the air conditioner thread

[GIBSON67]

Sounds like you need a bigger window...so a better view of that big AC unit!

 

[lespaul339]

 

[GibsonMarshallGuy47]

Sounds like you need a bigger window...so a better view of that big AC unit!

oh, yeah no problem. I'll just go home and grab a chainsaw and cut a bigger window in my dining room. that sounds easy enough.

 

[Leonard Neemoil]

oh, yeah no problem. I'll just go home and grab a chainsaw and cut a bigger window in my dining room. that sounds easy enough.

Better yet just cut a hole in the wall to put the AC into. Basically zero finish work needed.

 

[NumbSkull]

Better yet just cut a hole in the wall to put the AC into. Basically zero finish work needed.

If you have a hole in the wall why do you need AC ?

 

[Michael Roe]

I live in a smaller older house, all on one floor with a basement. I used to use one window AC unit that was sort of centrally located. I then would set the fan on my furnace to run run 24/7. This would pull cooler air from parts of the house into the rest of the house. It would keep things decent until it got really hot.
I have since, well, you know.....installed a proper....well, you know.
Much, much better now, and much more quiet.
I honestly think the noise of the loud window AC unit was more annoying than the heat.

 

[GibsonMarshallGuy47]

OK, that response was meant to convey sarcasm. I am absolutely NOT cutting any holes in the walls of my home, nor am I re-doing any of my windows. that's ridiculous. let's please move on from that ...

 

[Leonard Neemoil]

If you have a hole in the wall why do you need AC ?

It's not exactly cold in my part of hell ya know.

 

[GIBSON67]

Actually having a new window installed is not that much if it can be a standard size...just sayin.

 

[Ray Baker]

ok, I'm going to try to be very careful, very clear, and very specific about what I'm asking here. hopefully it will not end in disaster just like the last thread I posted months ago, asking for advice on a completely different topic.

alright, here goes...

I have a small, very old house. because of that, we rely on window air conditioning units during the summer (no central air). we have small window A.C. units in each of the bedrooms upstairs, which work great. the issue is how to properly cool the first floor of our home. many years ago, I bought a 14,000 BTU portable stand-up air conditioner unit which struggles to properly cool off the entire first floor of the house (living room, dining room, kitchen). our first floor is about 550 square feet of space. after years of using that portable stand-up beast, I decided that we need something better - something more powerful, and a bit more quiet (that thing is pretty damn loud).

now, before anyone decides to chime in about installing a central air system, or a mini-split air conditioner - just know that we've already considered and explored those options. we're fully aware of the cost, and what we would need to do to have them installed. the mini-split for the first floor could be a possibility later on down the road, but for right now, I just want a simple, window unit that's no more than $700, that will get the job done (maybe in a few years we'll revisit those other options). so if you feel inclined to give me a speech about how I absolutely need to invest in central air or a mini-split for our home, please - save it. we've already made up our mind, and we want to go with either a window unit, OR possibly a better (more powerful) and more efficient portable stand-up unit.

but here is our dilemma... its a pretty old home, and the only option for windows to use are our middle dining room. and unfortunately, the open space of the window only allows for 22 and a half inches width for a window A.C. unit. after doing some research, it seems that any window A.C. unit that is 15,000 BTU's or higher will absolutely NOT fit in our windows at all. the most powerful ones I could find online would be 14,500 BTU's, and those would just barely fit in our windows. however, from what I can tell, apparently, window units are supposed to be a lot more efficient, and better at cooling off large rooms than the portable stand-up units... therefore, theoretically, even if the portable unit we have now is 14,000 BTU's, getting a 14,500 BTU window unit that that is newer and more modern SHOULD hopefully cool off a 550 square foot space significantly better, right?

so to sum up, here's the recommendations and advice I'm looking for - does anyone know of ANY air conditioner units (either window or portable stand-up) that will cool off a space of 550 square feet, that will fit in a window space that is only 22 inches wide? and furthermore, to any A.C. experts out there - will a newer, modern 14,500 BTU window unit properly cool off about 550 square feet of space, compared to what I have already?

To answer your question "will a newer, modern 14,500 BTU window unit properly cool off about 550 square feet of space, compared to what I have already?" specifically, yes. It is important to note that it's ability to cool to a desired temperature is also contingent on the heat load in the room.
Are you in an all day hot climate?
Do you have kids that are running in and out?
Can you reduce daytime heat load with darker curtains?
Do you have insulated walls?
Are your windows single pane or double?

The small unit I have in one room upstairs is:

MAW12S1YWT

The Midea 12,000 BTU SmartCool Window-Mounted Room Air Conditioner with WiFi and Voice Control is perfect for cooling a large room up to 550 sq. ft. in size. With the MideaAir app or Amazon Alexa and Google Home voice control, you can customize your AC settings whether you are at home or out and...

www.midea.com

The room it's in takes a beating (summertime) from daytime sunlight and heat rising from the ground floor and it does a good job cooling the room and contributing to cooling the ground floor.

Just a side note, one of my responsibilities in my day job is HVAC Engineering for building conditioning but we have a 1500tn Carrier and we use 1939 Carrier Air Washers. I'm not an expert at all on small air conditioners but Matthews Guitars information is correct as a general rule of thumb but it based on perfect conditions. You really have to take into account other influences like I mention above.

