Between the walls A/C

May 03, 2010 11 Replies

Hi,



I own a house in PA.



On most days, only the attic bedrooms need A/C.



The attic bedrooms have space b/w the "knee wall" and the roof (where it says I:



/\ /__\ /| |\ /I| |I\



That's my best diagram ever.



Anyway, I would like to stick an A/C in that space. I envision that it'll spit the hot air out through a duct that will exist via a soffit. The cold air will enter the wall through the knee wall.



My basic question is this: are there A/C units with 4" or 6" I/O? If not, is there a different workable solution?



Thanks!



Sam


VERY Unclear. Are you talking about a window unit in that area or the evaparator for a conventional air conditioner or what???

Well, that area is behind a wall so if I had a window unit how would collect the cold air and get it through the wall? How would I collect the hot air and get it out the soffit?

I'm looking for unit that will have the same function as a wall unit but I need it to spit the hot air out through a duct-like contraption and to deliver the cold air through a duct-like contraption.

There are some units that are split units but still act like window units with only the evaporator inside the house. I can't think what they are called, but someone else here should be able to chime in, You could always open the inside wall up through an oversized tunnel and use a regular window unit mounted in the outside wall. Sort of like a miniature gable, only inside the house.

You could mount a window unit in the inside wall and make up a couple of ducts out of sheet metal to provide the input and output air flow to the rear side of the window unit. There are plenty of elbows and duct work parts available at HD and Lowes, and a local sheet metal show could form up almost anything you might need. Just make sure the ducts are oversized and don't make more than one bend so that you have adequate air flow into the back/outside of the unit.

There are portable AC units that have what amount to large diameter flexible hoses that look a lot like a clothes dryer vent hose. You can set one up to be permanent. Look at the dual hose unit on this site, one hose takes in outside air through the condenser then out it goes through the other hose exhausting the hot air. Hoses can be extended.

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TDD

*Check out Friedrich Verti Pak units.

Why not just make an opening in the outside wall and install a window unit? Or one of those motel room type units. Or a mini-split? What's your budget?

Putting a package unit inside rquires you to devise an inlet air supply and an outlet air supply to get rid of the heat. The two need to be a bit away from each other so you don't end up just circulating hot air aorund in a circle.

Look into a cool only, split ductless unit like the Mitsubishi Mr. Slim series:

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Bad solution any way you look at it. A/C output contrains a LOT of water vapor and it'll become a real easy place for mold to grow, plus if as most do, it emits water thru a drip tube, that water will also go into that area. Very bad idea! Please don't do it.

HTH,

Twayne`

What are you talking about? Refrigerated air conditioning dries the air. In the process of drying the air there is potentially a lot of condensation. The condensation must be piped to the outside or a satisfactory drain at some point. This is true for a window unit, a split system, a package unit, or a motel type unit. The dry cool air being delivered to the room does NOT raise the humidity level in the room.

Wish you wouldn't top-post...

He's talking about getting rid of the water that is now trapped in the triangle between the knee wall, roof, and soffit. I'd be more worried about getting rid of the heat. The condensate should be relatively easy to pipe out, though I suppose some will remain.

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