two air conditioners in one room?

[swbsam]

My new living room is around 400 sq. feet and I've inherited an 8000 btu air conditioner... I'm pretty positive that an 8,000 won't cut it, but would installing a 2nd air conditioner in the same room be an option?

 

[nageov3t]

why not just install the 8K unit and see how it goes?

I've got a 6K btu unit in a bit smaller living room and it works out well enough. keeps the place cool but not cold, which is good enough for me.

 

[BigJ]

Or you could just buy a single air conditioner properly sized for your room...

For a single unit, you're really looking at a 15k BTU unit based on your updated post, especially if there's poor insulation or a lot of sun exposure.. You may be able to get by with a 12k BTU unit.

Putting dual 8k BTU units on a single circuit would be a very poor choice.

 

[swbsam]

Originally posted by: loki8481
why not just install the 8K unit and see how it goes?

I've got a 6K btu unit in a bit smaller living room and it works out well enough. keeps the place cool but not cold, which is good enough for me.

Oh, I will - but my landlord snickered when i asked him if he thought the 8,000 btu unit would do.. He said, with the attached hallways and the open layout of the apartment (converted loft), an 8,000 BTU air conditioner would be a joke.

I would, of course, just get a 15,000+ btu unit but with the recent move and my wedding next month (and honeymoon plus unpaid time off plus...) I just can't afford to throw away a free a/c, if it can be put to use. Besides, 5 or 6,000 btu a/cs are less than $100 around here

 

[swbsam]

anyone have some more info?

 

[CorCentral]

If you have to, just block off the room with a blanket and that 8,000 will do just fine for the one room.

In FL when I lived in a 12x60 trailer, I bought a 14,500btu/110v ac unit from Lowe's for about $350. and it ran 24/7. Because of the crap insulation in that old trailer, it only cooled the kitchen and living room decently. Maybe 500sf.

 

[Arkaign]

It hugely depends on where you live and ambient temps, along with insulation quality.

Depending on factors, it could work great, it could work terribly, or it could be a mix.

Two ACs would work fine, and might even do better than one large single one (two locations for spreading cool air vs. one), but power-wise it will be somewhat inefficient.

 

[NatePo717]

I just ran a quick simulation (I work in HVAC) of a typical living room and got a minimum requirement of a 1 TON unit. Of course this doesn't take into account your location and exact room layout/equipment you have in the room but anything in the 12,000 - 15,000 BTU range should be sufficient. Of course if you live in the south and have large windows facing the sun for most of the day and poor insulation I would go larger. Also depends on how cool you like your rooms to be. Smaller units will struggle more to keep a room of that size cool (as they will constantly be running) than a larger unit.

Why not sell the unit you got for free and use the money to get a larger one?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: swbsam

Originally posted by: loki8481
why not just install the 8K unit and see how it goes?

I've got a 6K btu unit in a bit smaller living room and it works out well enough. keeps the place cool but not cold, which is good enough for me.

Oh, I will - but my landlord snickered when i asked him if he thought the 8,000 btu unit would do.. He said, with the attached hallways and the open layout of the apartment (converted loft), an 8,000 BTU air conditioner would be a joke.

I would, of course, just get a 15,000+ btu unit but with the recent move and my wedding next month (and honeymoon plus unpaid time off plus...) I just can't afford to throw away a free a/c, if it can be put to use. Besides, 5 or 6,000 btu a/cs are less than $100 around here

Two units would cost more to operate. You'd be far better off just buying an A/C unit that will cool that room effectively. The unit would probably pay for itself in lower electric bills within a couple months.

 

[Steve]

I suggest you put a humidifier and a dehumidifier in the same room, let them fight it out.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Use the the free a/c, run a fan to help with circulation and cover any entrance ways into the room with bed sheets.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Use the the free a/c, run a fan to help with circulation and cover any entrance ways into the room with bed sheets.

Stylish...:laugh:

Edit-Bedsheets also make good curtains or you could just paint the windows black.