Window AC converted to remote package unit (central ac) see page 9

Any window that is made so that half of it can open will have to be able to slide up and down (or side to side). This means it has to be loose enough to be able to slide, and even thoiugh the gap doesnt look big, when there is a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the house, there will be leakage flow.

I moved to Kansas a few years ago, and the house that was the best deal for us had standard single-pane windows where half of the window was separate and could open. The house has a basement and because "cold sinks", the basement is always 10-degrees cooler in the summer, compared to the rest of the house. We made the basement a den of sorts, but whether we were heating or cooling, the temp of the glass showed we were losing money.

We bought what has been advertised as "storm windows". It is one large piece of glass, with thin rubber seals on the side that presses up against the stock widows' framework. Of course, depending on the style of the home framework around the windows, this solution might be difficult to mount properly. Fortunately, mine were easy.

Even without waiting for the next months A/C bill, I could tell the A/C was not coming on as often, and the bill revealed a big savings with a quick ROI. Not only that, but it made the outside noise from the neighbor-kids much quieter.

I also remain a firm believer in shading the outside of a window, and also the sunniest outer wall. Even with wall insulation, having shade on the outer wall is a big help, and cheap to do.
 
3-20-19 to 9-21-19 - 6 months
my total kwh use compared to my next door neighbor:
me: 2,123 kwh or $212.30 total or $35.33/mo ave vs. 7,451kwh or $745.10 total or $124.16/mo
Really, living in FL is very affordable for us both :mrgreen:
never had to turn on unit 1 8) Just using my $155 test system.
I don't see any reason to use the common split systems, unless you want to help send the ac guys' kids to college. :roll: Even if you can afford anything you want, no noise outside or inside is worth the extra effort 8)
 
So i had to call the ac guy for a repair :roll: his line is always busy because he'd rather eat chips and fruit :lol:
I use the drain water for my plants since it is similar to rain water (no chlorine like tap water; plants dont like that). I usually get about 4 gallons a day and the flow dropped to a slow drip :roll: Went up into the loft and stuck a drill bit into the drain hole and there was a big flow of water. No charge for the service call since i'm the ac guy :mrgreen: This winter i'll put a 6x6 piece of window screen over the drain so it should not happen again. :thumb: still 2 weeks to go in this season, afterwards i'll collect rain water for the plants 8)
 
morning low 67F 8)
FL famous weather returns!
as much as i like my AC
i like DC better (DC Direct Cooling- just open a window) :mrgreen:
 
replaced the temporary 1/4" fish tank hose drain with 1/2". the hose kinked where it made a sharp turn, so this time i used a PVC elbow.
i saw an ac repair truck at 4 or 5 neighbors this past year, so i don't mind, especially since my cost was $10 for the hose and .21 for the elbow, so 10.21 total +tax. Can't beat a DYI repair 8)
Happy New Year!
 
Matt Gruber said:
kitchen table heater with guards
800w on 120v
IMG_20181016_085653.jpg
If anyone likes this idea, you can get an element from walmart w/local free pickup, and it is only $13.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-Bake-Element-WB44X200/40105172?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227030247798&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=51098311952&wl4=pla-104159586752&wl5=9011507&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=40105172&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAjwu5veBRBBEiwAFTqDwVRwAikLOYKdc-1D5hy9-g3OOIs-lYucT5xWw0Rey6cTioIMs03qWBoCLacQAvD_BwE
Click to expand...
used it for the 1st time this winter :mrgreen: 10 minutes for a toasty breakfast. was 47F outside and 66F in the kitchen. Otherwise it has been a mild winter. :thumb: pic on page 5
 
year 2 with my central ac w/ electric heat 3624 kwh thru 3-10-20 at .10/kwh thats 362.40 or just $30.19/mo on average.
year 1 was 3583 kwh or $4 less
prior year w/Goodman central AC w/heat pump 3611 kwh. not much difference.
a quick test today, ready to go for May.
 
