Portable Air Conditioners. Help, Please

Casement windows a/c units (vertically oriented, with a panel to seal the opening above the a/c) plus a fan? They may push your budget limit, especially as the cheaper ones are better suited for one room.

For now, that’s ok, r1, I think. Price is an issue of course, but so is efficiency.

Can younor anyone recommend a good brand? That would help me navigate options on amazon.

And any other considerations you can think of, please tell me.

I have one ceiling fan in the living room and one in the bedroom.

here is a resource for 6 top rated Air Cons for casement windows. Unfortunately they're all (except for the last one) at least $100 or more above your budget. The last one is only $359.00.

You could also consider a floor model AC. Those units sit near a windows with a pipe that leads out the windows to drain the water. But the opening required is quite small.

Here's a resource for floor model ACs from Walmart. I doubt they have any of these in the stores (maybe in larger stores in the city), but their ordering process is a breeze. You can have merchandise shipped directly to you or to the store for pickup which in most cases means free shipping.

Thanks R3. My windows don’t slide horizontally, rather they crank outwards.

That's what the ACs in the first link are built for. To put an AC in a casement window you're probably going to have to remove one whole pane and fill the void above the AC with a plywood panel.

By the way, we call those other windows (the ones the open horizontally) Florida windows in my neck of the woods.

Thanks, r4. I appreciate it.

I guess I’m hoping to narrow down the options, and all those options at different BTUs and so forth leave me with brain damage. Thanks, though.

Hoping someone has a specific recommendation from your own experience?

I’m willing to spend more if needed.

Remember, windows crank outwards, not upwards or side-to-side.

Thanks r6, but those aren’t my windows. Let me find a picture.

It’s like this.

If your cottage is 600 sq. ft. you'll probably need a minimum 14000 BTU A/C. You're not going to find a unit like that for anything near $300.00. You'd better plan on spending at least $600.00. Or buy a portable unit you can move from the living room to the bedroom at night. That way you could get away with a lower BTU unit. And if you don't have them now, you need to install ceiling fans in each room.

And I know the windows at R6 are not your windows. I was just showing you and anyone else reading this thread what the horizontal opening windows looked like. And again, it's looking more and more like your best bet is to look at portable units.

Thanks r10. Really appreciate your help.

You're welcome. Be cool! LOL

I once had a portable unit and they are incredibly noisy. I could live with it during the day since there is usually lots of noise in the house anyway, but it was impossible to sleep with that AC in the room at night. I hope you're not a light sleeper, OP.

I think portables are basically noisy. All the reviews, and I read a lot complain about every brand. I have one in the living room and one in the bedroom. Fortunately I can sleep with it on. Unfortunately I can't listen to music which I do all the time in the cooler months and I have to blast the TV.

Your budget is really low and considering how hot the summers are getting even a 14,000 BTU unit will not cool both a living room and bedroom. At least not my apartment but then I don't have a cross draft either. Can you use your stimulus check to help with this? As the summers are becoming more miserable it is money well spent.

White people problems

Maybe this buying guide from Home Depot will be helpful, OP.

Maybe this buying guide from Home Depot will be helpful, OP.

Thanks, r15, I’m brown. And yes, r14, I’m paying with my stimulus check. You brought up some valuable points, appreciated.

Huge help, r16. I want to make the right decision, as noted by r14. You guys are really helping, thank you.

[quote] White people problems

Yes, because the brown people of the world have evolved special genes that protect them from feeling miserable in the heat. Idiot.

You want to up your budget if you want something that will really get thr job done. Get a two hose model.

You want a Whynter or Toyotomi.

Look at this before you buy a portable AC. I think they're awful.

All inside air conditioners are noisy as hell. Window unit or floor model, makes no difference. But if it's 100° outside, the noise will not mean much if you're cool on the inside.

Yes, i know portables aren’t ideal. I lived with someone who had one and I wasn’t impressed. That’s why I’m asking for suggestions.

Because of my window design, I think I’m stuck with a portable.

If I owned my cottage I’d maybe go for central air. But I don’t. Still, I’m so glad I can afford even something this summer. No complaints, none.

Thanks for the brand name suggestions, r21, I wrote it down!

Why don't you try a console air conditioner? Mine is with with gold trim. Just be sure to have matching drapes and that it doesn't clash with the carpet. You'll be able to entertain at drinks parties with both cool air and elegance.

Portables suck - you always have to stay on top of emptying the reservoir as it fills from humidity. OP, you need to take measurements of your window opening, remove that window, and fit an a/c unit for casement windows into that space. You can get away with 10k BTUs

Portable ones really do suck. I tried one last summer. It cooled the one room somewhat, but was loud, messy (water/condensation) and was generally a pain in the ass.

Do you own this place? Window units (I know they can't fit your type of window) are usually pretty cheap and work well. Just cut a whole in the wall and be done with it.

