I am getting so hot that I want to take my clothes off
July 6, 2010 1:37 PM Subscribe
Our air conditioner doesn't work very well.. it blows out cool air but the cool air doesn't travel to where it needs to be so the room doesn't feel cool. Sitting there in a hot room with the AC at full blast seems like a huge waste of money. Is there any way to determine if a new air conditioner will save us electric bill money or is that a foregone conclusion/obvious "yes"?
I'm not sure if buying a new one will help or not.. I do have some suggestions/questions though:
Have you cleaned out the filter of your current AC?
Are any windows? Other places where the air might escape (open fireplace, etc).
Is the room closed off? (Ie: doors are shut, or walkways are blocked off with curtains)
How big is the room vs how big is the air conditioner? You might have an air conditioner that's underpowered for a large room.
posted by royalsong at 1:42 PM on July 6, 2010
Have you cleaned out the filter of your current AC?
Are any windows? Other places where the air might escape (open fireplace, etc).
Is the room closed off? (Ie: doors are shut, or walkways are blocked off with curtains)
How big is the room vs how big is the air conditioner? You might have an air conditioner that's underpowered for a large room.
posted by royalsong at 1:42 PM on July 6, 2010
Response by poster: It's the window kind. I have no idea the dimensions of the room... it's something like the size of a normal living room, I would guess.
Also, I realize that if the unit isn't cooling the room, then it's a waste of energy by definition and we should turn it off and open the windows. Except the perception is that it's better than nothing. But still not good enough (in my opinion).
posted by amethysts at 1:45 PM on July 6, 2010
Also, I realize that if the unit isn't cooling the room, then it's a waste of energy by definition and we should turn it off and open the windows. Except the perception is that it's better than nothing. But still not good enough (in my opinion).
posted by amethysts at 1:45 PM on July 6, 2010
I don't think living rooms have a normal size. For instance, my living room, dining room, and kitchen are all in the same space, and the stairs open directly to the upstairs hallway.
You'd have to measure the square footage of your living room area (including areas attached without doors, of course) and consult a BTU chart to see what size air conditioner is right for you. Stay cool.
posted by two lights above the sea at 1:50 PM on July 6, 2010
You'd have to measure the square footage of your living room area (including areas attached without doors, of course) and consult a BTU chart to see what size air conditioner is right for you. Stay cool.
posted by two lights above the sea at 1:50 PM on July 6, 2010
It's hard to say if you need a new system or not. First, everything Royalsong said plus check your ductwork to see if your spewing cold air to someplace in your basement or crawl space. Then, if this is a central system look into balancing your system.
Some systems have jumpers you can set to raise or lower your fan speed.
If you know an HVAC person you can trust you might ask them to give your system a once over and let you know what they think. It might be time for a replacement, or you might be better served getting some insulation installed.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 1:51 PM on July 6, 2010
Some systems have jumpers you can set to raise or lower your fan speed.
If you know an HVAC person you can trust you might ask them to give your system a once over and let you know what they think. It might be time for a replacement, or you might be better served getting some insulation installed.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 1:51 PM on July 6, 2010
Response by poster: Hmm this is turning out to be more involved than I thought. I don't know how old it is, it was here before I got here though I suspect it's around 4 years old and I suspect it once worked as I don't remember feeling this amount of rage towards it last summer. I'm not at home so I don't know the make/model right now. We do close the windows in the immediate area but there are some windows that "share airspace" that are far away from the unit so we don't close them. That might be the problem. If that's the problem a newer unit won't work any better I guess?
posted by amethysts at 1:54 PM on July 6, 2010
posted by amethysts at 1:54 PM on July 6, 2010
it blows out cool air but the cool air doesn't travel to where it needs to be so the room doesn't feel cool
Have you ever cleaned the filter? There should be a removable filter that you can clean. If it was really dirty/clogged that could impede airflow. The AC would still blow cool air but not a very high volume. It's also possible that the coils are icing. This can be caused by a clogged filter as well, but if the coils ice up the AC will run and run but won't output much cool air.
Those might not be the cause but it's easy enough to check the filter or check the coils for ice after it's been running awhile (usually you'll have to remove the filter to see the coils).
Does the room get a lot of sun exposure in the afternoon? If so, heavy curtains can block some of the solar heat gain. Poor insulation on south or west facing walls will also allow a lot of heat in.
Is the AC sized correctly for the room? Probably hard to check on a used model but new models will often have approximate room sizes listed on the box.
Do you have the room closed off when the AC is running? Open doors or an open floor plan mean the cold air, which sinks to the floor, goes throughout the house at ankle level instead of cooling off a smaller area effectively. Shut the door or hang up curtains/sheets/blankets/whatever if there are open passages.
If there's something wrong with your AC or it's undersized for the room a new model will make a difference. But an open floorplan or a room with a lot of solar heat gain will be difficult to cool cost-effectively for any AC.
posted by 6550 at 1:55 PM on July 6, 2010
Have you ever cleaned the filter? There should be a removable filter that you can clean. If it was really dirty/clogged that could impede airflow. The AC would still blow cool air but not a very high volume. It's also possible that the coils are icing. This can be caused by a clogged filter as well, but if the coils ice up the AC will run and run but won't output much cool air.
Those might not be the cause but it's easy enough to check the filter or check the coils for ice after it's been running awhile (usually you'll have to remove the filter to see the coils).
Does the room get a lot of sun exposure in the afternoon? If so, heavy curtains can block some of the solar heat gain. Poor insulation on south or west facing walls will also allow a lot of heat in.
