window A/C units

bigwaylon

bigwaylon

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Charlotte
gonna need to pick up a couple, as supplemental cooling for the house...just not keeping it cool enough right now...

looking online (while shopping from out-of-town), and just wondering if I'm missing an obvious spot to shop...

so far, I've looked:

Costco
Wal-Mart
Home Depot
Lowe's
Target
Sam's


I'm seeing the same styles and ratings...just the brand varies between stores...prices are fairly similar...

I want it to be somewhere I can go pick 'em up on Friday, so places like Ebay are out of the question...

any other suggestions?

Thanks.
Greg
 
The only new one I ever bought was a small one 110v from wally world. If you want efficiency go with a larger 220V. The last two I have had I bought used from the Iwanna. Had great luck with them for the money. The current one I am using I paid $200 for 8 years ago. I have had it clean and replaced the fan switch. It's a Roper
 
what does it take to run one on 220V? I'm guessing rewiring it like we did when we moved a dryer inside?

since it's just supplemental, I was figuring on the 115V being plenty...but we do have an empty 220V plug in the storage room, which is about 12' from where I need to put the bigger of the two units...so maybe I can just run a proper rated extension cord that far? (most of the units seem to just have a 6' cord provide)...

Greg
 
found some more:

Sears (duh)
hhgregg


found some decent prices and a pretty wide selection at hhgregg...might be swinging by there when I get back in town...

Greg
 
yes you could run an extension cord or you could use the existing plug outlet as a junction box and run a box over to where you need it. You will be much happier with the 220 units, both for cooling and when the power bill comes. Anything is cheaper to run on 220 than 110. The Europeans figured that out long ago.
 
Greg, I picked up a window unit for the garage (changed plan and I'm taking it back now) It was a GE unit from sames. 24,000 BTU I beleive and got it for $349.99. The unit comes with remote, and has a digital thermastat (major + in my opinion). The unit requires a 18" x ?? hole in the wall or window. The really nice thing is I beleive it was set up for 115V or 220V and could use two different style 230V plugs. So you could run it 115V for now while you shop for an electricion or learn yourself how to run a 30A 230V line from the breaker box, through the attic and down the wall to a plug (unit comes with two different style 230V plugs I beleive). Its fairly simple if your wiring is up to date and from what I am told the 230V is more effecient. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Also, have done some shopping for some "split system" units and other ways of getting heating and cooling efficiently into the garage.
 
ive got two sitting in storage in the back of my shop. both 8000 BTU. could be let go cheap if your interested
 
Do you have a unit for the whole house? If so, what size is it? Rough rule of thumb is 1 Ton for 600 square feet. So if it's sized right, you might want to get it serviced.
 
93JXJ said:
Do you have a unit for the whole house? If so, what size is it? Rough rule of thumb is 1 Ton for 600 square feet. So if it's sized right, you might want to get it serviced.
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that's kinda the problem...

we just had the home unit serviced, and some freon added...but it's probably 30+ years old...just had to put a new motor in it...and it's just a two blade motor...

it's a relative's house we're living in, so we're not dropping big money on replacing the whole deal...but it just can't keep up to the heat...


just want to supplement with a small unit in the bedroom and the living area...

wflaw45...you have a PM!! ;)

also checked:

BestBuy
Circuit City

seems a lot of places are sold out of quite a bit of their selections...

Greg
 
bigwaylon said:
seems a lot of places are sold out of quite a bit of their selections...
Greg
Click to expand...

Dude, it been like 99+ degrees. You aren't the only one w/ cooling problems these days...

DuPont and the other Freon guys must be throwin' parties!
 
RatLabGuy said:
Dude, it been like 99+ degrees. You aren't the only one w/ cooling problems these days...
DuPont and the other Freon guys must be throwin' parties!
Click to expand...

yeah...it was 96F up here (in Louisville, KY) today, with a heat index of 106F...and that was at 6pm...

the service guy said there are very few systems out there that can cool a house more than 20-degrees below the outside temp...unless, of course, you've installed a unit MUCH bigger than the square footage would require...

but, I am one of a smaller group that travels a lot for business, staying in ice cold hotel rooms, while my 7-month pregnant wife is sitting in a house that's 80F inside (that's what it still was at 8:30pm...when the thermostat was set on 71F)...

Greg
 
I have an idea that works 70% of the time......





Just get a couple fans and run them all the time. I lot of times it is not the unit but the air movement. I know it our house it matter a lot. We have a very tall ceiling in our Living room. At least 25 feet high at the highest point. We have balcony overlooking our living room from a landing on the secound floor. The house is about 3000 Square foot and we use to keep our air at 69-71ish to stay comfortable. Well, we use to always have $500 a month electric bills. We have a new system in our house and could not figure it out. Well, we went and bought three Hunter ceiling fans in run them all the time. Our bill went from $500 to $200 from one month to the next and we turned our air from 70 to 77ish and the house feels just as cool as it always has.

Greg, if you have not already, try an couple fans that move the air really well and you will be ok. Ceil fans are ideal but I think we paid about 400 a peice for ours, I am sure you can get them cheaper but it will still cost more than a couple fans. Thanks John
 
ANother idea. Years ago I saw a home with a sprinkler on the roof. I ask why, cooling. And yes I have tried it, and yes it does work!

