sell cool humidifiers, misters and foggers. You could also put a decent sized rock in the enclosure that has been cooled down a bit. I know that sounds ghetto but when we lost our power last year and the heat got bad it got my beardies through it all. It also can work the other way to warm beardies up. Let a nice flat rock sit out in the sun for a bit. ...

Heat pump is being installed tomorrow!!! I kept them cool by misting, fans and leaving off the extra lighting. They did ok, but I'm sure they will be happy to get back to their normal schedules!!!