# How well do window units work??



## jtrux (Oct 28, 2010)

Alright so i'm gonna be buying an older house (1940's) and it already has some old non-working window units. Central air is not on the priority list since there are other issues that are more pressing so i'm gonna purchase some new units. 

Virtually every room has a 230v unit now. After looking them up, they are not as cheap as I was hoping. The 115v units are very reasonable but the 230v ones are not so much. 

I didn't really want to invest a whole bunch of money in these things so I was trying to get some feedback as to whether or not I could use just 2 or 3 and still be able to cool the house sufficiently. The house is only 1600 sq/ft. I was thinking of having one in the master bedroom, living room and MAYBE the dining room. I wasn't even gonna worry about the other bedroom (2 bedroom house) for now. I've looked at some 18,000 BTU units that say they are good for up to 1000 sq/ft so i'm thinking 2 would be enough and 3 would probably be overkill. 

What about noise? I really don't have any experience with these things so i'm not really sure how loud one would be right in my bedroom while i'm sleeping.

Thanks.


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

Noise? Ever stayed in a hotel?


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## jtrux (Oct 28, 2010)

True, didn't really think of that.


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## baytownboy (Jul 24, 2009)

I only have a 23,000 btu cold and 16,000 heat in my house and it works just fine. It is Friedrich 220 volts.
In the computer and old bottle room I have a 15,000 110 volt and it works great. Both have the money saver buttons on them


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Might look into mini-split ACs... Little more expensive, but much more effecient...ie lower elec bills.. and NO noise.


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## Court (Jul 16, 2011)

I can sleep like a baby with that ice cold air blowing & that hum-Been many yrs. but reminds me of my childhood.


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

I am considering a split system for my garage. It is insulated (except for the ceiling) and the AC will make my woodworking a lot more tolerable. Unit mounts on the wall...2-3 inch hole is all that is needed to pass the lines through...condenser sits outside (behind the privacy fence).

They also have multi zone models that let you cool several rooms with individual controls. Google "split air conditioners". Lots of info.


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## FOUL HOOKED (Jan 3, 2006)

Court said:


> I can sleep like a baby with that ice cold air blowing & that hum-Been many yrs. but reminds me of my childhood.


not of the childhood thing but I do like window units. If my home owners would allow it, i'd have them, at least in the bedroom.

I went to a house yesterday who did not have the central air on, the only air was ini the bedroom which was window unit and that was also their sitting room with big screen and surround sound. Wasnt even a big room lol. The living room is where the lawn mower and weedeater was along with gas mounds of shed dog hair and dirt well you get the pic. Nasty but the bedroom was nicely cooled.


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## Myanmar_Shave (Jun 26, 2012)

I bought a mini split ductless system for my barndominium. One head goes in the apartment, and one head goes in the shop. I did the whole installation myself, only having to rent a vacuum pump and gauges. It is quiet, efficient, and effective.


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## jtrux (Oct 28, 2010)

I'll have to look into the split system. Thanks guys.


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## Manchacan (May 20, 2012)

Effectiveness of window unit will vary based on how well insulated you are, how much solar exposure your windows get, and how much air leakage you have through the building envelope.


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## MNsurf (Oct 21, 2011)

Mini splits are fine for individual room applications but there are better options for whole house. A traditional split system is good but in an older home with little to no room for ductwork it isn't always plausible. I'd recommend looking into a high velocity system. We used them a lot up north and they are finally starting to catch on down here. They require little to no bulkheading and you still get traditional heating and cooling effectiveness. More money up front than window units but will save you a bundle in the long run.

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## ChampT22 (Mar 7, 2011)

You can turn a 220-volt a/c to 110-volt pretty easy, just take one of the 110-wires and make it a common wire.


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## Angler Innovations USA (Nov 13, 2012)

We work with the mini split systems all the time, the only problem is sometimes they are hard to find parts for, and not all HVAC technicians know how to fix them. Try to look into the more well known manufacturers such as mitsubishi etc.


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## MNsurf (Oct 21, 2011)

ChampT22 said:


> You can turn a 220-volt a/c to 110-volt pretty easy, just take one of the 110-wires and make it a common wire.


The compressor wont start and even if the fan does run it will only be getting half the voltage and it will cut out on internal overload. Thats assuming you have a 120v breaker thats big enough.

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## ruffshod (Sep 23, 2010)

Break down and get the split system you'll be better off. Convenience and aesthetics and comfort. Remember when shopping for window units or any a/c system for that matter, it's 1 ton for every 500 square feet. Unless you have high ceilings, then you'll have to do a load calculation.


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

I switched my split system over to heat yesterday. Maintaining a fairly constate 70ish temp in the workshop. 

It is a Fedders and has worked great for the last several months.


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## Pasadena1944 (Mar 20, 2010)

110 window units work fine......just size it for the room....


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## Profish00 (May 21, 2004)

MT Stringer said:


> I switched my split system over to heat yesterday. Maintaining a fairly constate 70ish temp in the workshop.
> 
> It is a Fedders and has worked great for the last several months.


X2 2400btu fedders heats and cools my 1000sqft lake house. About 700 bucks. But it's just a window unit.


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

It'd be great to have a window unit on that 105 degree Friday evening when the central air goes down.Just one in a bedroom would pull you through.Guess I could sleep in the Casita travel trailer.


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