[quote]Just cut a whole in the wall

Oh dear!

I saw it as soon as I posted it grammar bitches.

With crank windows you basically have no other option than a portable with a hose. They’re not nearly as efficient as window units, and the hoses that push out the hot air get quite hot themselves hearing the room and defeat the purpose of the AC unit. They’re also quite expensive. I really don’t recommend them at all, they barely work. Since you have no other options, you want to get one with the highest btus as possible. You’re going to have trouble spending less than 500$.

^OP already said he doesn't own the place or he would get central air. Why is no one reading the thread before replying? A tenant can also not remove windows or cut holes into the building. We had these windows when we were living in a coastal town when I was a kid. They only open a couple of inches (all houses there had those windows bc it was always so windy) and it is impossible to install a window unit. Get a portable unit if you can live with the noise, OP, or move. Also remember these portable units could potentially disturb your neighbors. When I had one of them you could even hear the noise downstairs and the whole floor was vibrating.

[quote]With crank windows you basically have no other option than a portable with a hose.

R30: There is another option made specifically for casement windows.

I bought one for a garage a couple years ago, some unknown (and unremembered) brand that was the best combination of price/user ratings/low noise, and I think it was $250-$300; the space was about 450 square feet and it worked well. I suspect that for 600 square feet, it may be a bit much for one unit (or one unit that doesn't cost considerably over $300 - enough so that it may be better to buy two smaller, trying one with a fan to boost air circulation first.)

Bing this, OP:

"images window ac in casement window"

Portables have to be close to a window so the heat removal hose can blow outside.....and the reservoirs are small and fill up quickly.....

We have casement windows and I was able to find one like is pictured above, but it did only cool the one room.....

Try to get one - so much more efficient and easier to use than a portable..... BUT make sure your wiring will handle it. If you house is older - you could set yourself on fire!

Hi, op. My Dad had an HVAC Business for 60 years and I worked for him sometimes.

If you don’t want to bother doing a lot of research, Just go to Sears and buy a Kenmore. You can’t go wrong with them.

Youll need your room size. Length x width. The A/Cs will state the size the are designed for. You can always buy one that’s a bit oversized, but don’t buy one that’s a lot oversized, because there aren’t designed that way. And don’t buy one that is undersized. They work best if you can choose a window that is not in direct sunlight.

Below a certain size, somewhere around 12,000 BTU or maybe 14,000 BTU, they can use a normal electrical outlet. Above that size, and you’d need an electrician to put in a higher voltage outlet, I think it’s 220, but whatever, try to avoid that. Beware that some people have trouble with an A/C put on the same circuit as the vacuum cleaner and toaster.

Whatever you do, when the A/C is installed, it must be level, or pitched slightly downward in the back. If it’s tilted in, water will drip insides instead of out the back, and all that water can do thousands of dollars in damage quickly. When it’s installed, double check that the interior is dry. Also be aware, if someone lives below you, you should choose an A/C installation spot that doesn’t drip on them, like over their entrance. It’s possible to use a hose to direct condensation in a different direction, but that’s a pain.

If you have a storm window whose frame is above the interior window frame, that would cause the A/C to point in. The fix is to nail a 1x3 board to the interior window from so that it is raised above the exterior. Use two 1x3s in top of each other, if the extra height is needed.

As for the casement window, you have a project ahead of you. You have to remove the window, then use wood to frame the place for the A/C to sit into and against. After having the frame built, then use plywood to block any open window space above the A/C, or on it’s sides. Make sure it’s storm proof, meaning rainwater can’t get in.

Good luck!

OP, surely there must be a way to take a screw driver and wrench to the screws and the track that the winding mechanism is being attached to the window frame and remove it altogether in order to fit a casement unit into that space. Watch this video OP for reference, then set about removing that window PAIN and get your ac into that space. You'll just need a one inch thick piece of styrofoam sheeting to enclose the window again, fitted to the dimensions of the ac. Let's get crackin' and get that fucker installed STAT! Get your unit NOW before the prices start escalating due to increased temps.

HURRY UP AND BUY!

Remove window crank video - you can always reinstall after summer

Do you own said cottage, or lease?

Really, on a $300 budget, you should just go down to the local Baptist church (one that the services last 7 or 8 hours) and borrow a hand full of Church Fans...you know the ones...they're donated by the local funeral parlor.

Wow, DL is coming through for me, I really thank you all very much.

Some very useful advice here, like how not to set my cottage on fire, or drown it in a deluge. You can laugh but I wouldn’t have thought of any of this.

R37 your video really helps. I’ve been wondering about removing the whole window for the season. The crank mechanism is frustrating.

And Pierre, well, you have a solid mechanical brain , thanks for saving me from a flood. The barn friends thank you, too, Carl and Phyllis and Melrose.

I’ll keep working on this. Glad I started in Spring. Please add any thoughts that arise.

