marko
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Yeah. The one I owned for 12 hours was supposed to do that but didn't. The back up alarm went off at 8PM and then at 2AM.
portable air conditioner or ?
- Thread starter broadway
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jimnjana
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Haier 12000 btu. Cools about 400 sq ft to 71-72 degrees. In Cancun so can't get model number.
CaliforniaMan
Full time employment: Posting here.
Yes, we got one of these from Home Depot, single hose blows air outside, sucks in air from window, door cracks, etc. Not very efficient. And VERY VERY NOISY!!! We use it to cool the bedroom, but turn it off when we go to sleep. Due to inefficiency, it must run a very long time to cool the room.
We have a split ductless in our home in SE Asia, it works great, and very quiet. We chose not to put one in here because we were required to add another electric circuit and line from the other side of the house. It was going to add up to a lot more money than the portable.
Eventually we will get rid of the portable and install a ductless.
In short the single hose portables are not efficient, and did I mention VERY NOISY?!!
Bamaman
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Mini Split heat pumps are the HVAC of the future. Since they don't heat or cool a bunch of inefficient ductwork, they may use half the electricity of old conventional heating and air conditioning.
In my worldly travels, that's all we're seeing. And for normal size homes, two separate units will suffice--much cheaper to purchase than a huge ducted split furnace or heat pump system located in the attic.
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I would combine that with the recommendation to close down other vents.
My dad had one of those portable units and I didn't like it at all. Hard to get a good seal in the window, loud and it was one that you had to dump the water. And heavy.
Good luck with the vent fan. I had one put in the duct work (in-line) and unless you can't get at the duct work (I had a basement), it was really no big deal to install. I think it was much more powerful than a fan on top of the register will be but I'm hoping for the best for you.
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ERD50
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While they make sense in some/many cases, I just don't think the reasons you offer hold water.
You would need to have very poor ducting indeed to lose anywhere near half the energy in the ducts. Maybe poorly insulated ducts running through an attic? Even then, losing half would be a lot. Our ducts run inside the house - any heat/cold we lose is 'lost' to the house, it's not really lost at all.
We had our A/C replaced last year, and I wanted a dual stage and variable speed fan for comfort, these only come in high efficiency versions. The compressor (outside) is HUGE (shoulder height and I would be able to get my arms half way around it). Everything related to efficiency costs money - and it's going to cost more to duplicate that in several small units than one large one.
-ERD50
RetiredAt55.5
Full time employment: Posting here.
What's "right" about window units is that they're a lot more cost effective than whole house systems. I get 20 or more years out of mine and they never need to be serviced. Two window units handles my rancher.
Yes, window units are not as efficient as whole house units, but I'm willing to bet that when you factor in a couple of service visits over the life of a central air system, there go those savings.
So, I can buy 2 window units for about $600, or a central air system for thousands more. And I can add another "zone" whenever I want to by picking up another unit.
Esthetics be damned. But then again, I hang my laundry out on the line. I'm "one of those" people.
Ticker
Recycles dryer sheets
I installed my duct fans with an air switch. you put a tube connected to the switch into the plenum, and the switch senses when the main fan kicks on, and sends power to the booster fans. I have a 2 story house with an overly efficient variable speed fan. at low speeds the main fan doesn't push sufficient air pressure to move cool air up to the second floor. this turned out to be an excellent solution to the problem. I do have a wall switch to kill the boosters for when we turn the heat on.
Koolau
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I believe that's the way my neighbor's works. He has no issue with a drain pan. It works very well for his purpose. We do not own or want an AC, but his wife has severe asthma. Cooling either the BR or the LR (thus, portable) is all she needs to make the occasional very-humid day bearable. His was more expensive than a window unit, but not ridiculously so according to him. YMMV
travelover
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Re the water problem - you can buy a condensate pump with an automatic float switch (like a miniature sump pump) and run a small hose to a sink or out the window.
I'd agree that it is best to re-balance the registers and add a booster fan before adding an additional AC unit. Also make sure you have enough attic insulation and ventilation. The ceiling in my upstairs used to literally get hot on a sunny day. I added a fan to vent the attic in addition to rolling out some additional insulation. That helped a lot.
I'd agree that it is best to re-balance the registers and add a booster fan before adding an additional AC unit. Also make sure you have enough attic insulation and ventilation. The ceiling in my upstairs used to literally get hot on a sunny day. I added a fan to vent the attic in addition to rolling out some additional insulation. That helped a lot.
