Portable A/C, Perhaps?
We purchased a home this year with a 3rd flr with detailed windows….2 sidelights and only the center one opens (pic attached). The room unit air conditioner it came with is failing, and my daughter would love to be able to open her windows up there. I am considering a portable unit; they seem to…
We purchased a home this year with a 3rd flr with detailed windows….2 sidelights and only the center one opens (pic attached). The room unit air conditioner it came with is failing, and my daughter would love to be able to open her windows up there. I am considering a portable unit; they seem to have gotten much more reasonably priced. Does anyone have any experience with them, or could offer advice to this?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks! Will check there tomorrow.
PC Richards has a 5000btu Frigidaire for 99 bux and it’s only 12″ tall. You will gain mucho operable window at the top.
Thanks for all the advice. I did try to have the sidelights replaced–halfheartedly–as companies to do it seemed quite pricey. The center window is relatively new btw (it folds inward for cleaning if that means anything.
As our renovation has run so over budget we wanted to put off new side windows for a while. But BOD, that’s a good plan, really good. Clearly from comments here the portable units are not a good choice–as a teen my daughter has too much s**t up there anyway.
Thanks for all the good tips
I would agree with the suggestions to replace the side windows to casement type windows that open out with a crank handle. You should consider also replacing the center window with a energy saving double pane window. They will definitely save you money in the long run.
You could also replace the side windows with ones that open, with hinges on the side and a crank, whatever that’s called. Or convert those original side windows to that style. And everybody is right about portable units not working. And that the current AC is way too massive for that window and room.
that existing unit looks like a huge dinosaur. I don’t know how big your room is, but they sell teeny A/C window units now – I mean height wise (14″). Try coupling that with an adjustable window screen at the top that you can buy in any hardware store. Or heck, why not make a custom one yourself with 4 canvas stretchers, 1 yard of screen, and a staple gun.
We got a portable b/c we had an attic room with windows too small to accept an AC unit. It was noisy and inefficient, but it did cool the room down. Also, it’s essentially another piece of furniture in the room – it takes up floor space, it’s awkward, and it requires a bendy hose that gets inserted into the bottom of the window (about 6″ high). Basically, it’s ugly.
If all you need is a small, lightweight unit,[new a/c’s are much lighter and smaller than old units] you could mount it in the upper sash of the window. That would allow you to open the lower sash.
Portable units are a last resort.
ah so they still need venting….not so good. I wish there was a solution that we could use a window unit and still be able to open window. Right now we just crack open the margin and of course there is no screen in it.