Question:
I have an upstairs room that is unfortunately much much hotter than the
rest of the house, I'm looking for an indoor air conditioner that can
cool a single room, I know most air conditioners produce heat which
normally would go outside, I have windows in my room but I can't stick
in a regular window unit because regulations of my estate do not allow
them, and the room I need to cool is facing the road and it would be
too hard to hide... although some kind of small heat exhaust tube could
vent out a partway opened window I suppose. Can anyone suggest ideas
for me?
Answer:
AC units are available with a dryer like hose to expel condenser coil heat.
I can't imagine these things being efficient. The expelled air must be
replaced and something must be done with the collected water. Better than
nothing I guess.
I have used a portable quite effectively for years since a window shaker
without a slide out chassis, sort of permanently installed in a wall by
previous owner, gave out in July one year. My windows have ancient steel
framed screens, so I had no place to put another window shaker quickly.
It is a single hose model, but it really does not draw that much air out
of the room because it uses condensate evaporation to help cool the
condensor, and just blows out the hot air and moisture at a lower rate
than it blows out cold air. So it does provide more cooling than the
amount of infiltration. I never had to drain it until the end of
the season (northern Illinois) and then the most I ever got out of it was
about a tablespoon of water.
There are units with 2 hoses to totally use outside air for cooling, but
in my case with venting to a southern exposure, that might be less
efficient than sucking in some room air from lower level or shady side.
But a portable is only easy with sliding windows. With crank open windows
it would be a cobble job. So the more efficient mini-split does seem the
best option, even if initially more expensive.