Thanks r31. I don’t have neighbors either below or above. This is a freestanding cottage, one floor.

Because I care about you, OP, I want you to go to YouTube and search "casement window air conditioner installation ." Find the video most applicable to your situation.

Get one with as many BTUs as is possible. You can always turn it down if it gets too cold. Though considering the summers lately I cannot imagine that happening. And expect your electrical bill to soar.

No, OP. 12k BTU maximum is what you need - you can get away with 10k. You need a small table fan on the floor to move more cool air to a bed/back room. As you know, cold air is very dense so it falls to ground level. If you have a ceiling fan in your main space, then forget the table fan and use that to distribute the cold air throughout your 600 sf.

550-700 sq. ft. requires a 14000 BTU unit to keep the whole place cool. And you definitely DO NOT want to get one with more power than you need. You'll end up with a house that is drenched in moisture.

Buying an air conditioner with more capacity than necessary for the area to be cooled causes short cycling and high indoor humidity, albeit cool humidity.

A properly sized AC removes humidity from the air and dumps it outside or down a drain.

Oh my god I’m gonna have a heart attack.

Here, OP. I feel your pain. I have done my very best to guide you in the correct direction re your AC issue. Please listen to my advise, and F the rest of these Cs!

AC/BTU Calculator

- R43, R37, R36, R27

Consumer reports: “For a living room or family room, you’ll want a large air conditioner with 9,800 to 12,500 Btu, especially if you have an open floor plan”.

I have a 530 sq. ft. room with a 12,000 BTU air conditioner. I‘m on the top floor, so the heat from below risers up here, unfortunately. Also, I get direct morning sun from the Southern Windows; and, at the same time, I also get sun reflecting off the John Hancock building, shining into the North-facing windows. It’s a little strange that I can have two shadows in the morning. Overall, I’m happy with the 12,000 BTU unit. .

R39, Carl, Phyllis and Melrose: if you’re planning on air conditioning the barn, I think the central committee needs to be consulted, first. Remember that fiasco when Ferdinand built a swimming pool without approval? Yeah, it might not go well with the powers that be.

I'd get a clear piece of plexiglass instead of plywood OP. Plywood is going to look trashy as fuck.

Yes I’ve been thinking about that, too, r50.

Plexi would also be a good choice because I’ll get the sunlight that I crave throughout the summer.

I’m going to use my measuring tape tomorrow to plot this all out. I’m feeling butch. Weird, because I’ve never used any of these tools before, never in my life. It’s oddly freeing.

R47, many thanks, I bookmarked your video on casement window replacement.

I think there’s even a 50-50 chance that I’ll try it out myself. Just a little nervous, I guess. But I think I can do this.

OP, have you tried talking to your landlord about this? Perhaps he'll work with you to get just the right A/C unit for your cottage. He gets an upgraded rental unit AND a happy tenant, win/win

SFH owner here. Turned off my central HVAC at night after I installed a small window AC in my bedroom's window. Can't believe how much I've saved on my summer electric bills. ... and my bedroom is kept at 72˚!

R54, what does SFH mean?

I’m the OP. Reviewing this thread now in anticipation of Memorial Day sales.

Serious brain damage going on here.

OP, if you do have to go for a portable, I echo the poster above who said you should buy a dual-hosed model (especially if you have to deal with a lot of humidity) and a Whynter.

I am in a rental and cannot install a window unit in my only (fire) escape window. I've bought several units over the years (LG, Honeywell, etc.) and found that Whynters are superior to the others.

Thanks, r56. I want to pick the best model.

I’m upping my budget to $600 based on what I’ve learned from all of you. Better to get something that works properly than waste money on something half-assed.

Still disappointed that portable A/Cs are poorly reviewed overall. That would be the easiest installation.

Landlord lives about 1500 miles from here, happily, in sweltering Austin, Texas, so no support from her with improvements to the cottage. I’m on my own, appreciate all your replies.

If you buy an air conditioner to fit a casement window at a local appliance store, you can have the store install it for you at an additional charge. They'll "know people" who can install what they sell. I did this one time when I lived in Atlanta. The AC installers hung some ceiling fans for me too.

You if you cannot afford the AC and the installation right now, you can go to your bank and get a short-term consumer loan which will allow you to pay it off over time. DON'T pay for it with a credit card unless you pay it off in full at the end of the month.

OP. I know you are renting but the landlord lives far away? I would get a thru' wall air conditioner. (Although looking online, I only see the boxy kind. Where are the narrow streamlined ones like in hotels?) and ask forgiveness later. It would be "improving the property" . Then you don't have to fuss with plexiglass and weird casement a/c units. Or you can ask your landlord up front, give the specs (so they know it's not some janky installation) and say you will pay for it all. If you are a good tenent, landlords appreciate that.

I am hoping this thread has a happy ending soon.....and of course we need photos.