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Need portable air conditioner unit recommendations
- Thread starter tomlinmgt
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240sx4u
Lunatic Member
Yeah I figured you had a big shop, nobody works on a car on carpet that I know of
Welding sparks may burn the joint to the ground. LMAO
tomlinmgt
Lunatic Member
Yeah I figured you had a big shop, nobody works on a car on carpet that I know of
If I really had my ducks in a row I'd be lookin' into AC for the shop. :yes:
125 out there right now. My body is still acclimating. :sigh:
tomlinmgt
Lunatic Member
Nope, just a pet door. Much to the chagrin of large rodents and small mammals she's able to fit into some pretty tight areas.
tomlinmgt
Lunatic Member
I'm liking this Honeywell.
http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-MN1...ontrol/dp/B00B2BTAV6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Sams has it for $360. Looks like a front runner at that price point.
http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-MN1...ontrol/dp/B00B2BTAV6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Sams has it for $360. Looks like a front runner at that price point.
Rome
Holsum Honey Buns
You know, I'm half doing this for you Rome so when I have you over to hear the IRS Betas you'll be nice and comfy.
HEHEHE!
If this heat keeps up, I may be knocking on your door even if you don't get it!
I hope this is not sign of things to come as this is North Texas. Hope its not as bad as the wicked summer of '80 or almost as bad 2011. Geesh!
Let us know what ya decide & one day maybe I can getaway to meet ya! :yes:
Rome
240sx4u
Lunatic Member
The rule of thumb used to be 400 square feet per ton (12,000 Btu's) for central units and about 300 per ton of room A/C's, all dependent on the quality of insulation, window area, and solar exposure....I grew up and spent the biggest part of my working life as the owner of a service agency that took care of factory warranty problems on most major brands of home appliances...the one appliance I always thought was the biggest piece of krap were the portable A/C units...more expensive than window units and much more expensive to fix should something happen out of the warranty period...room A/C's are also more efficient and cost less to run for the same amount of cooling...to say I look with disdain on portable A/C's is putting it mildly...and the off branded portables were really throw away appliances.
I would look into at least a 12,000 Btu unit for your area as I know what the heat can be like down here in Texas, but would probably look for a unit one size up from that just to have the ability to quickly cool down the area...then you can throttle back the fan for less noise....
Friedrich used to be the best room A/C manufacturer...the last time I looked they had two basic lines, a cheaper line and a more deluxe line that was quieter and better built...but, I had to close down my business in 2010 due to my late father's health and my having to dedicate all my time to taking care of him and so I have been out of the loop on such things since then.
I have a 168 square foot bedroom and have an 8,000 BTU Frigidarie in there to allow me to run just it at night and not the whole house central unit...I like it around 67 degrees at night...the 8,000 is just enough to do the job (a 6,000 was not), but it does run a lot on hot nights and I probably should have picked up a 10,000 BTU unit...or get more insulation in my attic! The stuff in there now is 50 years old and pretty much non-existent...
I don't know the situation up in your area of the state but I would never have an LG or Samsung appliance (yes, I was factory service on those two brands) as parts are not stocked locally here and EVERYTHING had to be ordered delaying repairs at least in 75% of the situations I ran into...not too bad for a VCR, but miserable if it's your refrigerator that's crapped out....
It's hard to tell just how quiet a RAC is going to be until you get it installed, but maybe Consumer Reports is still doing reviews on them and you might find some info there...or, deal with a smaller appliance business instead of a big box store and see if they have recommendations as to quietness....
Just looked at the Friedrich site and the Chill series CP15G10 looks like it would fill the bill, it's listed at $789, but the Kuhl series 14,800 BTU unit would be the nuts, except it lists at $1300....both units take normal 120VAC....