Ductless mini splits are the way to go , unless you are an HVAC man . This battle will go on for years until people realize the benefits .
A mini split for your home as long as it does not require any electrical work , an extra breaker or box is less then 2000.00 . Also cools and heats most SA .and Europe .
Also if you want you could go with a PTAC , like what they use in Motels . Not the greatest but one of the big ones might do your whole house . Around 1000.00
A mini split for your home as long as it does not require any electrical work , an extra breaker or box is less then 2000.00 . Also cools and heats most SA .and Europe .
Also if you want you could go with a PTAC , like what they use in Motels . Not the greatest but one of the big ones might do your whole house . Around 1000.00
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The upstairs 1.5T central HVAC has been limping along for years and I thought about ductless split as a replacement, but I don't think the numbers work.
We live downstairs (master downstairs, kids fledged already). Two story foyer, so upstairs stays dry enough without much (any?) dedicated upstairs A/C. Just need it for guests or if we're up there for some other reason.
But the upstairs is 3 bedrooms and a loft. So wouldn't that mean 4 separate systems? I can't imagine that it would be more cost efficient (installation) than a single traditional forced air system through 1993 era flex ducts that seem not too horrible. I think to get a 1.5T replacement (evaporator coil and condenser unit) is about 4K.
We live downstairs (master downstairs, kids fledged already). Two story foyer, so upstairs stays dry enough without much (any?) dedicated upstairs A/C. Just need it for guests or if we're up there for some other reason.
But the upstairs is 3 bedrooms and a loft. So wouldn't that mean 4 separate systems? I can't imagine that it would be more cost efficient (installation) than a single traditional forced air system through 1993 era flex ducts that seem not too horrible. I think to get a 1.5T replacement (evaporator coil and condenser unit) is about 4K.
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Ductless Mini
I don't know how many sq. ft your upstairs is . But you would need another 220 breaker line to run the outdoor compressor . and a multi head system . What you have now probably is the better way to stay .
but if you chose to do the whole house , you already have one 220 breaker that would run the compressor so you could probably get a multi head system again depends of Sq ft and air blockages .
For example I have a 1100 sq ft home ( open concept ) single floor . I could have gotten by with one head but chose 2 heads I also have no attic in this house or false ceiling . I could not have run ductwork.
1600.00 for the unit
300.00 to install
Used a guy from Home shield
Bathroom
Kitchen / living room
bedroom
bedroom
https://www.alpinehomeair.com/viewcategory.cfm?categoryID=398
I don't know how many sq. ft your upstairs is . But you would need another 220 breaker line to run the outdoor compressor . and a multi head system . What you have now probably is the better way to stay .
but if you chose to do the whole house , you already have one 220 breaker that would run the compressor so you could probably get a multi head system again depends of Sq ft and air blockages .
For example I have a 1100 sq ft home ( open concept ) single floor . I could have gotten by with one head but chose 2 heads I also have no attic in this house or false ceiling . I could not have run ductwork.
1600.00 for the unit
300.00 to install
Used a guy from Home shield
Bathroom
Kitchen / living room
bedroom
bedroom
https://www.alpinehomeair.com/viewcategory.cfm?categoryID=398
The mini-split units are quite expensive compared to other solutions, but they are nice.
To consider:
The "booster fan" in a duct will help move cool air to the hot room when the main house AC is running. When the main house AC is not running, cool air won't be flowing to that room (unless you leave the fan on all the time). Since the hot room has a wall (and windows?) facing the south and east, it probably gets a lot of heat gain late in the day compared to the rest of the house. Without a thermostat of its own, it is probably going to be hot, especially in the PM, because the main thermostat has "told" the AC unit to turn off (because the thermostat has reached the set temperature).
If the circumstances permit, you could make a new hole in an external wall for a window unit. They do make "in the wall" units designed to go between 16" studs, but you can also install a stock window unit (less expensive) across 2 stud bays (30" total opening width) with the installation of a simple header board top and bottom. This gives you a unit with its own thermostat, and if the bedroom is the only room occupied at night you could save money by letting the rest of the house get warmer (e.g 80 degrees at night) and only cooling the BR down to comfortable temps. Have a setback thermostat get the house cool again before you wake up each morning. Window AC units can be noisy, but they aren't all noisy. Some people aren't bothered by them at all.
If there's a bathroom attached to the hot bedroom, open up the register in that bathroom and leave the door open to the BR.
