any advice on buying a window AC unit?
-
The single-hosed ones literally suck...
...air out of the room. This inevitably leads to ingress of warm air from the outside through various crevices. But you know that already from this comment section.They still work better than no AC. Your costs just go up more than with a dual hose.
Source: had a single hose version and couldn’t sleep without it.
-
Can't improve insulation? Did you mean can? If so, yes, that's on the to do list. We need better windows too.
Yes, those are good tips thanks.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]You should have at least 16” of insulation in your attic. Check for regional guidelines on this as it depends on where you live.
Insulation settles over time so the older the home the less your insulation has air gaps that do the work. This is the lowest cost form of improving your situation and the cost is mostly in labor since it’s hot work. Buy insulation yourself and do the work yourself to save a LOT. You can rent insulation blowers from big box hardware stores and they usually have deals where if you buy a certain amount of insulation the rental is free. Early morning is the best as it’ll be the coolest, drink lots of electrolytes when you start sweating. New insulation has rolled ends so it’s not the super itchy type of yore. It’s not terrible and you’ll be glad you did it once it’s over. Having a hand is not essential but makes it a lot easier.
We insulated our garage with paper backed rolled insulation for 2x4s for not much more than $300 over a few months (I did the labor) and it improved the temp swings by ~40°. Absolutely great investment and it was super easy to do. All I needed was a stapler, tape measure, utility knife, a ladder, and myself.
Buy a meat thermometer and put it in your floor or ceiling vents. You should have a 20°F+ drop from what the room is at to what is coming out of your vents. This is known as a delta T (temperature difference). If it’s lower you need to get your AC checked out by a reputable company with warranties and guarantees. Chuck and truck is always a waste of time and money, they’re lower cost up front but you will regret it most of the time. If your system is 15 years or older you may need to get it replaced as repairs are often more costly than it’s worth and all newer system are much more efficient, saving you $ in the long term.
Duct sealing is another thing that can improve your AC issues. Most ducts leak 40% due to holes in joints etc. The air you want to get to the furthest part of your house isn’t getting there at its full extent. Look for companies that Aeroseal. This will be cheaper than a mini split but can be as effective. You’re looking at a few thousand depending on the size of your situation.
-
They still work better than no AC. Your costs just go up more than with a dual hose.
Source: had a single hose version and couldn’t sleep without it.
I'm not saying they don't work. Even thermoelectric ones do, it's just that they are worse.
-
Yeah for new installs but service for the existing unit might be like $200 for a cleaning and it’s certainly going to be cheaper to run in the long run
No, it's not necessarily.
From an electricity usage standpoint, it's cheaper to inefficiently cool one room than it is to efficiently cool a whole house.
Cleaning it also may solve nothing, it's $200 on a chance of it solving the problem. If cleanliness wasn't the issue, then you just wasted $200. On the flip side, you can find a used window AC for $200 easily, or buy a new one for $400 and then sell it when you're done with it and get $200 back, and it is guaranteed to solve your problem assuming you're concerned with a specific room.
I didn’t say cleaning would solve it. I said that a service tech should look at it and it was possibly a simple fix.
Also window units will have to fight against the rest of the house being warm. Interior walls are seldom insulated, warm air drafts in around the unit and around doors. A window unit in one room could cost as much as a dedicated unit for the whole house, as it has to work harder to maintain the desired cooling.
-
I didn’t say cleaning would solve it. I said that a service tech should look at it and it was possibly a simple fix.
Also window units will have to fight against the rest of the house being warm. Interior walls are seldom insulated, warm air drafts in around the unit and around doors. A window unit in one room could cost as much as a dedicated unit for the whole house, as it has to work harder to maintain the desired cooling.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]You said servicing the central AC will certainly be cheaper in the long run. That's wrong.
It might be, but it depends on a lot of other factors.
You seem to be biased against window ACs for some reason, and seem hell bent on misinforming people about them.
Decent modern window ACs will have a higher baseline efficiency than older full house units, and cool just the room you want. Conduction losses through the wall are minimal compared to trying to to cool literally 10x as much space. They are incredibly easy to DIY, and cost $500 up front, but you'll get half that back when you sell it when you're done with it. Literally the same price as the AC tech who's gonna come out and say that you need to install more return ducts, insulation, or another unit to keep up with the increased average outdoor temperature.
Like literally everything else, some are built cheaply, some are built well. Look up reviews before you buy.