One thing to be aware of, at least it was a few years ago, most sizing recommendations are made at an ambient temperature of 95 degrees outside maintaining a 78 degree inside....on those days where the temps get above 100 a marginally sized unit just won't cut it....I used to do load calculations as part of my job responsibilities at an engineering firm and ran into this with many houses that conformed to government FHA specifications which could lead to really uncomfortable conditions when we have weeks that run around or above 100...the downside to overly large units is that they might not run enough to properly dehumidify the conditioned space effectively...I ran into that more in Brownsville than here in San Antonio, the Dallas area is probably less humid than down here...but they are also stressed less so they will probably last longer...
Perhaps you should think about it like this, it's not the upfront cost of the unit you really should worry about but how much it will cost you to run the thing for year after year...according to Freidrich's website running the 15,000 BTU unit pays for itself over the cost of their 9300 BTU portable in three years and from then on it's $200+ a year cheaper....
I just looked at the Friedrich site at their portable room units and their 9300 BTU model costs $599 and yearly operating costs are $338...the CP15G10 will cost you $110 a year...figures according to Friedrich's site....
You also have to compensate for the heat put out by your stereo gear and add that to your load calculations....
In other words, get the biggest and best that you can afford and you'll never worry about being cool on those 100+ degree days.
FWIW, I have no dog in this hunt, I am totally out of the appliance business, it's just that I just spent at least 35 years of my life repairing, specifying, and installing them.
Good Luck!!!
.
I would look into at least a 12,000 Btu unit for your area as I know what the heat can be like down here in Texas, but would probably look for a unit one size up from that just to have the ability to quickly cool down the area...then you can throttle back the fan for less noise....
Friedrich used to be the best room A/C manufacturer...the last time I looked they had two basic lines, a cheaper line and a more deluxe line that was quieter and better built...but, I had to close down my business in 2010 due to my late father's health and my having to dedicate all my time to taking care of him and so I have been out of the loop on such things since then.
I have a 168 square foot bedroom and have an 8,000 BTU Frigidarie in there to allow me to run just it at night and not the whole house central unit...I like it around 67 degrees at night...the 8,000 is just enough to do the job (a 6,000 was not), but it does run a lot on hot nights and I probably should have picked up a 10,000 BTU unit...or get more insulation in my attic! The stuff in there now is 50 years old and pretty much non-existent...
I don't know the situation up in your area of the state but I would never have an LG or Samsung appliance (yes, I was factory service on those two brands) as parts are not stocked locally here and EVERYTHING had to be ordered delaying repairs at least in 75% of the situations I ran into...not too bad for a VCR, but miserable if it's your refrigerator that's crapped out....
It's hard to tell just how quiet a RAC is going to be until you get it installed, but maybe Consumer Reports is still doing reviews on them and you might find some info there...or, deal with a smaller appliance business instead of a big box store and see if they have recommendations as to quietness....
Just looked at the Friedrich site and the Chill series CP15G10 looks like it would fill the bill, it's listed at $789, but the Kuhl series 14,800 BTU unit would be the nuts, except it lists at $1300....both units take normal 120VAC....
One thing to be aware of, at least it was a few years ago, most sizing recommendations are made at an ambient temperature of 95 degrees outside maintaining a 78 degree inside....on those days where the temps get above 100 a marginally sized unit just won't cut it....I used to do load calculations as part of my job responsibilities at an engineering firm and ran into this with many houses that conformed to government FHA specifications which could lead to really uncomfortable conditions when we have weeks that run around or above 100...the downside to overly large units is that they might not run enough to properly dehumidify the conditioned space effectively...I ran into that more in Brownsville than here in San Antonio, the Dallas area is probably less humid than down here...but they are also stressed less so they will probably last longer...
Perhaps you should think about it like this, it's not the upfront cost of the unit you really should worry about but how much it will cost you to run the thing for year after year...according to Freidrich's website running the 15,000 BTU unit pays for itself over the cost of their 9300 BTU portable in three years and from then on it's $200+ a year cheaper....
I just looked at the Friedrich site at their portable room units and their 9300 BTU model costs $599 and yearly operating costs are $338...the CP15G10 will cost you $110 a year...figures according to Friedrich's site....
You also have to compensate for the heat put out by your stereo gear and add that to your load calculations....
In other words, get the biggest and best that you can afford and you'll never worry about being cool on those 100+ degree days.
