I forgot what "fun" is

[Mk42gunner]

The last few days we have been pushing 100 degrees real hard around here. Yesterday, I walked into my Mom's house and it was 90 with the a/c running. Yikes.

With the throwaway mentality we seem to have it doesn't make monetary sense to pay a $100 (or more) dollar service call for a small more or less disposable window unit these days.

So today I purchased a new one for ~$350 after tax, then re-discovered just how fun installing a window a/c by myself is.

It really wasn't too much fun, but it didn't take very long either. It was nice to actually feel cool almost cold air coming from the vent when I got finished.

Robert

[DDriller]

Good for you. I know they are not but they sure are a lot heavier as I get older. Hope the window went down easy for you.

[Mk42gunner]

You know, they really are lighter than they used to be. Probably why they don't last more than five years now.

I remember wrestling with big window units from the 1970's and 80's when I was in high school and for a few years after. No way could I have put one of those in by myself now.

Robert

[imashooter2]

The last few days we have been pushing 100 degrees real hard around here. Yesterday, I walked into my Mom's house and it was 90 with the a/c running. Yikes.

With the throwaway mentality we seem to have it doesn't make monetary sense to pay a $100 (or more) dollar service call for a small more or less disposable window unit these days.

So today I purchased a new one for ~$350 after tax, then re-discovered just how fun installing a window a/c by myself is.

It really wasn't too much fun, but it didn't take very long either. It was nice to actually feel cool almost cold air coming from the vent when I got finished.

Robert

Cold air and probably way cheaper to run than what it replaced.

I have installed my last one. Next replacement I will be "helping" my daughter’s husband.

[DocSavage]

I've 2 that needed to be installed had to get help.
My days of leaping tall buildings in a single bound have long since passed.

[sparky45]

We were @ 108° yesterday but only 104° today. Only 13 more 100° days left until we drop back to the mid 90's. Soy Beans around here are already wilted so there's another crop that's going to be a bust around here. Only a meager Corn harvest as well. God Bless our Farmers; we all are going to be in a world of hurt and real soon. Bought a dozen Eggs this afternoon and paid $4.86 out the door. Might have to give up Eggs too.

[imashooter2]

You know, they really are lighter than they used to be. Probably why they don't last more than five years now.

I remember wrestling with big window units from the 1970's and 80's when I was in high school and for a few years after. No way could I have put one of those in by myself now.

Robert


We ran a 12k BTU window box in the living room window for years. Took it out every winter, put it back in every summer. When the arthritis hit, I saw the writing on the wall. We paid a trifle over $5,000 to install a ductless split AC/heat pump. Best danged money I ever spent.

[dverna]

Installed a 12k BTU unit last year. Had to call a friend to lift it into place

[country gent]

I put a mini split for heat and air in the new shop. It is a great unit. It has the ability of a second cassette but I just can see needing it.Mine has a multi direction blower down left and right. Since Im only cooling and heating the enclosed shop space we put the unit in the garage inside with a drain outside. Protects it from the weather and when heating the radiant heat from the sun on the metal roof makes it more efficient.

Im very pleased with it.

[samari46]

When we lived on Long Island NY, used to drag out the window a/c from the basement and put it in our bedroom. House we now live in Louisiana has central air. Gladly left that old unit for the new owner in NY. Frank

[canyon-ghost]

It's been as high as 108 degrees here. Now, it's beginning to cool off to the nineties. I have a window unit that's about 80 lbs. Sometimes I do dread putting it in the window. So far, though, I always manage to get it in. I don't care for deadlifting it off the floor. As I get older, it seems that I need to keep myself cheered up and trying harder or suffer the consequences. The consequences seem awful.

[country gent]

a small garden wagon like harbor freight sells and a stand to sit on it make the job a lot easier. You can sit the air onditioner on it out in the open with a lift or bed offff a truck / bench and then roll it into place then slide it over into the window.

[375supermag]

Hi...
Putting window air conditioners in place is one of the reasons I had central air installed when I built my current house here on The Estate back in 1994.
I knew I was eventually get old didn't want to struggle with window air conditioners as I aged into a semi dignified elderly gentleman aka curmudgeonly old grouch.

[gunther]

We started out with a Fridigidaire window unit from the 1950's. One on-off button, no temp control at all. With good insulation, you could hang meat. Copper coils, weighed about 200 lbs at best guess. Gave it to a buddy when we sprang for central air. Well worth it.

[Handloader109]

More money, but most have heat that will work down to -10f, mini split. I put one in last year and it cools and heats well. And no window install

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[imashooter2]

Hi...
Putting window air conditioners in place is one of the reasons I had central air installed when I built my current house here on The Estate back in 1994.
I knew I was eventually get old didn't want to struggle with window air conditioners as I aged into a semi dignified elderly gentleman aka curmudgeonly old grouch.

Would love to have central, but with a hot water heating system the ductless split for the first floor was our best option. Still have small window boxes in the bedrooms. They’re light enough even an older arthritic guy can handle them. Especially when he has a 30 year old son in law living next door.

[MaryB]

My parents had a massive window unit in the 70's... I remember lifting that beast spring and fall. Took 4 of us to wrestle it into a window. Ran off 240 volts, think it weighed 175 pounds... I know we had to reinforce the window to handle the weight. When they built a new house in 1979 it got central air!

[GregLaROCHE]

Those window air conditioners got me through a lot of hot and sticky nights when I lived on the East Coast. Now I live at a higher altitude and the record breaking heat is dry and not too bad.

[Scrounge]

Installed a 12k BTU unit last year. Had to call a friend to lift it into place

I bought a harbor freight 1-ton engine hoist to help deal with such problems. Actually, it was for the SB Heavy 10L toolroom lathe, but hey, it's useable for other things, too! ;) Does take up quite a bit of space in the living room.

[Beerd]

"You can't beat fun for a good time."
..

[Gator 45/70]

Have 3, One in the shed, 8000 btu in the living room which helps out like the dickens the house AC

1 in the bedroom I run on 60 degrees and sleep with the ceiling fan on and 1 leg out the covers.

Old Joe can eat dat sausage for me!

[Mk42gunner]

Now that I've cooled off a bit, (ha ha), it really isn't the weight; as I stated these modern window units weigh a lot less than the ones I learned on.

It's the fact that I sweated out about a pint while putting the thing in. 95 degrees and a relatively low humidity (for us) of about 85%.

The old house is not worth putting central air in, it still has an old floor furnace so no ductwork at all.

Robert

[725]

I put in two mini - splits in my house and it is unbelievable. They are so good and pretty cheap to run. Never had air until last year. Dehumidifies, cools, and/or heats. We have never used the heat feature other than testing it to make sure it works. The house is wonderful, now.

[fatelk]

I really miss the central air of our old house. Right now we have a couple older units through-the-wall; a big one in the main part of the house, and a small one in the master bedroom. They're probably 20 years old. We've been here half that, and they were old then. They were very poorly installed when we bought the place. I reinstalled them and did it right. The smaller one is supposed to be a window unit, but now it's through the wall.

I've had to tear into the smaller one a couple times- once to replace bearings and again to replace a bad capacitor. Eventually they'll both need replaced, but for now they just keep going and going.

The plant (work) really starts to complain as the temperature approaches 100°f. Seems ironic since the finished product is -320°f.