OCEANUS
Nomad
Posts: 139
Registered: 10-11-2008
Location: Dana Point; L.A. Bay
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Portable A/C Units
Are there any Nomads that have experience with portable A/C units?
The following link is for a particular one at Costco that also acts as a dehumidifier. Perhaps perfect for those summer nights?
http://www.costco.com/De%27Longhi-Pinguino-11%2c000-BTU-|-3-...
Currently, in stores you can also get a $50 rebate.
Just wondering how these portable units measure up in terms of output and reliability when compared with your standard-in-the-window box A/C units.
Thanks in advance!
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
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I had a friend who used one in a small office room and it was sort of OK. Took the edge off. I got rid of my window units and went to a mini-split
which works much better and is more economical to run.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Oceanus, I'm always trying things to cool down in Baja during the hot times. Had heat stroke twice so far...and don't
want a repeat. I tried one of those portable AC units a few years ago, but it never really cooled things off in a bedroom of 25' x
25'. Maybe I was asking too much of it. I recall buying it at a Home Depot in San Diego...brand was a 'LG' with 10 or 12 thousand BTUs. I
returned it on my next trip north and Home Depot refunded me the $500-some. Could be they have improved since then...?
I can offer some other ideas, though.
For many years I used a small window AC (portable in that you could easily carry it..) that would comfortably cool a large bedroom. I could operate
it by power from my solar panels as it only drew 4 amps to run. I'd run it during the day and shut it down an hour or so before dusk. The
well-insulated bedroom stayed cool enough to be comfy all night. If needed I ran a small bedside fan.
The same as Pescador, I decided 5 or 6 years ago to install 4 mini-spit air conditioning units throughout the house and never looked back. Life in
the Baja summers without coming home to AC would be brutal for me.
Other tactics I have tried over the years to keep things cool. (I am northern born and don't do well in heat situations.)
Apply white reflective solar paint to your roofs. 'Henry's' makes a good product. Again..I bought at Home Depot, SD, but I imagine this product is
available these days in a major store in Baja Sur. Buy in 5 gal buckets to save some bucks.
Water misting fan. This is a great patio cooler...works very well. Also used in baseball duguots on hot days to cool those bench sitters down. I
bought 3 for my shaded verandas and, with a few amigos, thoroughly enjoy the cool while we are 'bench-sitting' in bathing trunks with a frosty
Pacifico.
I also bought and used porch shades, made with solar shade fabric that stops the sun's heat before it strikes your window..helped a lot to keep inside
heat down. I even tried the solar reflecting film over the windows, but it was way too dark & almost gloomy inside..so scraped all that stuff
off and good riddance.
That's my input for you, Oceanus...and good luck to you on keeping cool in Baja. As you can see, for me the list of air-cooling devices and ideas
went on forever...until I realized that Far North Canada in summer was sooo much cooler and I should just hook up the fishing boat and GO NORTH!
[Edited on 5-14-2014 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
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Mood: thriving in Baja
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Here's a good 9000 BTU unit for $550
http://www.kingersons.com/air-con/9000btuminisplitacseer13aircon.html
Bob Durrell
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OCEANUS
Nomad
Posts: 139
Registered: 10-11-2008
Location: Dana Point; L.A. Bay
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Thank you all for the information.
I've never heard of the mini splits before. Pompano and Pescador, how difficult is it to install a mini split system? From the looks of it, seems like
something that most people could do on their own. Did you install your units, did you or have someone else do it?
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by OCEANUS
Thank you all for the information.
I've never heard of the mini splits before. Pompano and Pescador, how difficult is it to install a mini split system? From the looks of it, seems like
something that most people could do on their own. Did you install your units, did you or have someone else do it? |
Oceanus, split system air conditioning units come in two types...central and mini-splits. The mini-splits have been in use for quite a few years. I
have used both central (sometimes called heat pumps) and mini-splits for heating/cooling my rental units in the US since the 70's. Mini-splits are
great if you have a need to heat/cool a few different rooms or areas. You can be selective in their use. They're not necessarily cheap to buy, but
are cheap to run.
Here's a thread I wrote about them installed in my Baja home many years ago. In my case, I hired an outfit from Loreto to install them professionally
and at a reasonable cost. I would definitely use the pros and save yourself some grief on the install. Good luck and stay cool.
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=15219#pid4102...
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
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Mood: thriving in Baja
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Btu stands for British Thermal Unit, and it is a measurement used to determine how much cooling or heating power an air conditioner or heater has. If
you are buying a new air conditioner for a single room, know the Btu required to cool the room to find the right unit. Finding one that has precisely
the right Btu rating, gives you the most cost-effective solution. Instructions
1
Measure the length and width of the room in question with a tape measure. Run the tape measure all the way to the edges of the walls on either side,
and write down the measurements as you take them.
2
Multiply the room's length by its width to find the square footage and by the height to get cubic footage. For instance, if the room length is 11
feet, the width is 16 feet and the height is 8 feet, multiply 11 by 16 by 8 for a total of 1,408 cubic feet.
3
Calculate the room's Btu by multiplying the cubic footage by five if it is a living room, by three if it is a kitchen, and by four if it is a bedroom.
Consider additional elements in your final calculation like the room's insulation, window size and position relative to the sun. Increase the final
calculation by 15 percent for a north-facing room, and by 20 percent if the room has large bay windows or french windows. Subtract another 10 percent
if windows are double-glazed.
Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_8743592_calculate-btu-output-room.ht...
Bob Durrell
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BajaUtah
Nomad
Posts: 190
Registered: 10-4-2013
Location: Salt Lake City/La Ribera
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| Quote: | Originally posted by OCEANUS
From the looks of it, seems like something that most people could do on their own. Did you install your units, did you or have someone else do it?
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While you could do the install yourself you will probably spend more on the tools you need than a local outfit would charge.
You need to mount the indoor unit - typically on an exterior wall as these things make gallons of condensate (drip water off the cooling coil) that
needs to be dumped.
You need to run the lineset - (2) from 1/4" to 5/8" copper lines covered with foam wrap and the wiring from the condensing unit (outside) to the evap
unit (inside). There are restrictions on length and number of bends. If you need to splice in the middle of a run there are very specific processes
involved - nitrogen flush, etc.
After you make up the lines you need to evacuate the system. This is where the tools come in. You need to pull a vacuum (vacuum pump $$) and you need
to leave that at a set vacuum level (gauge set $$) for a set period of time. If you can't get to the vacuum level you have a leak and you can only
tell with a good gauge set. Now you have to go find the leak and make a repair (specialty soldering $$$)
I work for a commercial HVAC distributor and service company and while I can do the work I let my service techs who do this stuff all day long do it.
It's money well spent. I consider it to be like dry wall - any marooon (me) can hang the stuff but a pro can finish it cheaper and faster and make it
look better.
Linesets going in my casa
Andy
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