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help choosing a window AC Brian 04-22-2008
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Posted by Brian on April 22, 2008, 12:23 pm
I'm posting looking for recommendations on a window AC unit. I'm considering
the 12-18000 BTU range. The area I'm lookking to cool is 4 rooms together
amounting to approx 500sq ft with 8ft cielings, but consider the one of
those roos that I spend most ime in (which has all sorts of heat generating
computers & electronics) also has no windows except for the one I've blocked
off for and mounted an unsatisfactory 8000 btu cheap fedders window ac into.
(hey, no windows for the prying eyes to see my most expensive possesions.
This one is unsatisfactory on 2 points, 1, it barely cools this room, and 2,
I can't understand a conversation with it running...LOOOOUUUD!
Although in my next purchase how loud it is will be slightly less important
because I likely won't mount it in this room but try to cool the entire
floor from another.
I realise the noise is supposed to be expressed with a bel rating, but it
doesn't seem to be something that's advertised much when shopping for one.
Also, going to a 220v unit will be a pain, so if something using 110 is
availible it will get alot of points that way.
The stores that are likely to sell them here are wal-mart (yuk), sears, home
depot, and lowes.. so something availible at those stores is a big plus.
So if anyone has a unit that they're highly pleased with within this
description, you response would be very much appreciated!
Thanks!
Brian


Posted by DA on April 22, 2008, 2:07 pm
DA had written this in response to
http://www.www.thestuccocompany.com/maintenance/help-choosing-a-window-AC-302217-.htm
:

Brian wrote:


> I realise the noise is supposed to be expressed with a bel rating,

Beyond the noise and the coverage area (which is stated on the box but
usually is overly optimistic, depending on how hot it gets were you live
and how cold you like it) don't overlook a not-so-obvious issue of where
the cold air exhaust is facing and how much of it you can divert and
where. I've had a lot of problems with a window unit that was blowing cold
air directly into the room right onto a person sitting in front of it
(small room, no where else to move the desk). A cold or muscle pain or
worse is virtually guaranteed that way. I had to go back and pick a unit
based on a sigle factor - where exactly does the cold air go - it had to
go straight up. When it pains, you'll quickly forget about noise, BTUs and
coverage area. You would NOT want the cold air blowing on you even if the
unit that provides that is too noisy and too weak.
Good luck with your search!

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Posted by Pete C. on April 22, 2008, 3:10 pm

DA wrote:
>
> DA had written this in response to
>
http://www.www.thestuccocompany.com/maintenance/help-choosing-a-window-AC-302217-.htm
> :
>
> Brian wrote:
>
> > I realise the noise is supposed to be expressed with a bel rating,
>
> Beyond the noise and the coverage area (which is stated on the box but
> usually is overly optimistic, depending on how hot it gets were you live
> and how cold you like it) don't overlook a not-so-obvious issue of where
> the cold air exhaust is facing and how much of it you can divert and
> where. I've had a lot of problems with a window unit that was blowing cold
> air directly into the room right onto a person sitting in front of it
> (small room, no where else to move the desk). A cold or muscle pain or
> worse is virtually guaranteed that way. I had to go back and pick a unit
> based on a sigle factor - where exactly does the cold air go - it had to
> go straight up. When it pains, you'll quickly forget about noise, BTUs and
> coverage area. You would NOT want the cold air blowing on you even if the
> unit that provides that is too noisy and too weak.
> Good luck with your search!

Unless you are overly critical of cosmetics, which you likely aren't if
you're looking for a window unit, you can pretty readily fashion a
deflector with a piece of cardboard and some tape that will direct the
cold air where it should be going.

Most every window A/C unit I've seen has had a really inadequate vent /
deflector setup. I had an 18k btu/h unit that in stock form had trouble
cooling a 6' x 6' area in front of the unit due to the cold air mostly
being sucked back in the room air intake. With a piece of cardboard and
some tape I added a deflector to direct the cold air hard to the side
where it created a circulation that cooled a large area evenly.

Posted by buffalobill on April 22, 2008, 2:48 pm
> I'm posting looking for recommendations on a window AC unit. I'm considering
> the 12-18000 BTU range. The area I'm lookking to cool is 4 rooms together
> amounting to approx 500sq ft with 8ft cielings, but consider the one of
> those roos that I spend most ime in (which has all sorts of heat generating
> computers & electronics) also has no windows except for the one I've blocked
> off for and mounted an unsatisfactory 8000 btu cheap fedders window ac into.
> (hey, no windows for the prying eyes to see my most expensive possesions.
> This one is unsatisfactory on 2 points, 1, it barely cools this room, and 2,
> I can't understand a conversation with it running...LOOOOUUUD!
> Although in my next purchase how loud it is will be slightly less important
> because I likely won't mount it in this room but try to cool the entire
> floor from another.
> I realise the noise is supposed to be expressed with a bel rating, but it
> doesn't seem to be something that's advertised much when shopping for one.
> Also, going to a 220v unit will be a pain, so if something using 110 is
> availible it will get alot of points that way.
> The stores that are likely to sell them here are wal-mart (yuk), sears, home
> depot, and lowes.. so something availible at those stores is a big plus.
> So if anyone has a unit that they're highly pleased with within this
> description, you response would be very much appreciated!
> Thanks!
> Brian

