Single room air conditioner

[PingSpike]

Depending on your location, anything that needs cooling for only 2-3 months of a year = window unit.

Central AC is great when you build a new home, but for existing homes, it's A LOT of money and simply not worth it.

My neighbor has an exactly the same house as me and had Central AC installed. It cost him $13000+ and he is saving about $50 a month on utility bills.

We use AC MAYBE 3 months at most. $50 x3 = $150 savings per year. $13000k/ $150 = 86 YEARS to break even.

Not worth it, I will stick to hauling AC window units....no thanks.

Yeah, they're kind of a bitch to put in and I think they look sort of trashy...but they are pretty cheap and if they break I just bring them to the dump and replace them with the next walmart special. The equation might be different if I didn't need A/C for more than 3-4 months a year.

 

[alkemyst]

I got the portable one costco sells. Can make the room like a meat locker if you want.

Be careful with that and potential issues from over cooling a room. Down here they get mold/mildew problems worse than what happens without any climate control in this humid place.

 

[nageov3t]

I've heard nothing good about portable air conditioners, but ymmv.

I use window units in NJ... 2 small ones for the bedroom/office and a larger one that covers the living room/dining room/kitchen. usually install them in May/June and lug them back into the basement in October.

it'll probably do you fine in terms of sound. not as good as having the window closed, but I've never found mine to be particularly noticeable in terms of letting in sound (especially while they're running, as the white noise should help block things out)

Yeah, they're kind of a bitch to put in and I think they look sort of trashy...but they are pretty cheap and if they break I just bring them to the dump and replace them with the next walmart special. The equation might be different if I didn't need A/C for more than 3-4 months a year.

I feel like if they're in a side window, it's not that noticeable... but yeah, I'd never put them in a window on the front of the house if I had a choice.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Replace the screen? On your window?

A casement window cranks out; it doesn't slide up and down like most windows. A screen fits in the frame so you can open a window and not have bugs fly in. I removed the screen and replaced it with an insert (which I will explain below).

Does this thing work with a window somehow? My impression looking at the graphic is that it just sits on the floor.

*ALL* AC units will need to vent their heat and water. My unit does sit on the floor but you still have to vent the hot air and moisture it pulls from the air. Most come with plastic ductwork and an insert which will work in windows which slide up and down and you connect the duct to that insert. That insert will not work in a casement window so I had to build one.

What kind of watts does it draw? If it does stand alone from the window I could still have my window-with-screen system for when I just want that ventilation in the room.

I haven't hooked a Kill-A-Watt to it so I am not sure.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

There is a tube that dumps hot/humid air outside. He built an insert so the window can mostly close while still accommodating the vent tube. Typically those units will draw 1000W at least.

No, the window is open. This video shows something similar to what I built:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu1u1HoBtUs

 

[lupi]

Remember driving by one of the main streets and on a block where some residential units were still present, enjoyed the view of the window ac unit sticking out the front window with a 2*4 propped up under it as support.

 

[RelaxTheMind]

portable ACs work great if you have your negative/positive air pressures correct. if the rest of your house is hot and it intakes from the same airspace you will end up straining the AC. in some cases you would actually be pulling in hot dirty air from your attic or dirty humid air from your crawl into your house.

unfortunately the lower end models dont give you much choice. you would either have to leave the other window slightly cracked or just "burp" the room every once in a while.

i would do the window AC. unless you have an anal HOA of course.

 

[Scarpozzi]

You can score the 5000-6000btu window models for under $200 easily. They often come with a plastic thing to block the sides, but you can beef this up with polystyrene (foam insulation) for cheap. That will help with sound too if it's that loud outside.

Just buy it now. As the summer creeps on, a lot of stores stop stocking AC units because they don't want to get stuck with a pallet of them over the winter unless you live somewhere tropical.

 

[NoTine42]

Depending on your location, anything that needs cooling for only 2-3 months of a year = window unit.

Central AC is great when you build a new home, but for existing homes, it's A LOT of money and simply not worth it.

My neighbor has an exactly the same house as me and had Central AC installed. It cost him $13000+ and he is saving about $50 a month on utility bills.

We use AC MAYBE 3 months at most. $50 x3 = $150 savings per year. $13000k/ $150 = 86 YEARS to break even.

Not worth it, I will stick to hauling AC window units....no thanks.

13 grand!! Was that central A/C unit hooked up with Monster Cables and include a Best But extended warranty? I would expect central air to run 4-8 grand. (Possibly more if you are going for some ultra-SEER unit.
(Or is that an insanely large house?)

If you already have forced air heat, adding the a/c condensor and compressor is fairly easy...I've bought 2 heat pumps for that total...and the 1st one was for a home that only had hot water radiators, so they had to install new duct work.

 

[alkemyst]

13 grand!! Was that central A/C unit hooked up with Monster Cables and include a Best But extended warranty? I would expect central air to run 4-8 grand. (Possibly more if you are going for some ultra-SEER unit.
(Or is that an insanely large house?)

