How can I keep a sealed room cool?

April 19, 2006 2:29 PM

I live in a converted warehouse space, and my bedroom has no windows and isn't against an outside wall. Because of allergies to my roommate's dog, I prefer to keep my door closed. Any tips on cooling a sealed room?

Last summer I resorted to temporary solutions (big tray of ice in front of the fan, excessive complaining, etc. ) on the hottest nights, but this year I want to find something that'll get me through the entire summer. Does a celing fan make a difference in a sealed room? Will venting a portable a/c into another room heat up the rest of the apartment?

posted by billyfleetwood to home & garden (9 comments total)

Will venting a portable a/c into another room heat up the rest of the apartment?

Yes, the AC is simply a heat exchanger. It removes heat from one side, and expels it from the other. Not only that, but it's not 100% efficient, so it produces waste heat. The net effect is there is more heat inside your house unless the AC is vented to the outside world.
posted by knave at 2:45 PM on April 19, 2006

maybe a dehumidifier? it seems to help in my basement...
posted by gilsonal at 2:46 PM on April 19, 2006

Yes, venting a portable a/C into another room will heat up the rest of the apartment. A ceiling fan works just because it moves the air around. You sweat, moving air accelerates evaporation of sweat, you cool down.

Another cheap option would be a swamp cooler or other evaporative air cooler, for instance these.

See also on that site the "mini split air conditioners" -- one part is inside, the other is outside, they connect with some hose/tubes. Maybe you could install one part on the roof or on a patio and the other in your room.
posted by beagle at 2:55 PM on April 19, 2006

I'm pretty sure evaporative cooling needs an exhaust mechanism, too. Or else your room will just get slightly cooler but really muggy.
posted by knave at 3:02 PM on April 19, 2006

In one of my apartments, I removed the electrical outlet from both sides of the wall, so that I could run an ethernet cable straight through. If you are in a similar situation you could plug the hose from a portable room air conditioner through that and pump the heat from your room into the rest of the house (mohaha) where it could escape through an open window (or at least be someone else's problem).

Or, you could just punch a small hole through the wall and fix it when you move out.
posted by Hildago at 3:02 PM on April 19, 2006

Converting this poor man's air conditioner into a closed system (just add an aquarium pump) would work.
posted by glibhamdreck at 3:28 PM on April 19, 2006

Previous AskMe on airconditioning a windowless bedroom.
posted by SenshiNeko at 3:29 PM on April 19, 2006

it's definitely out of scope, but you can get shots to kill dog and cat allergies. no clue on cost, though. sounds expensive!
posted by soma lkzx at 4:54 PM on April 19, 2006

Thanks everyone! Some good suggestions here...The poor man's ac looks like a fun project.
posted by billyfleetwood at 9:29 AM on April 20, 2006