Portable AC ?

1. call my PC Richards salesman Mike Greenfield at cell # 718-309-4757
2. I've bought mine from him and he is very knowledgeable and helpful

http://www.compactappliance.com/Portable-Air-Conditioners/Air_Quality-Portable_Air_Conditioners,default,sc.html

thank you guys. i find it amazing that despite the thousands of websites selling them, and manhattan obsession for space optimization, noone came up with a size search filter. thank you again

If you have an available window, why would you choose a portable AC? Even the most mediocre window AC can outperform the best "portable".

nycmatt is right. i tried some time to find a portable ac for me, never found a quiet one. it is really noisy. some people can get used to it after a while though.

They also overstate EERs on portables, as low as the stated values are.

Portables also filter room air for asthmatics, which A/Cs dont

I hate window ACs, they re ugly and they take away the light. I thought I would put a portable AC hidden in a built in closet under my window with just a hole for the ventilation pipe that I can hide in winter. Does that sound like a bad idea you reckon ?

"I hate window ACs, they re ugly and they take away the light. I thought I would put a portable AC hidden in a built in closet under my window with just a hole for the ventilation pipe that I can hide in winter. Does that sound like a bad idea you reckon ?"

I hate bulky refrigerators; they're ugly and they take up way too much space. I would prefer just using coolers stashed inside the cabinets for my food.

But guess what? Coolers aren't nearly as efficient at keeping food cold as are refrigerators.

Window ACs are bulky, and yes, they block views and light. But they're worlds more efficient (and quieter INSIDE the room) than "portable" ACs, which are really only a viable option if you don't have central AC and don't have access to a window.

Matt is correct, in that the best and biggest portable AC - like the one the size of a medium refrigerator - won't do as good a job actually cooling your room as the smallest window unit. I learned this the hard way years ago.

So, then, Matthew, you'd support allowing your cooperatorsv to mount split ductless units to the building exterior? They're twice as efficient as window units.

fwiw I've heard of co-ops that don't allow window AC's for liability reasoning (ie fall on someone on the street, etc)

I do have access to 3 windows. But central AC is not an option unfortunately. I can always take a powerful portable AC if I want it to be efficient at cooling my space, no ? Then I am only left with the noise issue. But windows unit are very noisy too. Are portable ACs really much noisier ?

(thanks again by the way, I really do appreciate and value your input)

Basic, our point is there's no such thing as a "powerful" portable AC (despite their claims). And yes, as noisy as window units are ... the portables are noisier.

basicinformation, even the salespeople will tell you that portable ACs are crap. ANd they don't make them small, period. You mentioned "just a hole for the ventilation pipe"- what do you mean, a hole in the wall? Really?
Why not then just put in a through-the-wall AC? Portable ones still require shut windows and the same screens that the window ones, but they are, the whole mechanism, INSIDE your room. I never saw anybody being happy with this solution.

basic:

1. you can steel sleeve an A/C slot below a windown
2. but you will need the Coop's or owners's consent to do it

basicinformation,
What about an in-wall unit? You haven't mentioned if you rent or own, which may make a difference, or price being a factor.

This is the most expensive option by far, but it does result in the closest thing to what you're looking for: something that doesn't take away light, something that is more or less low-profile (more than the other two options discussed), and gives the most options for power vs. noise level.

Just a thought if you have the time, money, and ability from the powers that be ;)

There's also the (outside) option of installing them at the TOP of the window ...

which is, of course, by far and away the best way to achieve maximum efficiency from a window air conditioner.

C0lumbia C0unty energy efficiency.

hunters burg is in a real trolling tizzy now. Another comment posted by it, minutes after my comment.
It will be here patrolling streeteasy discussion threads for the rest of the day and tonight waiting for me to post a comment. It wants to intimidate me and run me off the streeteasy discussion boards.

It's been tried by various trolls before. It didn't work then -- and it won't work now.
I do what I want to do, not what hfscomm1 wants.

^^ ^^

Hahaha!

@ NYCMatt: "Basic, our point is there's no such thing as a "powerful" portable AC (despite their claims)."
I see all those BTU rankings I thought it meant sthg. But ok understood. And got it also for the noise. What do you mean outside at the top of the window ? You mean completely outside ?

@ dollar: sorry if I was unclear. No they do not allow anything through the wall. "Portable ones still require shut windows and the same screens that the window ones". I was under the impression that with the portable AC, I could hide it under the window, and just take out the ventilation pipe to plug it to the window when i needed - therefore just needing a round hole on my window. I understand that anyway you think this is a bad solution. Thanks for sharing with me your point.

@ Sonya: I own. I cannot make any hole in the wall unfortunately. So in-wall would still require a pipe linked to the window to remove the heat out right ?

No, I mean a window air conditioner installed at the TOP of the window rather than the bottom.

I see. I ll explore that solution as well. Thanks again. I really hate windows unit :)

basicinformation,
Not sure if I understand your question.
An in-wall unit just requires a square-shaped hole for the actual AC. No pipes or anything need to be run. Half of the machine sits a little outside (the back, where the hot air blows out), and the front of the AC is on the inside of your apartment. The only thing that you need to run is the electric, which can exist inside the wall or just inside the apartment. In fact, in many newer buildings with in-wall AC cutouts, there is an outlet with dedicated circuit (to handle the high load that ACs often require) right next to that cutout.

If you own, and even if it's a co-op, you might want to ask around to see what the policy is, or, if there are enough people interested in it, get together and petition for it. I know several people who were able to get in-wall units installed, even in not-so-liberal co-ops, simply because a lot of people wanted this added convenience. So, it's not unheard of.

Hope this answered your question :-)

So far no one here knows anything about air conditioners.
You have a number of options.
1) A home-depot type of portable will not work for you because it is too noisy, too weak, and requires that air be sucked IN to the unit. This means you cannot build the little closet to block noise unless you have air intakes holes in the closet. The motor on a small portable is very, for lack of a better word, wimpy. It will die if you do not have big air intakes on a little closet. As such, the noise issue comes back. You also cannot move it too far from the window. The exhaust pipes on portables are too short and cannot, repeat CANNOT be extended if you want the unit to last more than a few weeks.

You can buy a unit that runs on cold water. You hook this up to your cold water line and presto, an air conditioner. This does not require venting. All the AC units at LOVE LANE MEWS are this kind. They are not cheap and will require a plumber. I believe the company is cold-wave. Expect your coop or condo board to not know what this is and likely make things hard for you. There is high chance of them worrying about water leaks.

At our office we bought what is called a spot cooler. It's a monster, but it is completely portable. We built a full closet for it and left three inches all around at the ceiling and sound proofed the closet and door. You can buy them new for $3000 or used for $500 if you can find one. It comes with two hoses. One for exhaust, and one for cold air. We ran the exhaust hose along the ceiling (ugly) to the top of the window and it only required about 6 inches of open window. You must keep in mind that all this is bascially a jumbo portable unit and they are not very quiet. This is why we built a closet for it. It has a motor that can handle all this stuff and wont burn out.

FInally, if your building will allow it, you can mount a compressor on the roof (assuming you are less than 3 floors away, or the ground or actually outside on the wall of the building (but not in front, per NY Law). This is a mini-spli system and the chiller coils run through small holes in the window frame and you get cold air in the room. These are $5k+ installed and your coop or condo board will almost undoubtedly not allow you to mount anything of the sort on the roof, ground or wall.

good luck. If I were you I would get the window unit/