Swamp Coolers or AC?

[FM2n]

I live in S. Cali - San Diego. My room is an oven since the apt walls are plaster (no insulation). Looking to cool it down but a portable rolling AC, from what I've researched, requires an exhaust tube to be hooked up to the window?

I don't know jack about the mechanics of AC, so I was thinking of just getting a swamp cooler.

HELP ME!

 

[Rastus]

You are too close to the ocean to use a swamp cooler.

 

[FM2n]

You are too close to the ocean to use a swamp cooler.

I live inland for the most part. La Mesa area (Near SDSU).

 

[Saint Nick]

Don't get a portable A/C with a tube. Those things just don't work well.

 

[God Mode]

Don't get a portable A/C with a tube. Those things just don't work well.

This. The tubes itself dump a lot of heat back into the room. I had a $600 model that barely cooled a tiny room.

 

[Saint Nick]

This. The tubes itself dump a lot of heat back into the room. I had a $600 model that barely cooled a tiny room.

Yup...I even had my tube dumping the hot air outside. Didn't help.

 

[Chiropteran]

I can confirm that this is true. Whenever I play with my tube it gets hotter, not cooler.

 

[God Mode]

Yup...I even had my tube dumping the hot air outside. Didn't help.

Hah thats a given. Usually it vents out the window with a plastic attachment but the tubes generate a lot of heat. Its like having a long lightbulb in the room.

 

[techs]

I don't know the water situation but there are some that use water from a faucet and a return hose to a drain.

 

[FM2n]

Wait, so there are two types of AC systems? Tube and Tubeless? Perhaps I just need to read a "things to know before you buy an AC" site. The brochure pictures always makes the device look so nice, standing in the middle of the room with no tubes to be seen.

 

[MontyAC]

Get AC. Swamp cooler won't work well in high humidity. San Diego's heat is not dry heat like in Arizona where you can make do with a swamp cooler.

 

[deadlyapp]

I used to sell portable AC units. We had about 50-75% of them returned within a couple of weeks because they worked so poorly.

If you live inland and your humidity is very low then a swamp cooler would work quite well. You just want to make sure you are not sensitive to very humid air.

 

[sourceninja]

Wait, so there are two types of AC systems? Tube and Tubeless? Perhaps I just need to read a "things to know before you buy an AC" site. The brochure pictures always makes the device look so nice, standing in the middle of the room with no tubes to be seen.

They have to put the heat somewhere.... Even corporations can't defeat thermal dynamics.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

This. The tubes itself dump a lot of heat back into the room. I had a $600 model that barely cooled a tiny room.

Depends on what you're using it for. The apartment I'm renting has a dinky central AC, so I bolster it with a portable AC. All it needs to do is cool the place down a couple of degrees - the DeLonghi from Sam's for ~$250 after rebate is working wonderfully so far.

 

[MrColin]

I'm getting by just fine with a frigidaire 300BTU window unit from Lowes that only cost around $150. It only cools my bedroom but if I close up the place at night when the weather is cool and leave my bedroom door open I can keep the 1200sqft house 10-20 degrees cooler than ambient.

 

[alkemyst]

I have had a lot of good luck with portable A/C's in Florida. Most try to cool to big a space.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Don't get a portable A/C with a tube. Those things just don't work well.

If you do, mod it like I did to mine. It pretty much doubled, if quadrupled the efficiency.



Basically, you have to locate the condenser coil intake, hopefully it's separate from the evap intake. Then isolate it and add an outside intake. That way it will work more like a split system where only outdoor air is used to cool the condenser and compressor. No indoor air is wasted.

But if you have a window that will take a window AC, then get that, it takes less room and is less loud. These portable units are LOUD. You also want to go as big as you can. Mine is a 1 ton. It will cool my <100 sqft office from 25C to 20C in about 10 minutes then I open the door and it will help maintain the existing house temp and maybe even lower it slightly.

 

[RossMAN]

Find someone who's a Sam's Club member sometimes they offer free weekend passes if you ask.

If they have this in stock, it (was) a good deal, I think it's the same model:
http://slickdeals.net/f/4776524-New...A-C-249-98-after-MIR-Sam-s-Club-in-store-only
http://slickdeals.net/f/2952419-Del...l-PAC-C120E-229-AR-at-Sam-s-Club-Good-reviews

Edit: $50 rebate expired 7/31/2012 that sucks

 

[Sluggo]

If you do, mod it like I did to mine. It pretty much doubled, if quadrupled the efficiency.



Basically, you have to locate the condenser coil intake, hopefully it's separate from the evap intake. Then isolate it and add an outside intake. That way it will work more like a split system where only outdoor air is used to cool the condenser and compressor. No indoor air is wasted.

But if you have a window that will take a window AC, then get that, it takes less room and is less loud. These portable units are LOUD. You also want to go as big as you can. Mine is a 1 ton. It will cool my <100 sqft office from 25C to 20C in about 10 minutes then I open the door and it will help maintain the existing house temp and maybe even lower it slightly.

And it's quite decorative. D:

 

[Drako]

Whole house fan?

edit: LOL just realized apartment. My advice, move