Current Events > How do air conditioners work (I wanna get one for my room)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Do I need professional installation? I heard they attach to windows so how does that work
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you should probably hire someone to help you
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They make your house cooler

You're welcome
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Depends on the unit.

If you want a room Portable unit like the ones that are on wheels and moveable, you just need a vent at the window for it.

Otherwise the more "Permanent Installations" usually require some professional installation unless you already have experience in that field.

I Highly recommend "Ducted Mini Split Air Conditioner" types instead of the old school "In-Wall" units or the Whole House Ducted system unit.

It has the best in terms of affordability while minimizing the noise by separating the noisy parts to the outside.

Asian Home Electronics areas usually have them for the cheapest installation and unit prices in my area.
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Theyre not hard. It helps to have a second person hold the air conditioner in the window while you put screws in to prevent the window from opening.

On my air conditioner; theres a bar on the top that rests in front of the sliding window to prevent it from falling out. Then you put weather stripping around the entire air conditioner to prevent bugs from getting in.
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I usually see people cut holes on a piece of wood, remove the window and stick the AC unit in that way (maybe a little hot glue here and there)...
>__>
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Basically, when a house is built, the way the air ducts are dictate whether or not AC can be installed. Chances are that if you dont have AC, the house isnt properly routed for air and it would cost a TON of money to have it installed.

At that point, youre best off looking either at a window unit or one of those stand up units that you have ductwork going our the window (never tried one).
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Payzmaykr posted...

At that point, youre best off looking either at a window unit or one of those stand up units that you have ductwork going our the window (never tried one).

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/ductless-mini-split-air-conditioners

In Asia and many parts of Europe, this is the pre-dominant style.

In the US, it's only become a thing in the past 10-15 years.

But it offers the advantages of a Window Unit, with none of the draw backs.
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If you must install a window unit, after checking its specs make sure you that you (or a qualified electrician) run a dedicated circuit to it from either the main panel or subpanel if you don't want to overload the existing wired circuitry and melt a plug and burn your place down (of course you need to make sure that they're a spare space for a breaker).
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Don't put it in backwards or it will heat the room. My friend died that way.

parabola_master posted...

Do I need professional installation? I heard they attach to windows so how does that work

i need professional installation for where i have to voice my anger towards the evils of life.
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Vicious_Dios posted...

If you must install a window unit, after checking its specs make sure you that you (or a qualified electrician) run a dedicated circuit to it from either the main panel or subpanel if you don't want to overload the existing wired circuitry and melt a plug and burn your place down (of course you need to make sure that they're a spare space for a breaker).

What

kingdrake2 posted...

parabola_master posted...

Do I need professional installation? I heard they attach to windows so how does that work

i need professional installation for where i have to voice my anger towards the evils of life.

What

KamenRiderBlade posted...

Depends on the unit.

If you want a room Portable unit like the ones that are on wheels and moveable, you just need a vent at the window for it.

Otherwise the more "Permanent Installations" usually require some professional installation unless you already have experience in that field.

I Highly recommend "Ducted Mini Split Air Conditioner" types instead of the old school "In-Wall" units or the Whole House Ducted system unit.

It has the best in terms of affordability while minimizing the noise by separating the noisy parts to the outside.

Asian Home Electronics areas usually have them for the cheapest installation and unit prices in my area.

The split ones look good but are also more expensive. I might need to get a portable one, by the way, since my windows have blinds and I'd rather keep them closed (basically I don't want sunlight in my room most of the time...)
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If you want a mounted one and have no experience, probably.

Some are basically just big fans with filters, though, and you could probably stick them into the window.

They use magnets to cool the air.
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Do your windows close horizontally (left-right) or vertically? (up-down) If vertically just grab any window unit, (spend the extra 25 for the digital control panel, seriously) open window, set in window, close window.

If light is a problem, get a set of blackout curtains, cut a hole and tape to the side of the unit. I used to use a set of these (four rooms, one in each) when I lived in South Carolina and it saved me hundreds a month over central air.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJLvqdum6-E" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDfgDI494Y0" data-time="&start=34
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Another scorcher!
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Just have a professional do it.
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parabola_master posted...

How do air conditioners work

Well I'm glad you asked

Air conditioners are basically reverse heat engines. A heat engine is something that absorbs heat from a high temperature body and converts it into useful work and by the second law of thermodynamics, rejects some of the heat to a heat sink which is low temperature

When you reverse that, you get a device that absorbs work and transfers heat from a low temperature body to a high temperature body. The low temperature body being your room and the high temperature body being air that surrounds it

Hope I made the fascinating way ACs work clear
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Darksaber310 posted...

Do your windows close horizontally (left-right) or vertically? (up-down) If vertically just grab any window unit, (spend the extra 25 for the digital control panel, seriously) open window, set in window, close window.

If light is a problem, get a set of blackout curtains, cut a hole and tape to the side of the unit. I used to use a set of these (four rooms, one in each) when I lived in South Carolina and it saved me hundreds a month over central air.

Mine close horizontally... :(
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don't mind me, i gone crazy again.
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I have a mobile unit. They work on any windows and don't need space (they work with screens and stuff and don't stick out. They just have a panel. They are typically 10k-16k btu. Easy to set up and easy to take out. If you have screened windows, it's like instantaneous pretty much. I have one. I highly recommend them if you don't have central air.
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I helped a buddy set one up, since he had nailed down blackout curtains anyway we just popped the sliding window out and ran a sheet of plywood across the top for the ac to latch onto. Rigged/10 but it works and if you weren't using the window anyway you aren't losing anything.
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