A/C Dilemma
We are long-time renters in an all-rental brownstone. Our bedroom is on the back half of the garden floor of the building (the rest of the living space is upstairs on the parlor floor). The only “window” in the bedroom is sliding glass doors leading out to the backyard. In the summer, the bedroom gets…
We are long-time renters in an all-rental brownstone. Our bedroom is on the back half of the garden floor of the building (the rest of the living space is upstairs on the parlor floor). The only “window” in the bedroom is sliding glass doors leading out to the backyard. In the summer, the bedroom gets unbearably hot. In the past, we’ve managed to make do with a dehumidifier, powerful fan, and sleeping with icepacks on our heads (no kidding). However, due to some health issues, we need to have air conditioning this summer. A window-unit airconditioner is out because there is no window. A portable airconditioner is also out because there is no good place to vent the exhaust, because we need access to the sliders to get outside to the yard, which we use daily. Anyone have any ideas? I’m thinking of approaching the landlord and seeing if he would put a through-the-wall air conditioning unit in. I’d be willing to contribute a portion of the cost to do this. Landlords out there – is this something you think you’d agree to? What percentage of the cost would you expect a tenant to contribute? Half? All? Any ideas, or alternatives, are greatly appreciated.
I was going to suggest the split ductless system too. If the landlord will split the cost with you it may not be too expensive to install one unit in that back room. Tower18, actually a lot of restaurants and businesses and even homes in NYC do use that kind of A/C. It’s just not as common in very historic interiors like the houses featured on this site.
What about a split ductless system? You’d definitely have to leave it behind if you moved, and it’s rather expensive, but if you’re planning on staying in that apartment for awhile, it might be worth it…and your landlord would probably appreciate the upgrade, as it can be basically equivalent to central air.
These systems are common across the hotter parts of Europe, but I rarely see them used in the US.
You could try the poorman’s version of central air. Put a large AC in the window on your parlor floor and use additional fans to get the cold air to move down to your bedroom.
Or you could get a small central air ac which attaches to the outside wall of your building. Then you would only need two small holes through the wall for the piping. Not a cheap solution but your landlord may be more agreeable.
Either way your sliders are unaffected.
That would assume you have the height for door + a/c which I think is unlikely. But a great idea if you do.
You could put a door in between the sliders instead of a plywood insert. Just go buy a Jen-Weld glass door at home depot, frame it in inside the sliders (affix them permanently to the door frame), and then install an AC over the top of the door. The door would be like a regular exterior door with a lock and key. And if you need a custom size they do that for cheap.
Handyman. My guy is in Barbados for a month else I’d recc. him.
Water cooled units are even uglier. And if I were LL I’d be *pissed* if my tenant used a water-waster. Unless they paid for the water.
did you consider the water cooled portable AC units?
It is not nice, but since LL pays for cold water anyway…
Thanks for good suggestion re the casement unit, cmu. Although I would rather not have to have such an ugly contraption installed in the sliders, it does seem like a more viable and less expensive option than putting in a through-the-wall unit. We already use a dowel for security purposes (we have two different size ones, one for when the door is completely closed, and one that allows the door to be opened about 6 inches), so we’d just get another one to fit this set-up.
Next question – anyone have any recs for someone who could build me a wood frame with plexi insert that would sit above the a/c unit? As I mentioned, we use the sliding glass doors on a daily basis to get out to the back yard, so this whole set-up would have to be fairly solid to be able to withstand the regular opening and closing of the doors. I don’t even know what kind of professional I’d need for the job. A carpenter?
You cannot turn a regular window unit on its side…will fail soon. The ‘casement’ unit is designed “sideways” but is more expensive because fewer are sold.
Also the casement has a smooth side so the door can butt against it and a lip at the top so the frame can ne screwed or clamped to it.