insulate the walls floors and ceilings of the workspace to make the
air conditioning more effective. always ventilate the stale air before
you run your sir conditioner. the thru-the-wall units with wall sleeve
are more expensive but give you privacy and allow you to still enjoy
fresh air from the window. note the window ac's are usually not
interchangeable since they use vents on sides. the wall units do their
business out the rear only. look harder to find a unit that exhausts
if possible. low end units usually lack a lever operated intake vent
to cool fresh air. we have foolishly limited our air conditioner
purchasing by window size and convenience of an electrical outlet, and
those cheap air conditioners piled on a pallet with no features you
need will be an inexpensive education as a gift to an 8 x10 foot low
ceiling bedroom user with no pets in a temperate climate.
if you are limited to a window installation, see if you can still add
a window fan perhaps hanging inside the top of the upper sash for air
changes. noise canceling headphones will cut down the roar of the air
conditioner.
search window air conditioners and find thorough specifications at:
www.grainger.com

Posted by on April 22, 2008, 4:58 pm
>
>
>
>
>
> > I'm posting looking for recommendations on a window AC unit. I'm conside=
ring
> > the 12-18000 BTU range. The area I'm lookking to cool is 4 rooms togethe=
r
> > amounting to approx 500sq ft with 8ft cielings, but consider the one of
> > those roos that I spend most ime in (which has all sorts of heat generat=
ing
> > computers & electronics) also has no windows except for the one I've blo=
cked
> > off for and mounted an unsatisfactory 8000 btu cheap fedders window ac i=
nto.
> > (hey, no windows for the prying eyes to see my most expensive possesions=
.
> > This one is unsatisfactory on 2 points, 1, it barely cools this room, an=
d 2,
> > I can't understand a conversation with it running...LOOOOUUUD!
> > Although in my next purchase how loud it is will be slightly less import=
ant
> > because I likely won't mount it in this room but try to cool the entire
> > floor from another.
> > I realise the noise is supposed to be expressed with a bel rating, but i=
t
> > doesn't seem to be something that's advertised much when shopping for on=
e.
> > Also, going to a 220v unit will be a pain, so if something using 110 is
> > availible it will get alot of points that way.
> > The stores that are likely to sell them here are wal-mart (yuk), sears, =
home
> > depot, and lowes.. so something availible at those stores is a big plus.=

> > So if anyone has a unit that they're highly pleased with within this
> > description, you response would be very much appreciated!
> > Thanks!
> > Brian
>
> insulate the walls floors and ceilings of the workspace to make the
> air conditioning more effective. always ventilate the stale air before
> you run your sir conditioner. the thru-the-wall units with wall sleeve
> are more expensive but give you privacy and allow you to still enjoy
> fresh air from the window. note the window ac's are usually not
> interchangeable since they use vents on sides. the wall units do their
> business out the rear only. look harder to find a unit that exhausts
> if possible. low end units usually lack a lever operated intake vent
> to cool fresh air. we have foolishly limited our air conditioner
> purchasing by window size and convenience of an electrical outlet, and
> those cheap air conditioners piled on a pallet with no features you
> need will be an inexpensive education as a gift to an 8 x10 foot =A0low
> ceiling bedroom user with no pets in a temperate climate.
> if you are limited to a window installation, see if you can still add
> a window fan perhaps hanging inside the top of the upper sash for air
> changes. noise canceling headphones will cut down the roar of the air
> conditioner.
> search window air conditioners and find thorough specifications at:www.gra=
inger.com- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I think the next problem you're going to have is that you will be
dissatisfied with the 12-18K unit because it's difficult to cool 4
rooms with a window unit located in just one of them. Also, I'd
figure out what the real issue is with the 8K BTU unit that barely
cools the one room with the electronic gear. Is it that the unit is
bad? Or is that there is so much electronics that it is the real
issue? Today, when someone says they have a room full of computers
and electronics, it could mean anything from a PC and TV to a server
farm.

In any case, if that 8K BTU unit actually works correctly and barely
cools that room, then I would say it's going to be impossible to cool
it adequately with a 12--18K BTU unit in another room that has to cool
not only it, but 3 other rooms. You just won't get enough air
movement to deliver the cold air where it's needed. A better
solution may be to get another 8 or 10K unit for the electronics room
and redeploy the existing 8K unit to one of the other rooms.

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