97 Degrees in NYC.. Time go get an A/C

[Pardus]

ok anandtech fans, it was super hot today and even worse tomorrow.. looks like global warming comes early this year.

i want to cool down a room, 20 x 20 approx.. is a window a/c unit better or a portable a/c unit.. i know portable's cost 3x as much.. but i want one that won't my electric bill soar though the roof.

i think 9000 btu's should be ok..not sure.. dont want the room to be freezing, just don't want to be sweating like i am now..

tnx

 

[Elstupido]

I think you are better off with a window unit if you can install it properly. Save you a bunch of money in initial cost compared to a portable unit. I bought a 9k btu unit from Home Depot, but had to return it because the installation would have been a huge pain in the ass, due to the type of my windows. The unit draw was around 7.5 amps, which isn't really a huge current draw.

Ended up buying a portable evaporative cooler which works very well due to the low humidity in my area.

 

[Rubycon]

Look for the mouse proof extenders. Worth the extra $50.

20x20 (feet?) 12,000 btu/h

 

[Elstupido]

Ruby, yep that 12k btu sounds about right, but I tnink a 9k would probably be OK, not freezing but get the temps down to a comfortable level.

 

[pontifex]

window unit unless you can find an easy way to vent the hot air and drain the water from the unit.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
Ruby, yep that 12k btu sounds about right, but I tnink a 9k would probably be OK, not freezing but get the temps down to a comfortable level.

Nope, 9k will run forever trying to maintain setting.
12k provides adequate for the room size and if the room were south facing with a lot of exposure, might be too small.
Better to have "headroom". Lower duty cycle FTW.

 

[Jeff7]

I think your electric bill is going to be the same regardless of portable or window unit. The heat's got to be removed somehow, and it's going to take a certain amount of energy to do it. The only issue I could see with a portable unit might be heat losses along the ducting.

A portable unit will also need to have its reservoir emptied - the frequency of which will depend on how much moisture gets into the house through the walls and windows. Maybe once a day, though I'm not entirely sure.
Window units might be "dripless," which I don't like. I think they use the outside fan to splash water against the hot condenser coils, which vaporizes it. The problem that I found with this is that the wheel stays wet all the time, which can make for grotesque amounts of mold growth. This hiss&spit noise of the water droplets vaporizing also adds to the noise of the unit.
I (carefully) drilled holes in the bottom of the window units back home, as well as the new ones I bought for my apartment, to allow them to drip out. I also painted the inside of the holes with Rustoleum, or else I'd eventually wind up with rust stains wherever the drips hit.

 

[Dirigible]

From what I've seen window units give more satisfactory results. If you get one, make sure not to drop it out the window! Listen to Rubycon's btu recommendation.

 

[Bignate603]

If you're worried about electricity costs make sure to turn it off (not down, completely off) when you leave. People will tell you that the AC has to work harder to get the temperature back down and makes it use more energy. That's a bunch of BS. It's thermodynamically impossible for that to work. Also, buy a fan to move the air away from the window unit. My biggest complaint with those units is that the cool air sits near the unit and the rest of the room will still be hot.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Rubycon
Look for the mouse proof extenders. Worth the extra $50.

20x20 (feet?) 12,000 btu/h

Hehe!

BTW, how do you figure out the btu rating Rubycon?

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: Rubycon
Look for the mouse proof extenders. Worth the extra $50.

20x20 (feet?) 12,000 btu/h

Hehe!

BTW, how do you figure out the btu rating Rubycon?

450 quintillion operations per second, that's how.

 

[imported_Baloo]

A windows unit is gonna be more efficient, sine it radiates the heat directly outside, rather than thru a hose from inside. Some of that heat in the hose is gonna radiate inside the room, your don't get that with a window unit. Windows unit are easier to install anyway. The only time you should ever consider a portable unit is when you don't have a window suitable for a window unit, and you can't do central air.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: Rubycon
Look for the mouse proof extenders. Worth the extra $50.

20x20 (feet?) 12,000 btu/h

Hehe!

BTW, how do you figure out the btu rating Rubycon?

450 quintillion operations per second, that's how.

Now I'm even more lost Jeff7! :|

 

[AmigaMan]

man where was this thread two days ago. I just went and picked up a 10,000 BTU portable unit from Home Depot for $400 and it SUCKS! My 10,800 BTU heavy as hell window unit works so much better. I just didn't want to dig it out of storage. But I did today in the 100 degree heat here in NC and I'm living in relative comfort. Wish I could get the house A/C working better though...just don't want to shell out the big bucks to get it up to par though.