for testing i had used a 10-15 year old Lasko 20" window fan to blow some outdoor air into the hot attic, pointed at the two 5k btu AC's(thermostat turns it on at 95F). testing for season #3, windings started sparking :bolt:
Got a new one Wal-mart 17.88. Has a new design motor so i watt checked it:
Low 54w (old tested in 2018 was 51w)
Med 66w 11% less (old 74w)
High 76w 30% less (old 108w)
Old fan was on Med all season. I can't test the CFM, but, if i have to switch to high in August it will only be
76w 8) It seems plenty powerful, so maybe it is a more efficient motor 8)
 
Contact relay got welded from spark. Had to call repairman again :mrgreen: (me)
Sanded the contacts - should be OK, but i admit, it is the 30 yr old one from the 1st central. Maybe someday i'll go 1st class and use new parts :D
 
Hoisted the 12k btu replacement into the loft. this is really a 2 man job, but i did it myself by using the NOT A STEP on the ladder :roll: Had it wedged against the closet wall so it would not kick out. Had to squeeze up there with the ac dangling so i could muscle it over to the loft floor.
took a hour, good exercise :twisted: glad it is ready to go when i need it 8)
 
Long days and higher temps. last night 81 and 89 today. Only so much you can do with 10k btu.
the hot night did it, as it was 90 tuesday but with a 72 low. a cool night sucks the heat out.
Today it got up to 85 inside :shock: So unit 1, which was OFF all last summer was needed. :mrgreen:
8k btu unit 1 got my BR down to 76-80 fast 8)
.
note: humidity 72% out, and units 2+3 to their credit got it down to 48% a valiant effort for the overworked pair :D
 
I've noticed a wide variation in cooling performance of units 2+3, 10k btu.
So i'm trying to figure out the cause. I'm testing my theory that high humidity, when condensed, has a strong cooling effect vs. drier air.
What happened today is, surprising :shock: since yesterday i turned 2+3 off at 1:45 pm and at midnight the kit was 87 and the den was 88-89. i turned it off because i was done in those rooms and the temp drop was only 7F.
So at midnight i decided to bake some chips while i ran unit 1 in my BR. It was 80F outside so i opened 2 windows and turned on the attic fan as 80 is better than 87-89, BUT it had rained and this was HUMID air. near 100%.
I was expecting that 2+3 would not be able to do the job, but at 4 am i turned them on anyway, and the drop was 15F and at 10am the whole house was cooler than the past month :shock: 8) (i turned unit 1 off in the BR at 1am as it was 73 in there.) So today so far i'm not using the BR ac, which i didn't use it all last year so i know it can stay cool under the right conditions. This year we have the dust cloud from Africa, so i didn't want to bring in dusty air.
.
an ac guy: "on a 55F coil, condensing 1 lb of moisture to liquid is 1062 BTU." since i get 5 gal on a humid day, that is 40 lb or over 40k btu. Is this a bonus? 8) seems to be, will post updates
 
Very interesting test today. The duct temp at 7am was 65F a 13 drop. it was on long enough to max out. Not as cool as it should be. So the test was to turn it off for 15 min and restart. Now it is 63 a 15 drop, and as good as it gets. :shock: So what went wrong before? i don't have a clue :?:
 
past 10 days average low 82, 90F high :roll: surf is 84F :roll:
This is just too much heat for 10k btu's :evil:
i closed the door to the den. it can keep up with just 2 rooms instead of 3 8)
 
so some mornings the duct would be 63F others 67 :?:
today was 67 and it was cooler, heat wave ended with rain and 75F this am.
so i go up there and poke around ac on. i notice no water coming out of the old 5k. both fans running then :shock: the compressor kicked on :roll: this has an old school probe in front of the evaporator and it must be gummed up or something? So i bent the probe away and stuck it thru the duct box so it will "feel" hot attic air.
Cross my fingers and back to testing. 8)
should be better with both 5k's running; was hard to cool with only 5k :lol: amazing it worked at all. 67F is excellent for just 1 5k ac 8)
 
This is a hard topic and think about it a lot the last ten years, after the move back to San Antonio, Texas. I like the winters here but suffer about 8-10 months out of the years. It's 10:30 a.m. outside it's 87 deg F, 70% humidity and that is considered nice. My bed room is 78 deg and 48% humidity, this is tolerable to me.