Be sure there's a way for "return air" to leave the hot BR. This can be via a dedicated return air duct or (in more modest homes) the door is cut with a gap underneath. The gap should be large--about the same size as the "supply air" grills serving the room. If practical, leave this door open at night.
Low-cost approach to active cooling: Is there a convenient spot to run a duct or two downstairs from the hot room to a cool hallway, common area, etc? Maybe an open stud bay on an interior wall? Just bring the cool air from the lower level of the main house to hot BR using a quiet fan in each duct. Leave them on all night. Because the air coming in won't be very cool (i.e. it will be 72 deg instead of the 50 deg air an AC unit might supply) it may take quite a bit of flow to make up for the heat gain in the hot BR, but it's a simple answer. Also, this solution will provide direct sound transmission through the duct from the BR to the other end ("bridge to engine room, full ahead"), which could result in some awkward situations . . . .
Work to reduce the heat gain in the hot room. A few inches of added insulation above the ceiling, awnings/reflective film over south facing window, a shade tree etc.
Small window AC units can be bought for about $150. If you've got a suitable window, it might we worth a try. If you don;t like it, you could sell it without taking much of a hit.
To consider:
The "booster fan" in a duct will help move cool air to the hot room when the main house AC is running. When the main house AC is not running, cool air won't be flowing to that room (unless you leave the fan on all the time). Since the hot room has a wall (and windows?) facing the south and east, it probably gets a lot of heat gain late in the day compared to the rest of the house. Without a thermostat of its own, it is probably going to be hot, especially in the PM, because the main thermostat has "told" the AC unit to turn off (because the thermostat has reached the set temperature).
If the circumstances permit, you could make a new hole in an external wall for a window unit. They do make "in the wall" units designed to go between 16" studs, but you can also install a stock window unit (less expensive) across 2 stud bays (30" total opening width) with the installation of a simple header board top and bottom. This gives you a unit with its own thermostat, and if the bedroom is the only room occupied at night you could save money by letting the rest of the house get warmer (e.g 80 degrees at night) and only cooling the BR down to comfortable temps. Have a setback thermostat get the house cool again before you wake up each morning. Window AC units can be noisy, but they aren't all noisy. Some people aren't bothered by them at all.
If there's a bathroom attached to the hot bedroom, open up the register in that bathroom and leave the door open to the BR.
Be sure there's a way for "return air" to leave the hot BR. This can be via a dedicated return air duct or (in more modest homes) the door is cut with a gap underneath. The gap should be large--about the same size as the "supply air" grills serving the room. If practical, leave this door open at night.
Low-cost approach to active cooling: Is there a convenient spot to run a duct or two downstairs from the hot room to a cool hallway, common area, etc? Maybe an open stud bay on an interior wall? Just bring the cool air from the lower level of the main house to hot BR using a quiet fan in each duct. Leave them on all night. Because the air coming in won't be very cool (i.e. it will be 72 deg instead of the 50 deg air an AC unit might supply) it may take quite a bit of flow to make up for the heat gain in the hot BR, but it's a simple answer. Also, this solution will provide direct sound transmission through the duct from the BR to the other end ("bridge to engine room, full ahead"), which could result in some awkward situations . . . .
Work to reduce the heat gain in the hot room. A few inches of added insulation above the ceiling, awnings/reflective film over south facing window, a shade tree etc.
Small window AC units can be bought for about $150. If you've got a suitable window, it might we worth a try. If you don;t like it, you could sell it without taking much of a hit.
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iloveyoga
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
We sell a lot of these. You may also be able to get an energy rebate in your area.
bigcmagor
Recycles dryer sheets
We just installed a Fujitsu split ductless to cool the cathedral ceiling, second floor master bedroom. Used to have to turn the air down to 68 in the house four hours before going to bed in order to bring temperature down to the low 70's in the bedroom. Wife was freezing in sweatshirts downstairs during the evenings.
It was 95 here today and our bedroom is currently 69 degrees and the rest of the upstairs is over 80 degrees. Downstairs is a comfy 72. Runs on a 15 amp circuit and draws very little power. As others have said, it's an expensive option but well worth the investment in my book.
iloveyoga
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
We call it a mini split here. Fujitsu is the brand we sell too.
meierlde
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
From your original post you say the AC is in the NW corner, is that a central unit? If so it may mean just adjusting the dampers on the various ducts to change the air delivery needed (or if not present installing some).
