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[AbaZ]

This maybe a real stupid question, but maybe someone knows. Our home doesnt have central heat, and Im not dropping thousands of dollars on some fancy unit. But I'm not gonna get one of those 99 dollar units and stick it off the side of my window either. it looks trashy, and my wife thinks someone will break in. I was wondering if I could put the thing in my crawlspace and just rig up some vents to come directly into our bedroom. The crawlspace is very dry and somewhat ventilated? Any thoughts on a low budget ac setup?

[BangBusMaster]

Thats a pretty good idea.  Score a window mount from Costco for about $280.  The one I use keeps my place nice and cool on hot days (1000sq-ft).

Window mount units make me feel at home Spanaway style. 

[MTZ]

Ceiling air conditioner is the answer i dont think a window ac would have enough fan power to travel through a vent for 2 long

[Teg2boo]

There are some AC that doesnt need to be mounted in a window. They run a tube outside (from a window, hole or whatever) and you can move the unit inside the house. You may want to look this option. They are usually more expensive tho... You still have the problem of distance, but it doesnt looks trashy

[d112crzy]

shit i bought a window a/c and i don't have a window in my room so i cut a fucking hole in the wall and stuck it in there  :somb:

Haha, that's what me and my dad did.

[1slow91hf]

this should keep ya cool and you can score a better price just the first one i found
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04210002000P?vName=Appliances&cName=Air+Conditioners%2C+Fans+%26+Heaters&keyword=air+conditioner

[snarf]

I'm an hvac tech and a licensed contractor.  I don't like window units either but whenever I've had to install one for a customer I cover the rest of the window with sheet metal.  I also screw the sheet metal to the unit.

The window unit needs to be on the side of the house were it can get some ventilation and expel the heat that it's removing from your house.  If you put it in the attic were it's 150 degrees the pressures will go way up and so will your electric bill.

The idea about installing central air yourself is full of fail.  Only licensed contractor are supposed to be able to buy complete a/c units (for good reasons) at least in my state (Arizona).

[snarf]

Cool man, sound good if your wife's cousin can help you out.  I always try to steer home owners toured having a licensed contractor do the work and not some hack off craigslist.

[Joseph Davis]

Uh, HVAC work isn't difficult.

[t_cel_t]

mike you live in the desert, why are thinking about an ac when you can get a cheap ass swamp cooler. your in the perfect place for one, the dryer the outside air the cooler the swap cooler will cool the house. hell you could probably make one; box fan, cotton towel, watering can- done.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporative_cooler

At 32°C (90°F) and 15% relative humidity, air may be cooled to nearly 16°C (60°F).

[robus]

There are some AC that doesnt need to be mounted in a window. They run a tube outside (from a window, hole or whatever) and you can move the unit inside the house. You may want to look this option. They are usually more expensive tho... You still have the problem of distance, but it doesnt looks trashy

+1
Secure and efficient

[dvst8r]

The 2 biggest issues i see are:

1) Venting the hot air, out of the crawl space, it makes the unit a lot more efficient if you can do this, if not it will still work, but will have to work a lot harder, and you wont get as much cooling. Typically you like to see ~25-30F delta T across the evaporator.

2) There isn't much of a fan in most of the window units I have seen, so getting it to push up any length of ducting could be an issue. The easy way to overcome this obviously is add a helper fan some where in the ducting.

3) I know I said 2, but the other thing I would do, if you can't have the hot exhaust ducted outside, is to have the intake air, being brought in from the house, that way as it cools off the house it also draws in cooler air. Kinda like using "MAX AC" in a car.

I am not a licensed HVAC contractor, but I am involved with AC for a living. The company I work for specializes in off road AC (excavators, dozers, mining haul trucks ect... I am involved with on a day to day basis prototyping mining ac units that are rated and tested to keep operators cool in 55C (131F) temps. Our copper/copper evap cores will do a 50F delta T.

Swamp coolers are great, easy to run, cheap to maintain (as long as they are made of plastic) The biggest issue is making sure you keep them full of water. We are seeing more and more hiway trucks goto this setup, as well as AG equipment. Offroad stuff, is still too hard on everything and they fail to quick in those areas. On a house where it never moves, That is what I would personally do. Just have a couple big rainwater collector drums, and have that feed a filter and then to the swamp cooler. Throw some fungicide in it and have a nice cool house that is replenished on it's own.