Not an expert and don't clam to be. Have a head full of stuff about this. There is no simple solution, dependent on climate and the house.

The 5 Ton duct central AC does a fine job managing the temperature. Have always been uncomfortable down here in San Antonio. Then I learned that it is the ratio of temperature to humidity.

Started monitoring the temperature and humidity inside and out. Figured out hardly anyone manages the humidity down here. That is my issue. Now i'm a tight wad and don't want to spend any more money on systems or service than is needed.

My test solution of late was to install a 9K BTU/3/4 ton Bosch mini split to my bed room.

Disclaimer: Not pushing Bosch or mini splits, don't sell them or make any money from their sales. Think they are great but expensive.

This thing has a variable speed compressor, fans inside and out are variable speed DC. controllable direction vane or just have it swinging all the time. Ordered it in 220V as not to add load to one leg only. Max draw is 3 amps. It has not made a noticeable difference on the electric bill.

No wall thermostat, it's all in a remote.
Modes:
Heat: by heat pump no restive heating.
Cold: normal AC
Dehumidifier: it keeps the temperature in range of the settings just slows the fan down to drop the humidity and will auto
defrost if needed.
Auto: it controls the fan speeds, compressor speed and heat or cool depending on the temperature setting. (spring and fall it
may cool during the day and heat at night)
Fan only: The wall mounted unit is 6-8" from the ceiling so it can act as a ceiling fan.

Now I can control the temp and humidity in my bed room and sleep good at night. It will not cool the house but has kept the over all humidity 20% low in the whole house.

The problems down here in the south are tar shingled roofs, poor venting, not enough insulation, high humidity and out of date AC systems.

Humidity is from the Gulf of Mexico on flow during the summer combined with 100 deg temps.
Homes here are just not setup for this.
 
probe in hot air did not fix it. :( well, it is 17 years old :shock:
so i went up there and tore it apart, cut the wires, and bypassed the faulty t-stat. Since this temporary duct box is made of cardboard i cut a hole, fixed it, and then hot glued it 8) took 1 hour.
ac working great again :bigthumb: EDIT 8-4-20 :oops: kicking out again :oops: my guess is comp motor is shorting and the hi-temp safety switch turns it off :roll:
 
next year unit 4 (12k btu), will replace the two 5k btu. :thumb: testing complete :wink: this is the 3rd year.
BUT what to do with the two 5k btu :?: the 17 yr old one will stay in the attic as an emergency spare for BR.
the 3 year old Haier :?: :arrow: Plan is to use it for a new zone, my den :thumb: BUT it won't go in the attic; Nor the Den. It will go in my spare bathroom, the window, which is in the center of the house. :twisted: Will run the ducts thru the wall for supply and return air. Window is on the East side, far superior to the west. And with no ducts in the hot attic, it will have an easy job, cooling a 10x14' room. it is really an experiment, as the current central works good, but the den is the last room after 50 or 60 feet of duct in the hot attic, and while it is comfy usually, the 10 hottest days of the year, well, it just can't do it on those days w/10k btu. Should be better with the 12k going in, BUT i like this hobby and i will have an extra ac so what the heck :lol:
will be super quiet in the den, with the ac stashed away in that bathroom 8) and i won't have to run a drain or an exhaust duct. see edit above RIP old haier
 
88-89F outside full sun :twisted:
4pm 2x5k btu ac is wiped out: temps at vent in each room Br=70, kit 76, den 82. yes this is closest to ac at 70 and longest duct, 50-60' 82.
both 5k running fine, could feel vibs from comp by touching each one.
duct temp in attic 118-126F :roll: so it is toasty up there :oops: this is with window fan on high.
due to pathetic output i shut off, and switched on unit 1, 8k btu. working great 8) this uses a different duct system, new, much shorter, and near the floor 8) maybe only 96F .
i don't know how it worked fine last year; never used 8k even once. maybe the 31 year old seams are failing? can't get to them to check out. or maybe btu's are down due to age.
 
