1. Single-hose portable a/c very ineffective. Two hoses needed for efficiency. 2. Fans must blow directly on you to cool you when hot. When not hot, they can pull cool air in & blow leftover hot air out. Otherwise, running a fan heats your rooms from waste heat of motor. 3. Shade your windows from the outside more efficient. 4. Insulate sunlit walls. 5. Seal attic after insulation. 6. Window A/C cheap & effective. 7. Tiny coolers only effective when not humid.
Awesome video ! I really liked your bathroom exhaust fan mounted to the window! That seems like a pretty good idea , I like keeping the windows open as much as possible ( to let fresh air in ) but my.wife is the opposite she likes windows closed central AC on all the time.
The window fan is great to blow in cool air at night--when it cools off. It's important to shut it off before the outside air is hotter than inside, so I attach a cheap timer set for 8 AM to my box fans in the windows. I'm a night owl, so I get up around that time to close the windows and drapes. You don't mention swamp coolers, which are inexpensive to buy and operate. They only work in dry climates, and I wonder how they might affect fine furniture or musical instruments.
If I already have a minisplit, do you know how I can test the operational efficiency to see how it compares to a window unit? Or how I can test to see if it is installed properly?
What a great question! If you are tech-y you can use a thermometer, anemometer and clamp ampmeter to see how much heat it delivers per kWh consumed. That can tell you something. But it's not easy.
Haven't seen them in real life, looked it up online, seems like a pretty cool unit. Seems overly expensive, but it's probably due to the fact that it unfortunately does not have much competition.
Just wanted to add - their capacity (how much heat they remove) is not great. So making sure your trailer is in the shade/reflective should come first.
@@inneradventures thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think I'll try other options first (Reflectix, ventilation, etc.). Maybe they'll come down in price and get some competition.
You missed a few key points on forced-air HVAC. People seem intent on putting furniture in front of the registers and grilles. And many central systems are installed without adequate returns. There is also the heat capacitance of the building and furnishings. In extreme conditions which exceed the HVAC's nominal capacity, the house can be chilled overnight and in the early morning giving it a few extra degrees capability.
I know you are a kayak guy, I am looking for either inflatable or sit on kayak for weight lose and fun fishing. Big problem is that I am 515 right now. Working on changing my life, but can't find a bike to ride so I would like to go kayaking or canoeing, but most of the time will be alone so a giant regular canoe might weigh to much for me to maneuver myself
Is 515 your weight? That might be a huge challenge for absolutely any kayak. I'm not sure that any that I know could hold somebody that heavy. Their weight rating assumes even weight distribution, so even a kayak that is rated for 855lb (highest that I have) could not hold a 500lb person. Unless they are super tall and are laying down.
@@inneradventures yes, I am down 25lbs and it is difficult to find a bike, trike, or boat to help me stay motivated to keep exercising. I guess at this weight most people can't even get around under their own power. I am now middle aged and it I don't get it done now I will end up in a wheel chair I think.
I really like your vent-fan idea for bedroom. Using a squirrel-cage fan, it would be quiet. You are correct about attic temperatures,. Years ago I did an experiment. Measured my attic temperature was about 145F and inside my house was about 92F (without running the AC). I installed 2 turbine vents in the attic. Resulting temperature in the attic was NOT AFFECTED. To make the long story short, I painted my shingle roof with hydrated lime which dries SUPER-HYPER white. My attic went to about 100F and house temperatures went to about 82F. You can read the whole story if you go to BUILDITSOLAR DOT COM. And search the site for "White-Roof-Experiment". Another guy on that site did this to his house too. His name is Wolfgang.
@@inneradventures Yes I had about 15 inches of blown-in cellulose insulation. I don't think it needed any air sealing. When the attic is that hot, the heat gets through the insulation. It's like living underneath a broiler oven. The white-wash on the roof works better than anything else i ever found. See the whole story on builditsolar.com
Thanks for posting the video! I also found the video on the portable AC units from Technology Connections to be very convincing in not buying one of those. Now, if only window AC units weren’t sold out everywhere in the Portland area…
Could you share how you built your bedroom fan? I'm a student and this seems like a cooling solution that actually fits my budget and would also be a nice project.
Cut out a piece of plywood the size of window opening, cut it in half in the middle, cut out a circular hole for the fan in that slit, drill a hole for the wire, put it all together and attach by a piece of wood or trim on the top edge from the inside to hold both sides together - done. Or.experimwnt and invent your ways
That last point about swamp coolers, growing up in the New Mexico desert we had one that was just a box fan with a plastic trough in front of it to fill with water. That was sold as a single unit, but that's exactly how cheap and easily you can rig one up yourself if you're in conditions where it's useful.