[AbaZ]

hmm, well I only would be using the ac system maybe 2 months out of the year. It really doesnt get to hot here in the NW. However I have a hard time sleeping as it is.. but when its 78-82 degrees in the room, no fucking way. I dont like the idea of a portable ac unit with a hose going outside. Our bedroom set is ridicioulsly large and takes most of the space in the room. Mounting the AC unit on the side of the window even with sheet metal is out of the question. I dont know our neighborhood association would go for that, and it looks to trashy. (but who am I kidding I got 8 cars a boat and a rv at the house) 

Putting the window unit under in the crawlspace should work, I like the idea of a seperate fan maybe ducting fresh air in there. The ac unit would be mounted directly under the bedroom, maybe 1-2 foot of ducting tops. How are those window units controlled? Remote? I hope I can hardwire it somehow to control it? I dont think the remote would work well through the floor.

[88dx]

U have a RV? 

[chris]

U have a RV? 

[AbaZ]

U have a RV? 

Nah its actually a non profit organization my wife does sidework through. I got suckered into working on it for free.

However I am looking for a early 80's, Class C, Ford Chasis around 20-25 footish.. I'm done sleeping in tents.

[salesmonkey]

U have a RV? 

Nah its actually a non profit organization my wife does sidework through. I got suckered into working on it for free.

However I am looking for a early 80's, Class C, Ford Chasis around 20-25 footish.. I'm done sleeping in tents.

i dont like the work and mess from a tent so i just bring tarps and a bag when i go camping lol. i try to stay away from rainy days witch is sometimes hard in  washington. but as long as it doesnt pour im fine but making something a bit off ground or having a cot would fix that.

[5thgenlx]

i was gonna say swamp cooler as well but not sure how well a swamp cooler will actually do in our humidity up here though. it worked great in my house in new mexico but its dry as fuck down there. but yeah, you can pick one up and have it installed for under a grand easy

[highroller54]

big old rad, garden hose and a big ass fan, done deal hmt style.

[bigwig]

There are 4 basic standards in AC units.

1) Window Units
2) Through Wall Units(essentially a big window unit)
3) Portable Units
4) Central AC

Personally, I'd get the portable unit.  I'd vent into the attic.  Pretty simple way of doing things and works reasonably well.

[Kain]

run hot water through a radiator from a civic with the radiator fan turned on full blast, and attach the hoses to an ouside firew rig.


hydronic heating ftw.


in all seriousness, just get a heater and insulate the damne house jeff. sheesh.

[dvst8r]

run hot water through a radiator from a civic with the radiator fan turned on full blast, and attach the hoses to an ouside firew rig.


hydronic heating ftw.


in all seriousness, just get a heater and insulate the damne house jeff. sheesh.

WTF is all the heating shit about, this thread is about cooling his house off...

[d112crzy]

i was gonna say swamp cooler as well but not sure how well a swamp cooler will actually do in our humidity up here though. it worked great in my house in new mexico but its dry as fuck down there. but yeah, you can pick one up and have it installed for under a grand easy

WHere in Washington do you live that it's humid? Washington is by far NOT humid. Go down south (towards fl) this time of year and you'll know humid

[LS1pwNzJ00]

U have a RV? 

Nah its actually a non profit organization my wife does sidework through. I got suckered into working on it for free.

However I am looking for a early 80's, Class C, Ford Chasis around 20-25 footish.. I'm done sleeping in tents.

i dont like the work and mess from a tent so i just bring tarps and a bag when i go camping lol. i try to stay away from rainy days witch is sometimes hard in  washington. but as long as it doesnt pour im fine but making something a bit off ground or having a cot would fix that.

FUck that, i survirorman that shit, go out there with a pocket knife and the clothes on my back, feasting off peoples pet dogs and cats, luring them in with some antifreeze and when theyre not lookin BAM, rock to the head.

[shadow]

you would eat peoples dogs and cats.   ;D

[Kain]

DIY Air Conditioning!

[chris]

Off topic,



Can we get the old hmt song from the front page back in the day back up. ;D

[5thgenlx]

i was gonna say swamp cooler as well but not sure how well a swamp cooler will actually do in our humidity up here though. it worked great in my house in new mexico but its dry as fuck down there. but yeah, you can pick one up and have it installed for under a grand easy

WHere in Washington do you live that it's humid? Washington is by far NOT humid. Go down south (towards fl) this time of year and you'll know humid

swamp coolers are best done in used in areas with less than 30% humidity. in washington, we're rarely that low

[dvst8r]

i was gonna say swamp cooler as well but not sure how well a swamp cooler will actually do in our humidity up here though. it worked great in my house in new mexico but its dry as fuck down there. but yeah, you can pick one up and have it installed for under a grand easy

WHere in Washington do you live that it's humid? Washington is by far NOT humid. Go down south (towards fl) this time of year and you'll know humid

swamp coolers are best done in used in areas with less than 30% humidity. in washington, we're rarely that low

BUT... Typically the days that you need AC in Wa are days where it is less then 30% .

[chris]

Swamp coolers are very popular in the deserts. They dont cool as fast as ac but are much cheaper to run.