so 5am with ducts down to 81, 3 vents 60, 63, and 65F. 2x5k
for comparison the 8k is 61F.
so i conclude, the old attic ducts really suck in the hot afternoon. :roll:
i'm looking for something to do, so maybe i'll do an entirely new central system, all ducts in cooled space. ac in bathroom window on east side 8) Many advantages :
1. easy to work on ac in window.
2. no return duct needed, will get house air under door or open door.
3. no window fan to blow in air, no duct to exit air.
4. no drain pan or lines/hoses. will put 5 gal pail under ac for water for plants and to discourage mosquitoes.
5. Ultra-efficient- any duct leaks cool house not attic 8)
6. can keep old system and use it anytime i like. it works really good at night- until attic heats up around noon.
7 will be very quiet, which is my #1 goal- i hate annoying ac noise.
Disadvantages:
1. don't have wiring for remote on/off
2 have to design a dual 9" supply
3. won't look professional as ducts will be in cooled space.
4. have to cut 4, 9" holes in walls for new vents.
5. may look ugly in bathroom, see #3
6. will rust due to salt air and rain.
7. bugs may come in and drink toilet water :lol:
.
12k btu 259 + 26 to ship https://www.brandsmartusa.com/frigidaire/240174/12-000-btu-115-volt-window-mounted-compact-air-conditioner.htm
parts needed 2 of https://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-9-in-x-25-ft-Insulated-Flexible-Duct-R6-Silver-Jacket-F6IFD9X300/302001686?MERCH=REC-_-searchViewed-_-NA-_-100396936-_-N
.
EDIT 8-13 found faulty relay :roll: ac working great again 8)
 
About to test a new duct idea :idea: Will disconnect about 20 feet of high attic duct that feeds the kitchen, spare bathroom and den. This old duct is causing about a 4 degree rise in the ac air. My new duct should be a 0-1 rise 8)
12' will run in the hall for kitchen and den (i don't like ac in a bathroom, so it will be skipped- i'd rather open a window)
Will continue with the two 5k ac's for this test.
Pro's
should solve the weak den ac,
cheap- only need duct $54 and $7 adapter
Con's
duct in hall may look crude (can always be boxed in for a nicer look)
 
for somebody that wants lowest cost, quiet ac, but is lazy and doesn't want to do central, i have a good solution. :thumb:
small window ac for each room, but not in window. as i've learned the trick to quiet, the air must flow thru 90 degree bends to stop noise. so a 25' length of 8" flex duct, cut in half for 12' supply and return. each ac goes behind a bush near the window. the flex hose goes thru the window, so only 16x8 is blocked, much better view than ac in window.
so each room has its own zone, and it is very quiet and easy to do :bigthumb:
 
So a new guy moved in, paid $399k for a big house behind mine, has ac problem, has newer ac still under parts and labor warranty. they would not transfer the warranty to him! :roll: Another example of how they rip you off!
Not me :lol: because i use window ac's 8)
He paid $4600 for a new ac.
.
Update on my upgrade. i got the 12" flex duct 2 months ago, but it has that new plastic smell, so i'm waiting until spring to install.
still using ac as cool air is late; is still warm here 82-83F.
ac works good, the upgrade will only help on the hottest, longest summer day, so it will have to wait- more tests next year 8)
 
Matt Gruber said:
for somebody that wants lowest cost, quiet ac, but is lazy and doesn't want to do central, i have a good solution. :thumb:
small window ac for each room, but not in window. as i've learned the trick to quiet, the air must flow thru 90 degree bends to stop noise.
Click to expand...
Bends also significantly increase friction. So you'll be losing some efficiency there.
 
Quiet is a luxury and people are willing to pay extra for it. Going from a 100 cfm 6" duct to a 600 cfm 12" duct costs more, but quiet is well worth the cost. Good engineering is not inefficient.
Many efficient cars have quiet mufflers :bigthumb:
 
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