 

[Leros]

I have a 600 BTU in my 13x13 bedroom for some extra cooling. That thing works great even in 100F degree heat.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
man where was this thread two days ago. I just went and picked up a 10,000 BTU portable unit from Home Depot for $400 and it SUCKS! My 10,800 BTU heavy as hell window unit works so much better. I just didn't want to dig it out of storage. But I did today in the 100 degree heat here in NC and I'm living in relative comfort. Wish I could get the house A/C working better though...just don't want to shell out the big bucks to get it up to par though.

Do yourself a favor and check the ducting at the registers. A lot of the time it was only held with tape and has failed. Get a bunch of zip ties and some foil tape and check for duct integrity. Even a small leak will screw the pooch when it comes to cooling (or heating for that matter).

< roommate just re-did his mom's system and found numerous leaks in the ducts, as well as some long undersized runs.

 

[Capt Caveman]

fwiw - my parents have a portable unit that does not need to have a reservoir emptied, it sends the water vapor out the duct.

 

[McCarthy]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
Do yourself a favor and check the ducting at the registers. A lot of the time it was only held with tape and has failed. Get a bunch of zip ties and some foil tape and check for duct integrity. Even a small leak will screw the pooch when it comes to cooling (or heating for that matter).

< roommate just re-did his mom's system and found numerous leaks in the ducts, as well as some long undersized runs.

Since we're talking window/portable units here....

Block off floor level vents when using either. Otherwise your cool air goes down the drain, so to speak.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
BTW, how do you figure out the btu rating Rubycon?

450 quintillion operations per second, that's how.

Now I'm even more lost Jeff7! :|

That's my best estimate for her computational speed.
Some people around here (jokingly) theorize that she must be some sort of bot, as no ordinary human can possess the sheer volume of information or understanding of it that she does.
Anything electrical or mechanical, she knows it.

 

[Fenixgoon]

it was 97 down my way with the humidity cranked up like hell. i ended up going out to the mall to buy summer clothes since i have none. spent way more than i liked, but i needed the clothes, unless i wanted to cook myself while walking outside.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
BTW, how do you figure out the btu rating Rubycon?

450 quintillion operations per second, that's how.

Now I'm even more lost Jeff7! :|

That's my best estimate for her computational speed.
Some people around here (jokingly) theorize that she must be some sort of bot, as no ordinary human can possess the sheer volume of information or understanding of it that she does.
Anything electrical or mechanical, she knows it.

She's like a G4 network commercial. Kinda.

 

[Pardus]

Originally posted by: Leros
I have a 600 BTU in my 13x13 bedroom for some extra cooling. That thing works great even in 100F degree heat.

I hope you mean 6000 btu. This link and this link explain how to calculate the size of a a/c that's needed. For my needs, 10,000 btu's or better should suffice. Be sure to measure the window before buying one. I saw some ac's at homedepot that were huge and could never fit into a window. I'm gonna drill the unit into the frame so it can't be kicked in if anyone decides to do so. Stay cool all.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: McCarthy

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
Do yourself a favor and check the ducting at the registers. A lot of the time it was only held with tape and has failed. Get a bunch of zip ties and some foil tape and check for duct integrity. Even a small leak will screw the pooch when it comes to cooling (or heating for that matter).

< roommate just re-did his mom's system and found numerous leaks in the ducts, as well as some long undersized runs.

Since we're talking window/portable units here....

Block off floor level vents when using either. Otherwise your cool air goes down the drain, so to speak.

Yah , and don't forget about the crack at the bottom of the door. That's nothing but a vent to the outside. Rolled up towel, Also, pull the drapes across any windowd with direct sun on them. Tape up any leaks to the outside you can find.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
Yah , and don't forget about the crack at the bottom of the door. That's nothing but a vent to the outside. Rolled up towel, Also, pull the drapes across any windowd with direct sun on them. Tape up any leaks to the outside you can find.

And with the drapes, white would be a good idea to have if you don't already.

Sunlight comes in at a few hundred watts per square meter (~1000W/sqm max). It hits surfaces inside, and heats up dark surfaces. Hotter surfaces put out more infrared, but this is blocked by glass, so the heat stays inside.
White surfaces reflect most of the visible light right back outside, preventing it from creating heat inside.
For those who wanted to know how it works.

 

[xanis]

Ah... air conditioning. I just got the A/C in my car fixed yesterday for $400 including parts and labor. Bad compressor FTL but knowing people who can fix things for cheap FTW.