If you already have forced air heat, adding the a/c condensor and compressor is fairly easy...I've bought 2 heat pumps for that total...and the 1st one was for a home that only had hot water radiators, so they had to install new duct work.

Around here for a single unit 4-8k is about right. I am willing to bet at $13k they had a two unit system and both were above average.

I have 1788sq ft under air. Direct east to west exposure. nearly 20 windows and a darker roof. Quotes for a higher end unit were in the $6k-8k range for an attic installed unit.

 

[alkemyst]

You can score the 5000-6000btu window models for under $200 easily. They often come with a plastic thing to block the sides, but you can beef this up with polystyrene (foam insulation) for cheap. That will help with sound too if it's that loud outside.

Just buy it now. As the summer creeps on, a lot of stores stop stocking AC units because they don't want to get stuck with a pallet of them over the winter unless you live somewhere tropical.

5-6k seems way undersized for his need. They'd never shut off I bet and his electric bill would be insane.

 

[nageov3t]

Just buy it now. As the summer creeps on, a lot of stores stop stocking AC units because they don't want to get stuck with a pallet of them over the winter unless you live somewhere tropical.

free shipping with Amazon Prime

just bought a 70lb AC this week (8000 BTU)... $0 shipping and it arrived next-day :thumbsup:

sadly, I won't be able to install it until Saturday. the AC I'm replacing has been in that window since probably the 70's. I suspect it's been painted over multiple times... going to have to get out the razor to carve is out of the window, and probably leave a ladder underneath it in case it falls out. I'd rather it fall a foot onto a step ladder than 7-8' down onto the concrete in the alleyway.

 

[Muse]

Keep in mind most portable units will require maintenance daily or at least weekly to dump the water bin. A window unit is going to be the economical choice or a through wall unit for better security.

The other recommendations are very expensive, but much better in terms of efficiency. You can get a window unit for this sized room for as low as $100. Those better units start at 10x that.

Also make sure you get one with the proper power type for what you have....many will run on 105-120V now, but some are still 220V that most houses don't have.

I'm liking the window units. The cheapest I'm seeing at Amazon is $120:

Frigidaire FRA052XT7 5,000-BTU Mini Window Air Conditioner

Where can I find a window AC unit for ~$100?

By "security" I think you mean keeping out burglars. My bedroom is on the 2nd floor, I don't think anyone's going to try forced entry by climbing on my roof.

 

[nageov3t]

Where can I find a window AC unit for ~$100?

By "security" I think you mean keeping out burglars. My bedroom is on the 2nd floor, I don't think anyone's going to try forced entry by climbing on my roof.

if you're shopping locally, I'd look at Home Depot/Lowes, Walmart, Sears, etc... hell, even some of the grocery stores around here sell them in the beginning of summer.

I've never worried about security with my window unit, even living on the first floor... it's screwed into the window frame. I figure, with the effort it would take to pry the AC out of the window, they could just as easily pry open the back door.

 

[Muse]

5-6k seems way undersized for his need. They'd never shut off I bet and his electric bill would be insane.

Is that too small for me? The room's about 85 square feet floor, ~700 cubic feet, somewhat more if you count the closet, which doesn't have a door on it.

The one I linked in the previous post at Amazon is IIRC 5000btu and around 500 watts. If I have it going 8 hours a day at my utility rate I think it would cost me about 50 cents/day. Not astronomical. It would increase my electricity bill substantially, but I don't think "insane" is the right word.

Being the second floor, it would have to do some work. The second floor during warmer weather is quite a bit warmer than the first floor, which is practically never uncomfortable, even in hot weather!

Outside temperature is apt to be maybe 64-68 (possibly warmer) when I go to bed, maybe 53-58 after ~8 hours. In the room somewhere from 68-77 when I go to bed. I'm hoping to cool the room to lower 60's. The room being on 2nd floor and under an attic under a shingled roof, it's typically warmer than the outside temperature in the evenings during warmer weather particularly.

I could look at Walmart or Home Depot, maybe Costco has a window unit, but I doubt it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Keep in mind most portable units will require maintenance daily or at least weekly to dump the water bin. A window unit is going to be the economical choice or a through wall unit for better security.

Yeah read the reviews if you buy a portable and make sure it uses evaporative drainage. I heard some you actually have to wheel them and lift into the bath tub to drain, pretty silly design. Some have a tray, so that's not too bad. Mine just evaporates the water by dripping it on the condenser coils. There is a bit of water that does stay inside but never enough to cause it to require manual drainage.

 

[nageov3t]

Is that too small for me? The room's about 85 square feet floor, ~700 cubic feet, somewhat more if you count the closet, which doesn't have a door on it.

assuming a standard-sized ceiling and you're not running a server farm in there, 5000btu should be fine per http://www.energystar.gov/?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized

 

[Muse]

assuming a standard-sized ceiling and you're not running a server farm in there, 5000btu should be fine per http://www.energystar.gov/?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized

Thank you! :thumbsup: It appears that a 5000btu unit will be more than sufficient. The ceiling is standard sized. This is exciting! The idea came to me out of the blue yesterday, while I was working out at the gym.

