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School me on Window A/c Units

gunlover

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So we bought a house without central air, Not our first choice but it was a home we could afford and better then renting. This is our first house so we are learning along the way, This summer putting in central air is not going to happen, we are going to save up and hope we can do it next summer other things need to happen to the house first. So it will be window units this summer, I've never use,bought or installed them. What do I need too look out for, any tips or tricks about them. How bad is this going to hurt the power bill. Can I buy them used or is that a bad idea? Any info would be great. Here is some info on the home. it was built in 1969 its brick and about 1,200 square feet. its 3 bedroom 2 bath but we only use 2 of the bedrooms the 3rd is just storage right now, will be a guest room later around the holidays.
 
you'll save money. thats what we had growing up. get the most btu's that will fit into window frame for the money. also check amp draw per outlet. some units demand a 30+ amp draw. super efficient and not wastfull. to cool a whole house while your in one room sleeping is fxxxing crazy, but we live in a wasteful society. 8, in rosedale
 
When our 20year old Central unit went out and we had to replace it, I had about a one month time period we would be without in the middle of that crazy drought 100F plus summer, so I went and bought two Haier window units for $100 ea. Put one in the front of the house and the second one in a bedroom at the rear of the house, left all interior doors open when possible. These ran 24/7, I saw no difference in our power bill. Around 1500SF home with wood siding, no shade trees exposed on top of a hill.
 
Oh, power bill in my house runs $129/month on average. I keep shades drawn in summer, AC set at 72F we come in through the basement (Buffer) instead of front door. Also changed all our light bulbs to Florescent, waiting on LED to come down to make the change. We have a 13SEER unit.
 
Is buying used units a bad idea? I only see us using them one summer maybe 2 tops. I think we would need 2 smaller units for the bedrooms at night and one bigger one in the living room for the day time.
 
I am not an expert (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn :) I am assuming you are a handyman. The power source and Amp should be adequate for the unit plus other appliances you are planning to use. A dedicated line with the appropriate breaker is more desirable. The A/C unit's BTU also should be considered. A 10K BTU unit works best for small to medium sized bedroom. Check manufacturer's recommendation. Build a sturdy brace/bracket for the unit that will ensure the unit does not fall off the window. This is where mishaps - falling A/C units - happen. I assume you have a ranch style house. Properly install a drain that takes the moisture/water away from the house. Make sure house is completely sealed. You will be wasting all your money/power/cold air. Check YouTube for other people's experience.

Good luck and be safe!

KATOM
 
Caveat Emptor! Buyer beware when it comes with buying used AC units. But it's your money use it at your will. What is your budget? Some HVAC companies have 5 year payment plans. If you are planning to stay in the house 10+ years this maybe your best bet.
 
Caveat Emptor! Buyer beware when it comes with buying used AC units. But it's your money use it at your will. What is your budget? Some HVAC companies have 5 year payment plans. If you are planning to stay in the house 10+ years this maybe your best bet.

This year our a/c budget is like $200-$300 lol. We spent all of our savings on the down and rest on closing. We are looking at 5-7 years here then sell is after we fixed it up some and if the market is doing well then.
 
What he said ^^^^. If it was built with no central heat and air there are probably dedicated circuits for window A/C units. My house is also brick and built in the mid 60's. The previous owner had central HVAC installed and now I have three windows in the house with higher than normal (off the floor) outlets next to them for the old units. Each one on its own circuit.
 
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