Also, keeping drapes and window shades pulled to keep out sun light. Start early morning with the cooling. Don't ever wait till it's hot to turn on the AC
Just a few thoughts that might help
 
I'm thinking about getting on of those roll-around portable deals for the garage, which could then be brought out with me if I ever got an aenclosed trailer for camping, racing, etc...
 
Attic Fan!!! Assuming you have and Attic... with a Fan. The rental I'm in now has no Central Air. we have two units in two windows on opposing sides of the house. One in the Girls Room, and one in the Living room. Living Room one being a MONSTER with a Digital Thermostat. It'll make it down right Chilly in there! But it ran constantly with out cycling. One day I went into the Attic to get something and damn near passed out from the heat up there. Had to be 120º+ I kicked the attic fan on and now the temp stays down, with the Thermostat set higher and it cycles. I kick the efan on in the mornings and off at night. Makes a HUGE difference.

As for where to go, I was in Home Depot this weekend, and they had Several Satcked up, some floor models, Most new in Box. All kinds and sizes. Heck they had a roll around portable. Hadn't seen that before.
 
Rich said:
I'm thinking about getting on of those roll-around portable deals for the garage, which could then be brought out with me if I ever got an aenclosed trailer for camping, racing, etc...
Click to expand...

I saw one of those roll around ones in Lowes, but the one I found required you run two exhaust pipes out the window. And they were EXPENSIVE. Maybe there are two types out though.
 
mbalbritton said:
Attic Fan!!! Assuming you have and Attic... with a Fan. The rental I'm in now has no Central Air. we have two units in two windows on opposing sides of the house. One in the Girls Room, and one in the Living room. Living Room one being a MONSTER with a Digital Thermostat. It'll make it down right Chilly in there! But it ran constantly with out cycling. One day I went into the Attic to get something and damn near passed out from the heat up there. Had to be 120º+ I kicked the attic fan on and now the temp stays down, with the Thermostat set higher and it cycles. I kick the efan on in the mornings and off at night. Makes a HUGE difference.
Click to expand...

when you say attic fan...you mean one between the attic and the living area? or from the attic out through the roof?

we have one in the hallway...and in the past have opened a few windows and turned it on, when it's not too hot outside, instead of running the A/C...

if you're talking about venting the heat from the attic out to the atmosphere, ours just has the two spinning vents on the roof...


upnover said:
ANother idea. Years ago I saw a home with a sprinkler on the roof. I ask why, cooling. And yes I have tried it, and yes it does work!
Also, keeping drapes and window shades pulled to keep out sun light. Start early morning with the cooling. Don't ever wait till it's hot to turn on the AC
Just a few thoughts that might help
Click to expand...


very interesting idea on the sprinkler...

just before the motor blew, I went to Home Depot and bought their 70% heat blocking window tint...and tinted the floor to ceiling windows in the front (afternoon sun, and about 6'x18' in surface) and the rear sliding glass doors...that's made a decent difference in heat buildup...


thanks for the ideas...I hope I can work something out with wflaw45, and then maybe combine it with some of the other ideas...and then be able to hang meat in the house!!

Greg
 
Good luck Greg.

I have been going through the same thing the past 2 years but just had a new ac system installed. I went from a 2 ton to a 3.5 ton unit with much more efficient duct work. A little overkill but I can cool the house to what ever temp I want now and the unit doesn't even have to work hard. Also saved $80. on the power bill from the same month last year.
 
bigwaylon said:
...when the thermostat was set on 71F)...
Greg
Click to expand...

I think this might be part of yer problem :smokin:

71 degrees is pretty F-ing cool for summer time, this 'aint Wisconsin. Yer talkin a 25 degree difference here man.
We kep our t-stat set to 78. Yeah, thats prob a bit high, I know alot of folks that'll target 75 or so.
We have a ceiling fan in every bedroom. Yes, it helps.
What also helps is the little 60 deg angle plastic vent covers that magnet onto teh vents. They put the air up into the room and foff the floor, where teh fan can get it spread around.
Of course, the 18 m/o boy wil lstop at nothing to ensure those very covers do not staty in place. Tiem for bigger screws!

Oh and I hear on the pregnant wife. Unf this means the 75 deg argument is null and void....
 
They say the best way to vend the attic is to run two attic fans. One in reverse. That way you don't have two fans depressurizing or both pressurizing the attic which has little effect. Running then in reverse of each other will keep a constant flow in one fan...across the attic and out the other. When I say pressurizing its not damagable pressure, but I've been told the pressure and push heat in through lightly insulated areas of the house.

Just something a couple of different ac guys have told me.
 
Not much to add, but I keep my Tstat set at 69 year round. If the AC couldnt keep up, it would get replaced...

Cool is a must, the rest is an option ;)
 
ShyHiK5 said:
Not much to add, but I keep my Tstat set at 69 year round. If the AC couldnt keep up, it would get replaced...
Cool is a must, the rest is an option ;)
Click to expand...


that's what I'm talking about...

the house we moved out of (that we still own and rent) was able to keep up, and we left it on 67F at night, and 69F-71F during the day...

Greg
 
bigwaylon said:
that's what I'm talking about...
the house we moved out of (that we still own and rent) was able to keep up, and we left it on 67F at night, and 69F-71F during the day...
Greg
Click to expand...

During the summer? Holy Shnikies.
That's exactly where we set ours during thw winter...
 
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