I may want to ensure that there isn't much in the way of air passing between the attic and the room. Not sure how I'll do that, I think there are maybe some cracks where the walls meet the ceiling. I can inspect and caulk or otherwise fill with something.

I think the window where I will install is in a perfect place. Well, I'm an AC noob, so I could be wrong. The window is just above the bed, pretty much above the middle, so cool air will flow right over the bed. I may find that I'm using the low setting most of the time, assuming it has a couple of settings (the one I linked does, I think).

 

[alkemyst]

if you're shopping locally, I'd look at Home Depot/Lowes, Walmart, Sears, etc... hell, even some of the grocery stores around here sell them in the beginning of summer.

I've never worried about security with my window unit, even living on the first floor... it's screwed into the window frame. I figure, with the effort it would take to pry the AC out of the window, they could just as easily pry open the back door.

or just break the glass.

I have misread while working that his room was 700 sq ft not cu ft.

I am looking at a 14k BTU unit for my family room since the previous homeowner added it on and only put in two 4" ducts thinking that made for a larger duct.

 

[Muse]

if you're shopping locally, I'd look at Home Depot/Lowes, Walmart, Sears, etc... hell, even some of the grocery stores around here sell them in the beginning of summer.

I haven't visited any stores yet, but online the cheapest I've seen is $109, and that's a Haier HWF05XCL-L 5,000-BTU at Walmart.com. They sell the same Frigidaire I linked above at the same price as Amazon, it's $120. Has better customer ratings so I figure it's worth the extra 11 bucks. Don't know where a $100 AC window unit might be, maybe if I visit B&M places. Maybe it's the time of year what with summer just hitting.

Reading reviews it's obvious to me that a 5000btu unit is going to be plenty enough for even my warmest days. Probably will use low settings 95% of the time. Noise probably won't bother me, I do have my noisy neighbor to contend with. I've even contemplated a white noise machine for that problem. But an AC is kind of two birds with one stone.

Questions: How durable are these things? How long do they normally last? What craps out on them by and large?

 

[Muse]

Questions: How durable are these things? How long do they normally last? What craps out on them by and large?

In my online searches the best deal I saw was Lowe's online offering Frigidaire 5,000-BTU 150-sq ft 115-Volts Window Air Conditioner Model #: LRA050XT7 which appears maybe to be the same as Amazon's offering Frigidaire FRA052XT7 5,000-BTU Mini Window Air Conditioner. The graphics look identical AFAICT. The page I hit for the Lowe's AC had a coupon code for a discount of around 10%. My Discover card has a 5% discount on home improvement April - June, so I scored it for ~$102 plus CA state tax. In store pickup and I'll get it tomorrow and install it over the weekend. Sunday starts a mini-heatwave here so I will test it out.

Thanks for the help, all! :thumbsup:

 

[Muse]

Questions: How durable are these things? How long do they normally last? What craps out on them by and large?

In my online searches the best deal I saw was Frigidaire 5,000-BTU 150-sq ft 115-Volts Window Air Conditioner Model #: LRA050XT7 which appears maybe to be the same as Amazon's offering Frigidaire FRA052XT7 5,000-BTU Mini Window Air Conditioner. The graphics look identical AFAICT. The price is $119 (about the same price at Amazon and Walmart), but the page I hit had a coupon code for a discount of around 10%. My Discover card has a 5% discount on home improvement April - June, so I scored it for ~$102. In store pickup and I'll get it tomorrow and install it over the weekend. Sunday starts a mini-heatwave here so I will test it out. This seems to get the best buyer reviews for a 5000 BTU window AC (Amazon, Walmart and Lowes).

Thanks for the help, all! :thumbsup:

 

[nageov3t]

Questions: How durable are these things? How long do they normally last? What craps out on them by and large?

for what it's worth, I've only ever had one AC crap out on me completely, and it's the one I'm uninstalling this weekend... this unit has got to be +20 years old and was in the apartment when I moved in. for the first 3 summers I lived here, it did the job just fine (granted, it was super noisy and probably hell on the electric bill), but this summer it just up and died.

power fizzled off while it was in-use. given all the new energy efficient models they make today, it wasn't worth looking into getting a new one.

otherwise, I've only ever lost air conditioners to "fuck it" syndrome (aka: I'm moving out of a fourth floor walk-up and this thing is 60 lbs... fuck it, we're leaving it for the next tenants and we'll buy a new one)

 

[alkemyst]

I have had two (one wall and one window) crap out on me. The first was in an apartment, not sure how old it was. The replacement lowered my bill a lot and it was more comfortable inside.

In the house I bought in 2007, the window unit died the summer after I bought the house. I never ran it until then so that may be the reason. I haven't replaced it yet. It hasn't been needed.

 

[hans030390]

I got the 5000 BTU Frigidaire unit from Lowe's. Same one you'll see around that price at other locations and sites. I would highly recommend this unit. It should suit your needs just fine.