Window air - how big?

fishman · Apr 17, 2006

( Are you concerned with a preference for 120 volt unit or a 240 volt unit? )

Well, I have a 50 amp 240 plug next to one of my windows. I believe it's for a welder (at least that's what I'm telling the wife /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif) However, It could be pressed into service for an AC/heating unit, since that wouldn't be operational while I was welding.

So I would rather use the 120 if possible. However, I think all of my plugs are on a single 20 amp circuit. I think that's minimal for a couple of 1500 watt ceramic heaters, but it should run either of the AC configurations I'm looking at. I'm pretty sure the 12,000 was 120 . . . and that surprised me too. Anything bigger was 240.

It sounds like the consensus so far is to get the 12k unit as a minimum.

fishman · Apr 17, 2006

( the night before you thought you were going to work on your tractor... I mean your kid was going to ride his bike. )

Darn . . . was I that obvious? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

fishman · Apr 17, 2006

( An air-conditioned garage to ride a bike? I guess they don't make kids as tough as they did when I was growing up - "house feels too hot? it's only 100 in the shade, go outside again and play some more until the house feels cool....." and we liked it! )

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hey, has the ice even thawed in South Dakota yet?

It was 98 at my house yesterday. I would have gone tractoring, but decided not to until I can afford an air conditioned cab. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

George2615 · Apr 17, 2006

I had frost on my windshield this morning (31 deg.) I think we hit our high today of 58 about 3 hrs. ago. Send some our your heat this way. We are ready for it.

Bird · Apr 17, 2006

( I'm pretty sure the 12,000 was 120 . . . and that surprised me too. )

Yep, surprised me, too. I thought all the ones that put out 12,000 BTUs were 230 volt, but looking at Walmart's website it shows the $238 one as 115 volts and the one with supplemental heat as 230 volts for $398. The first window unit I ever bought was a Fedders in 1960. Fedders and Frederick were considered top of the line back then and Fedders was cheaper than Frederick. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Bird · Apr 17, 2006

Oops, forgot to mention, I edited your post to get the red out. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Spiffy · Apr 17, 2006

( Hey, has the ice even thawed in South Dakota yet?

It was 98 at my house yesterday. I would have gone tractoring, but decided not to until I can afford an air conditioned cab. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif )

The last of the snow dissappeared about two weeks ago. Judging from I29 last weekend, we are now officially in road construction season which will last until next winter! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Alan L. · Apr 17, 2006

Sigarms, I don't doubt you have forgotten more than I will ever know about air conditioning. However I am an expert on Texas heat.

Every home I have ever seen here in this area that has air conditioning sized "by the book" is grossly deficient in the ability to maintain anything close to a comfortable temperature.

I have a rent house that is well insulated and only 5 years old. The central air unit, which was sized "by the book", absolutely refuses to cool the house if you ever allow it to warm up, such as when the house does not have a tenant and so I set the thermostat on 80 or 85. When I get ready to cool it down to work or show it, forget it, I have to run it all night to cool it down.

My A/C guy recommended a 2-ton central unit for the 879 square feet of well-insulated living quarters I live in, which is inside a metal building. I said give me 3 tons, he said this is too much, it won't run enough to properly dehumidify, blah blah blah.

Guess what, it does run enough to keep it comfortable and has the added benefit of actually being able to cool the house. It still takes a while to cool it down if I let it get too hot, and I need every BTU that I have.

Around here its not just hot in the daytime, but it might not get below 80 at night many nights in the summer. As I write this it is 84 degrees at 10:30 PM in April. Its not usually this hot in April, but many times in the summer it is 90 or more after 10:00. Its very hard to get too much cooling.

The subject of this thread was the need to cool the garage quickly. By the time a "properly sized" unit cools down the garage enough to enjoy the comfort, the day will be over.

stevenf · Apr 18, 2006

fishman, you have all sorts of responses and I couldn't help but give you some real world experience from the sticks. We sold our house in town almost 2 years ago and moved to the ranch into a 100+ year old caretakers cabin that has been added onto multiple times to end at its current size of about 1000 sq ft we have 2 of the GE units that Sams sold about 3 years ago they are 6,500 btu cooling only units it is 76 outside right now and 81 inside its 11:55pm the units have run non-stop since around 6:00pm when the wife got home. Bear in mind there is no insulation anywhere its tin roof and tin sides with beeded paneling on the oldest and t-111 on the newer additions and nothing in between but air and 10ft ceilings in the original part of the house which is 2 rooms and about 350sq ft. If the windows were bigger I'd get bigger units and thru the wall isn't an option its a pole built structure with no studs when the wind blows hard I'll swear it makes the t-111 plywood flap inside. Get the biggest unit/s you can afford, that fit you can always turn them down to medium or low cool its hard to turn them above max cool. Also I've added ceiling fans to all the rooms which helps disburse the cooled air. We have the ability to close off the sleeping side of the house and cool only it with one of the units its 2 small bedrooms and a bathroom probably 400 sq ft at night in semi cool weather say -90 outside you could hang meat in there, during the day 100+ it will keep the bedrooms around 80 during the day if its the weekend and they are left on starting Friday night.
Steve

kensfarm · Apr 18, 2006

I think the 12000 btu unit will be fine.. think about what direction the window faces.. preferrably use the east side window so the AC is not sitting in the direct sun during the hottest part of the day. I cool my whole house w/ a single window AC unit on the 2nd floor.. I use a big fan to circulate the cool air throughout the house.. first floor stays nice & cool too!

I've also seen "mister kits" that spray in front of the coils outside to help cool them & help the AC run cooler.. they use about a 1/2 gallon of water an hour.