FWIW, I have no dog in this hunt, I am totally out of the appliance business, it's just that I just spent at least 35 years of my life repairing, specifying, and installing them.
Good Luck!!!
.
Bstable
Super Member
I have an (ancient) degree in HVAC. It is important to size the unit to the space it is going to cool...this is called heat load estimation, and considers many different variables. It sounds like your space is reasonably insulated, and I would think a 10,000-12,00 BTU unit would be about right. Things to consider:
If it is undersized (not enough BTUs) it will run forever, and may not cool to the temps you desire.
If it is oversized (too many BTUs) it will cycle on and off too frequently. This costs $$$ as an appliance like this really sucks the juice upon start up. It will also result in not taking moisture out of the air properly.
I have not read many possitive things about the portable units.
Consumer reports just rated window ACs. The $325 LG LW1210ER (12,000 BTUs) was their top rated unit, and also the quiestest. I don't think security would be much of an issue if a few precautions are taken during istallation.
If it is undersized (not enough BTUs) it will run forever, and may not cool to the temps you desire.
If it is oversized (too many BTUs) it will cycle on and off too frequently. This costs $$$ as an appliance like this really sucks the juice upon start up. It will also result in not taking moisture out of the air properly.
I have not read many possitive things about the portable units.
Consumer reports just rated window ACs. The $325 LG LW1210ER (12,000 BTUs) was their top rated unit, and also the quiestest. I don't think security would be much of an issue if a few precautions are taken during istallation.
tomlinmgt
Lunatic Member
As nice as one of the split units would be, it's simply not practical for me from a budget and installation standpoint.
What brand portable unit(s) do you have exposure to? The one I saw (didn't make note of the brand as I wasn't in the market at the time) wasn't any louder than the three oscillating fans I run out in the garage when I'm out there listening. The Honeywell I'm considering is max 55 db.
My sister went through several of the portable units from Sam's and killed them all...and this was in MONTANA, not Texas! She finally had her husband come down from Alaska and install a Frigidaire window unit last year and it hasn't crapped out yet...she said she would never, ever get another portable unit...
If you get a portable with only one hose for exhaust air and not one for supplying the air to the condenser it will draw all it's air from the room, therefore sucking in hot air from any air leak you have reducing it's efficiency and making it take longer to cool the conditioned space...
I saw a Sharp 12000 BTU 10.8 EER unit at Costco today for $249...if budget is your constraint...plus it will cost a lot less than the portable to run.
The little split units are pretty great and quiet, but it seems as if they don't fit your budget...
Another thing about sizing, if you don't keep the space within 10 degrees or so of where you want it to be and you come in and turn on the AC to cool it down, it's gonna take a lot of effort.... remember it not only has to cool the space but everything in it that's warmed up and re-radiating it's heat...which is why here in Tejas I've felt it's usually better to err on the side of too much than too little...
If it sounds like I'm trying to talk you out of a portable unit then I guess I am!
If you get a portable with only one hose for exhaust air and not one for supplying the air to the condenser it will draw all it's air from the room, therefore sucking in hot air from any air leak you have reducing it's efficiency and making it take longer to cool the conditioned space...
I saw a Sharp 12000 BTU 10.8 EER unit at Costco today for $249...if budget is your constraint...plus it will cost a lot less than the portable to run.
The little split units are pretty great and quiet, but it seems as if they don't fit your budget...
Another thing about sizing, if you don't keep the space within 10 degrees or so of where you want it to be and you come in and turn on the AC to cool it down, it's gonna take a lot of effort.... remember it not only has to cool the space but everything in it that's warmed up and re-radiating it's heat...which is why here in Tejas I've felt it's usually better to err on the side of too much than too little...
If it sounds like I'm trying to talk you out of a portable unit then I guess I am!
I have a 10,000 btu Frigidaire in the master br and it's noisy. I mean, it's really too loud to sleep in the room with the damn thing running. Got it at Lowes maybe 3 years ago for $200 or so. Works great and keeps that part of the house cool, however. Draws about 1,100 watts with the compressor running.