I am in lower Delaware we don't get super bad or extended hot periods but my set-up cools the entire house. Most of my walls are the old Horse hair plaster and lattice, no modern insulation. I don't know enough about your house and the other influencing factors but your question is limited to one room at 550sq,ft .

So again, yes a 14,500BTU unit will cool the room but no more and it may struggle at times. I am certain though that it will do far better than the stand-up unit even at the same BTU's. As someone else already mentioned they put heat load in the room just running.

Hope this is helpful

 

[paul-e-mann]

ok, I appreciate the scientific explanation, however... one thing you left out is a detail I mentioned in my initial post. the fact that our window space is only 22.5 inches wide. pretty much any window unit that is 15,000 BTU's or higher will not fit in there. unless there is a rare model out there somewhere that I haven't seen yet.

You cant just buy one big unit for the whole floor unless youre willing to cut a hole in your wall and install it permanently. Otherwise get small units for each room, here ya go, its 18" wide and $100, get one for each room. Problem solved.

Toshiba 5,000 BTU 115V Window Air Conditioner Cools 150 sq. ft. in White RAC-WK0512CMRU - The Home Depot

The Toshiba 5,000 BTU window air conditioner provides an exclusive sleek design and is a compliment to any home. This mechanical window air conditioner is easy to use and is perfect for small rooms up

www.homedepot.com

Or this for twice as much:

GE 6,000 BTU 115V Window Air Conditioner Cools 250 Sq. Ft. with Remote Control in White AHTE06AA - The Home Depot

As the #1 Window Air Conditioner Brand in the United States, GE Appliances is dedicated to providing the right solutions for rooms of any size. Our window air conditioners are designed to offer exceptional

www.homedepot.com

 

[KidBlast]

I would second that option to do a wall install on a large unit.

I know it sounds daunting, but this is what we did in the master bedroom. We have a good contractor that was able to do this for us.

A bonus to this It keeps the windows accessible on the cooler days. you can cover it in the winter. This gets you out of the issue with your window size.

To stay with the window units, multiple smaller ones have worked for us too.

Once the room is cooled off, energy saver mode may help to keep the running costs reasonable.

 

[hsb]

When we had our house in CT, we had one large window unit in the living room and then smaller ones in each bedroom. During the day when the big one was running, we would turn the ceiling fans on in reverse to help pull the cool air throughout the first floor.

We couldnt run all 4 units at the same time, we could run 3 at a time, so about half an hour before we would put the kids to bed, the three bedrooms were on the 2nd floor, we would turn their ACs on to cool their rooms and about a half an hour before we went to our room, we would turn the living room unit off 2nd floor, and turn the one on in our room.

 

[JacksonCharvelAddict]

A few years ago our AC died and we had to use windows units for a few weeks. We had a very large unit in the living room that needed a 220 outlet to run and then we had a smaller unit on the other end of the house. We have a basement so I would run the fan to circulate some of the cold air back upstairs. Worked pretty well and used about the same amount of power that the old central air unit used. Window units are way better than those portable units.

 

[anitoli]

The plastic flaps on the side of the window units don't seal very well. If you take some thin foam/foil insulation ( or any insulating material) material cut to size and adequately duct tape it in and seal it up good the ac will work much better and the room will stay cooler longer.

 

[Weapons Man]

I live in deep south Texas 10 miles from Mexico. Today it was 110+ and we are just in May. We don't really have seasons here. We have warm, hot and HELL. That's it. I have central air but I live in a 1950's mid century ranch house that has the flat roof, weld wood walls...you know, the Jetson's look. These homes are energy hogs and it is hard to keep this house reasonably cool without an enorrmous electric bill. So....I use two big fans. I have one of the big 48" workshop fans from Harbor Freight and then I picked up this new fan from Millwaukee. This Milwaukee fan is the shit. This thing feels like a damn window unit. It is unbelievable. I was in Home Depot and was looking for another shop fan and stood in front of this thing and couldn't believe it. Yeah, they cost over 200.00 but let me tell you, it is money well spent. if you don't like it, you can always take it back but you will like it. Best decision I ever made.

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/0821-20

 

[StrummerJoe]

We got a vertical unit years back for our house with horizontal sliding windows. The unit is narrower and had rafts of output. But if your windows open vertically, they wouldn't fit.
Likely get the highest you can that fits and run a fan to circulate. Keep blinds closed in the day.
So many variables. Insulation type amd age and amount, drafts, etc. I don't think anyone can tell you if a 14.5 will be miles better yhan what you have. Ya gotta try it. Or do a semi permanent installation by removing a window but price then skyrockets

What the heck do you need AC for?

Canada's main export is COLD FRONTS.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

What the heck do you need AC for?

Canada's main export is COLD FRONTS.

Possibly the plus 35 C (90F) we get every summer. Sometimes for weeks.
40C = 104F
Anything over about 22C and the AC kicks in.

 

[StrummerJoe]

Possibly the plus 35 C (90F) we get every summer. Sometimes for weeks.
40C = 104F
Anything over about 22C and the AC kicks in.

I stand corrected.

Howz aboot that, eh...

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I stand corrected.

Howz aboot that, eh...

Well in the winter colder than anything at times. Summer can be hot but not that humid, nothing like down south and near the great lakes.
Granted most people think of Canada as rather chilly. AC is required though. It ran today and yesterday and will tomorrow too. We have central air.

Quite a range from the above in summer to this in winter.