Customized Air Conditioning? ? ?

[Ray]

We live in an L-shaped, five-room apartment with 1600 square feet. (Exluding hall, kitchen, and 2 baths.)

For several years we have used a 23,000 BTU window air conditioning unit which cools the entire apartment adequately for our needs.

The only problem is, it makes a lot more noise than we like.

Would it be possible to place the entire unit on the outside, probably on a platform just below the window, and rig up some customized ducts to handle the intake and outflow to carry the air into the apartment? This would involve some sheet-metal fabrication, of course, and I'm sure we would still hear some noise, but diminished. But the cost would be a great deal less than central air.

Any ideas welcome.

[Arkadiy]

Looks like you may want to take a look at this:

Regards, Arkadiy

[Richard J Kinch]

Window shakers are not designed for ducting. What you want is called a mini-split.

[Ray]

[udarrell]

Great advice Arkadiy. Get rid of the noisy window jammer! Ducting it will absolutely NOT work; they are NOT engineer designed to be ducted! Go for the Ductless Mini-Splits and do a manual J heatload to get an idea on BTUH sizing for each room. Also, one condenser can feed several E-Coil airhandlers to various rooms. With programmable THs they can save a lot on AC costs. - udarrell

[HeyBub]

Ear plugs. Fifty cents.

[ValveJob]

Sure you can, but it aint gonna be pretty.. Lowes sells insulated duct in 25 and 50 feet lengths and in all sizes. I would go with a couple of 9 inch ducts right into the two nearests windows - one in, one out.

[Proctologically Violated©®]

You can. In principle, very easily, with no harm to the unit, or losses. In practice, mebbe not so easy.

The only real issues at hand are getting the output cold air into the house, getting the intake *house* air into the unit, AND keeping them separate. In principle, you could do this with duct tape and 3 mil garbage bags! Just make sure the output/input are separated a few inches past the window, so they don't mix too much--which is a kind of HVAC "air short circuit".

You could also do this with duct tape and 1/8 beaver board. The more accurate your cuts/angles, the easier your life will be. You will also need a piece of wood in the window about the same width by height as the unit, with cutouts for the intake/ouput.

IOW, you are just making two separate ducts, with a common wall.

Having said that, indeed mini-splits are Da Bomb. Most are at least as efficient as any window unit, some much much more efficient, and much quieter. And, I've seen on-line stuff pretty cheap. 9,000 btu units for about $500, which means you could put in two in your place for much better and more economical cooling.

[mm]

I can relate to that.

I don't know if you can do what you want or not, but I can suggest that once one gets used to AC, he will tend to use it even when it's not needed so much. (You said "Any ideas welcome". :) )

I don't think my next door neigbhbors ever open their windows, even on the most beautiful spring and fall days.

OTOH, one can learn to use the AC only some of the time.

Temperatures up to 85 outside leave my place comfortable, by use of fans running at speeds just below audible, cross ventilation, closing the light-proof curtains on the south side when it is sunny out.

Even when it is 95 out during the day, it's usually nice at night, except for high humidity days.

Sleeping is improve enormously by learning to sleep without a top sheet or blanket. It's like it is 10 degrees cooler.

[Stormin Mormon]

The risk is that the new air flow would be less than the old air flow. And, the cold coil could freeze. Or that burglars would push aside the ducts, and crawl in your window.

"The moment you let your guard down, they infiltrate, and crawl into your perimiter". --Maj. Frank Burns.

[udarrell]

Buy a mini-split system! That rigged mess will be horribly inefficient; you are asking for a lot of problems! Even your life could be at risk!

- udarrell

[Stormin Mormon]

Money is aparently a big concern.