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

[Calculator83]

You all Americanized tree killers. LOL.. No shirt + electric fan..

 

[Gothgar]

geez, it isn't even that hot in Southern California

 

[preslove]

How many months out of the year are you going to use it? I survived two months of Florida summer with cold showers, electric fans & getting out of the house. It's a lot more cost effective (just increases your water bill a little bit).

 

[nageov3t]

it's just as hot out in the burbs today... I'm in my 16x16 living room (doors leading off to the bedroom/bathroom closed, and the arch into the kitchen covered with a heavy curtain). my 6000 btu AC is going a pretty good job keeping the room comfortable, even on low (temp down to the coldest setting, but the fan's only on 1/3).

get a window unit unless you need a portable ac. window units are pretty much better in every way possible except installation (that's why I went with a 6K btu AC instead of the 8-10K that the room really "needs." the 6K unit is small enough that I was able to install it myself no prob; I would have had to wrangle one of my friends to come down and help my install a 10K)

How many months out of the year are you going to use it

standard around here seems to be June - September/October.

I typically install my AC's during memorial day weekend, and uninstall them the weekend before halloween, unless fall is actually cool, but lately it's seemed pretty warm well into october.

 

[Pabster]

Ya, those 'portable' units are a joke.

Stick with the window units. Even the 5000-ish BTU ones are pretty good, and much more cost-effective, too.

 

[Rubycon]

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

There's lots of charts that go by square footage however they don't take into account modern day factors which contribute to heat loading. A stoked and worked pc, for example can dish out 1500 btu/h! 500-800 btu/h per person and heavy set folks pump out more, etc. Latitude plays into the equation as well as where the room faces. Galleys and heads (with shower) will also contribute to the load by adding humidity.

Simple units found in homes don't feature any sophisticated control of the element that uses most of the power - the compressor. The thermostat simply cycles it on and off. Too large a unit results in too many cycles which often lead to poor dehumidification and a cool but clammy feeling room. Too small of a unit means the compressor runs continuously and on hottest days the room temperature can get out of the comfort zone. This is a compromise that's often suitable for residential settings where temperature control is not critical nor are there wildly fluctuating loads or load shed management protocols in place.

 

[IronWing]

New York at 97F? How bad does it smell?

 

[venkman]

Originally posted by: Calculator83
You all Americanized tree killers. LOL.. No shirt + electric fan..

pics?

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: ironwing
New York at 97F? How bad does it smell?

Well this morning it smelled like pizza. Looks like we're ahead of the thunderstorms moving down toward Long Island though. :Q

 

[Jeff7]

And I guess insulation quality can throw a wrench into estimates. I'm in an old building that apparently was built before anyone ever thought that insulation would be a good idea. I've got an 8000BTU AC for downstairs, and 6000 for upstairs.
Downstairs is about........400 sq ft, upstairs 250 sq ft.

It works out though; upstairs gets pretty hot during the day, but that's where the bedroom is, so I usually only am up there at night or early morning. I use a box fan to move the cool air around, as the upstairs consists of two rooms; the bedroom lacks any windows, so the AC is in the other room.

Downstairs, I can usually leave it on Low, and it'll do a decent job. Sometimes I might have to bump it up to Medium.

 

[Rubycon]

Paint your roof white.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Rubycon
Paint your roof white.

.....and install a moisture barrier on the porch, which is now the bathroom and laundry room
And insulate the walls.
And repanel the bathroom.
And replace the drywall upstairs.
And replace the wiring (most of it still uses 2-prong, ungrounded outlets)
And get a new furnace...........
If it were up to me, I'd gut the place down to the studs in the walls and redo everything.

Oh well, I'll likely be here another year or so, then hopefully I'll be getting myself a job that can afford me a nice rental property of some sort, before I figure out where the heck to live on some more permanent basis.

Something built within the last decade might be nice.