Home Improvement : THE SENSIBLE HOME : Portable Unit Keeps Rooms Cool
QUESTION: My house gets as hot as an oven, but I cannot afford central air-conditioning. How efficient and effective are the lightweight portable air conditioners that roll from room to room?
ANSWER: A quiet portable air conditioner (A/C) can be an effective alternative to central air-conditioning. Using a portable A/C allows you to super-cool only the room that you are currently using or an extra hot room, not the entire house. This uses much less electricity.
There are several designs of all-indoor portable A/Cs. They weigh only 50 to 90 pounds and are mounted on casters. It is easy to roll one from the kitchen to the living room to the bedroom at night. They plug into any 115-volt outlet and use only 7.5 amperes of electricity.
One efficient design, Pinquino, has a special window adapter to vent the exhaust heat from the condenser to the outdoors. It is attached to the unit with small flexible duct. The window closes and seals against the adapter.
This design uses water to super-cool the coils for more cool air output, up to 8,000 Btu. Just fill a small container inside the unit. For automatic operation, it has a 24-hour timer, electronic memory and a two-speed blower.
If it runs out of water while you are away, it automatically switches to the dry cooling mode at 6,500 Btu output. In either mode, the moisture is exhausted outdoors, dehumidifying the indoor air for comfort and health.
Another portable design, TID, weighs only 55 pounds and works somewhat like a dehumidifier. As it dehumidifies the air, it blows cool air (7,200 Btu output) out the front and the waste warm air out the back away from you.
It has motorized oscillating louvers to distribute the cool dry air evenly. An automatic timer runs it in the cooling mode or just the three-speed fan mode. An optional window kit for outdoor venting is available.
Just using a small dehumidifier helps. Reducing the indoor humidity level makes 80 degrees feel like 75 degrees and is great for allergy sufferers.
One new whole-house dehumidifier, Herrmidifier, has no compressor. It uses heat from your water heater and a desiccant wheel to dry the air. Another compressor-type model, Sahara, has a unique super-efficient design.
If you have central air-conditioning, using a portable air conditioner or dehumidifier allows you to set your thermostat higher without sacrificing comfort. This will cut your electric bills by about 3% to 5% for each degree you set it higher.
Write for Update Bulletin No. 661 showing a buyer’s guide of portable air conditioners, whole-house and portable dehumidifier manufacturers, listing output capacities, features, prices and recommended size selector and cost- to-use charts. Please include $2 and a business-size SASE, to James Dulley, Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244.
Dark Screening Works Well as Sun Block
Q: A lot of afternoon heat seems to come in the kitchen through our west-facing screen door. I have seen dark screening designed to block heat. Does it really work and can I install it in a wood door?
A: Sun-blocking screening does work well. It can block over 50% of the sun’s heat and still provide an acceptable view outdoors. It looks much darker in the hardware store than it does when it is actually in your door.
You should be able to install it in an older wood door or window in about an hour. Typically, you must pry off the old molding and remove the old screen. Staple the new heavy screen in place and replace the molding.