Is the AC sized correctly for the room? Probably hard to check on a used model but new models will often have approximate room sizes listed on the box.
Do you have the room closed off when the AC is running? Open doors or an open floor plan mean the cold air, which sinks to the floor, goes throughout the house at ankle level instead of cooling off a smaller area effectively. Shut the door or hang up curtains/sheets/blankets/whatever if there are open passages.
If there's something wrong with your AC or it's undersized for the room a new model will make a difference. But an open floorplan or a room with a lot of solar heat gain will be difficult to cool cost-effectively for any AC.
posted by 6550 at 1:55 PM on July 6, 2010
I have a similar problem with my a/c unit (which is newish), and find that a good fan (one of those stand up, oscillating fans you can get at any hardware store or Target) helps solve this problem. I put the fan near the a/c and the fan blows the cold air around. In rooms with better a/c that still aren't cool enough for my taste (my living room a/c is high up on the wall, closer to the ceiling than anything else), I will sometimes put the fan opposite the a/c so that the cold air gets blown back across toward me.
But I'm nthing getting a new a/c unit if yours is older than five years or so. Donate the old one; someone will be happy to have it, warts and all.
posted by shamash at 1:57 PM on July 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
But I'm nthing getting a new a/c unit if yours is older than five years or so. Donate the old one; someone will be happy to have it, warts and all.
posted by shamash at 1:57 PM on July 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
You need to close off the space.
"AC is designed to operate as a closed loop. If you have the windows open, you are drawing in humid, warm outside air and forcing your AC unit to "condition" that air as well. If you close the windows, the AC unit recirculates the air in the house, removing moisture and cooling much more efficiently." (Previously, today!)
We use suspension curtain rods and block off the hallways and open walkway to the kitchen to cool off our living room.
posted by royalsong at 1:58 PM on July 6, 2010
"AC is designed to operate as a closed loop. If you have the windows open, you are drawing in humid, warm outside air and forcing your AC unit to "condition" that air as well. If you close the windows, the AC unit recirculates the air in the house, removing moisture and cooling much more efficiently." (Previously, today!)
We use suspension curtain rods and block off the hallways and open walkway to the kitchen to cool off our living room.
posted by royalsong at 1:58 PM on July 6, 2010
Also do you have a ceiling fan? Those are very effective at moving air all over the room. Alone or in conjunction with your wall AC.
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cooling.html
http://www.farreys.com/ceiling_fans/fan_faq.html
posted by GregorWill at 1:59 PM on July 6, 2010
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cooling.html
http://www.farreys.com/ceiling_fans/fan_faq.html
posted by GregorWill at 1:59 PM on July 6, 2010
Response by poster: Ooh I like the idea to clean the filter as it's free and the filter is probably filthy. Getting a fan going to help with the blowing would also help. This is all great information, thank you for your detailed assistance.
posted by amethysts at 2:00 PM on July 6, 2010
posted by amethysts at 2:00 PM on July 6, 2010
1. Close all windows and doors to make the space you're trying to cool as small as possible.
2. Close all curtains (don't let the curtains cover the actual air conditioner, though) to keep sunlight out of the room- the sunlight will add a lot of heat.
3. Put a fan near the AC unit to help spread the cold air into the room.
4. Switch lightbulbs to compact flourescent bulbs (the curly kind). Incandescent bulbs add TONS of heat to the room.
5. Shut off all the appliances you're not using; they also tend to add heat.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 2:18 PM on July 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
2. Close all curtains (don't let the curtains cover the actual air conditioner, though) to keep sunlight out of the room- the sunlight will add a lot of heat.
3. Put a fan near the AC unit to help spread the cold air into the room.
4. Switch lightbulbs to compact flourescent bulbs (the curly kind). Incandescent bulbs add TONS of heat to the room.
5. Shut off all the appliances you're not using; they also tend to add heat.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 2:18 PM on July 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Place a fan on the floor and aim at the opposite ceiling corner. This mixes the high hot air and low cold air. The Vornado website has a video that shows how this works (first 30 seconds). Same info but in a diagram is in their manual (pdf pp 3-4). A ceiling fan will also help with this.
posted by bentley at 5:33 PM on July 6, 2010
posted by bentley at 5:33 PM on July 6, 2010
We have central A/C, and it wasn't strong enough to cool the house on warmer days in SoCal. So we looked into the expense of a larger unit -- and had a heart attack. After doing some research, we decided to do a few things that were much cheaper: new ceiling vents, and attic fans. The end result is a house with the same central A/C system that cools enough on warmer days that we have to turn it up a few degrees to keep from getting too cold.
The point, here, is that a larger unit will help, but you'll get a lot more bang for your buck if you work with a few fans as people suggest, both floor and ceiling. If it isn't enough and you need a larger unit, the fans you've already invested in will increase the effectiveness of the new unit just as well.
Oh, and don't underestimate the power of light-blocking curtains and keeping the windows open in the mornings until the heat outside is hotter than you want inside, before turning on the A/C.
posted by davejay at 11:00 PM on July 6, 2010
The point, here, is that a larger unit will help, but you'll get a lot more bang for your buck if you work with a few fans as people suggest, both floor and ceiling. If it isn't enough and you need a larger unit, the fans you've already invested in will increase the effectiveness of the new unit just as well.
Oh, and don't underestimate the power of light-blocking curtains and keeping the windows open in the mornings until the heat outside is hotter than you want inside, before turning on the A/C.
posted by davejay at 11:00 PM on July 6, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Please provide details about the space you are trying to cool, as well (sq. footage, etc).
posted by FergieBelle at 1:42 PM on July 6, 2010