So, listening to music would be pretty much out with that kind of ac unit.
Those split units would likely be more quiet but I'd check them out first.
Murray
So, listening to music would be pretty much out with that kind of ac unit.
Those split units would likely be more quiet but I'd check them out first.
Murray
tomlinmgt
Lunatic Member
I get everything you're saying and appreciate you being candid. I'm not one to try to fit a square peg in a round hole so if the technology isn't there then, well, it's just not gonna happen.
However, Costco does have an excellent return policy. :scratch2:
As I understand it, the only ones worth spit are the dual hose units. I've owned several single hose units and they were pretty useless without extensive mods to the outlet hose- like insulating it with larger aluminum duct with more fiberglass insulation inside and using a duct boost fan to help exhaust the heat.
Apparently the dual hose units aren't just twice as many hoses, they have a whole 'nother method of getting the heat the unit generates out of the building which is the curse of portable AC. Keep those hose runs short and sweet and have them higher than the unit for obvious reasons.
Apparently the dual hose units aren't just twice as many hoses, they have a whole 'nother method of getting the heat the unit generates out of the building which is the curse of portable AC. Keep those hose runs short and sweet and have them higher than the unit for obvious reasons.
Okay this man says what you need to know about single vs dual hose on portable AC. That dual hose provides a cool air supply for the condenser from outside without stealing the air you just cooled inside which is what the single hose units do
I've heard this from reputable experts, only dual hose units are going to cool your room. It's a wonder why they aren't all that way. I bet a dual hose unit with mods like I previously mentioned, at least insulating the hot outlet hose, work pretty well. Remember the bean counters seem to prevent the additional details that make any consumer product actually work as good as it could. That $20 in additional insulation or a better hose will price it just above the competition and the average consumer stupidly decides on price alone in most cases- lacking the technical knowledge to know why that $20 improvement could make all the difference whether the product works as desired. Ultimately that is not the company's concern as much as reeling in your dollars. They will take the hit in bad reviews and complaints knowing that a flashier package or better marketing and showroom floor placement will still drive sales more effectively. The customer forgets the bad reviews when he gets to the store.
If you're the type who gets it home and spends a couple hours "making it right" you'll have more satisfaction with almost anything.
I'm looking at replacing my older Sharp 12k btu window unit soon. I got it used at a thrift store for $20 four years ago. If I got another identical unit I could just pop it in the sleeve (which is why I went through 4 LG's, 2 were Kenmore branded- the sleeves are permanent mounted and replacement takes seconds. If I change brands again I will have to change sleeves and this is through a 5" thick insulated wall I lay 2 tubes of RTV silicone to insulate.)
Problem is I went through an LG every 18 mos for 6 years prior. They are solid units but the problem is the coil fins are all uncoated and I live near the beach. The aluminum turns to powder in just over a year, and that's with a semi-enclosed hood for weather shielding.
Making things frustrating I found that LG sells the same unit everywhere else but North America, with gold anodizing on the coil fins! You can't buy a window AC in that class in NA with coating or anodizing on the outside coil fins. One mfr offered coating on the inside condenser fins just to inhibit bacterial growth.
So the last LG unit I bought new I spent an additional $85 to have a kit shipped from Florida that was a green coating including pre cleaner, primer and two cans of coat. Overpriced in my opinion and barely enough to coat that little unit. It lasted maybe at best twice as long but corroded anyway.
Since you had to take the unit apart and bend the copper tubes about 90 degrees to get the coil outside the unit to spray it the whole affair was something I'd like to avoid.
Interestingly the thrift store score Sharp was FILTHY which was why it was just $20. As good as the LG. I cleaned it and said what the hey and sprayed the coil fins with $5 rattle can clearcoat lacquer, just one can.
It lasted longer than the $85 specialty coating I put on the LG!
Why would LG sell a gold anodized coil AC all over the world but not in NA? Do they assume we are stupid and like to replace our AC units more often? Is it environmental? Doesn't make sense because they aren't made here.