Re: Window AC with central air ?
[Re: Snapped Trap]
#6577019
07/19/19 01:22 PM
07/19/19 01:22 PM
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Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 5,214 Crivitz WI
Sprung & Rusty
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 5,214
Crivitz WI
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Sounds like you need your central air serviced. That or a new one sized properly.
No Jab.
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Re: Window AC with central air ?
[Re: kyron4]
#6577028
07/19/19 01:38 PM
07/19/19 01:38 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 776 MN, USA
star flakes
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Posts: 776
MN, USA
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As you do not say the age of the ranch house, the insulation, the age of the central air or if you have had it serviced, there is a reality in this in my part of hotter than Hades.
For some reason people think that they can run big screen televisions, cook like it is Thanksgiving and find other flame throwers to heat a house up, and then are puzzled why on hot summer days their central air won't keep their house at 73 Siberia conditions. There are things that help like closing the shades on the windows, running small fans to move air, and the novel idea of closing the doors on rooms not used, including closing the central air to them, so it is concentrated in living areas.
In most cases in our home, we have evergreens planted on the north side of our house. We leave the windows open, with a fan running, except in 90 plus degree weather, and that maintains the house in the mid 70's. At night the windows are open and the house cools off, and is shut up by 9 AM if it is a hot day, so the cool air stays inside.
We cook on cool days, and eat pasta, salads or grill and except in the hottest periods of 75 degree nights, the house is cool and we rarely run the AC.
The heat and humidity the upper Midwest has been having this past month is now moving east and our area is being given a break. In almost every case a window AC should cool a house, as should central air. If you are having the problems you are with not heating the house up, your central needs to be serviced as others have rightly said, but if you are heating the house up from the inside, then it is not the outside temperatures.
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Re: Window AC with central air ?
[Re: kyron4]
#6577046
07/19/19 02:04 PM
07/19/19 02:04 PM
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,327 vermont
vermontster
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,327
vermont
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Kyron4 can you give the the outdoor temperature,indoor temperature and the cold air supply temperature. As mentioned change the air filter. Has the condensing unit outdoors been cleaned? If not take a garden hose and you don’t need to shut the unit off- spray the condenser coils with the garden hose start on one side from top to bottom. If you use too much water pressure you can bend the coils fins. Too little water pressure and you won’t push the dust,pollen and grass clippings out of the coils. You can also after cleaning the coils if it’s 90 degrees outside let a sprinkler spray a little water on the condenser coils if you have your own well. I don’t like spraying water on them for more than a week or lime scale can buildup on the coils. Feel free to pm me
The bitterness of poor quality last a lot longer than the sweetness of low price
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Re: Window AC with central air ?
[Re: kyron4]
#6577081
07/19/19 03:40 PM
07/19/19 03:40 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,113 St. Louis Co, Mo
BigBob
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,113
St. Louis Co, Mo
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As I understand it, a properly sized furnace should run almost nonstop in an extreme cold snap, and the AC should do the same in a hot spell. As noted money spent on insulation and tightening up air leaks is money very well spent. Can't speak to the window unit idea, but it seems to me it might help relieve the central unit, but might be cost prohibitive. Ceiling fans and small box fans to move the air around is a proven help. Let us know what you do and if it helps.
Every kid needs a Dog and a Curmudgeon.
Remember Bowe Bergdahl, the traitor.
Beware! Jill Pudlewski, Ron Oates and Keven Begesse are liars and thiefs!
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Re: Window AC with central air ?
[Re: kyron4]
#6577116
07/19/19 04:40 PM
07/19/19 04:40 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 13,196 Central Pennsylvania
Nittany Lion
Don't call me Mister, Mister
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Don't call me Mister, Mister
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 13,196
Central Pennsylvania
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I change filters every 60 days, our unit is 23 years old.
I got myself a seniors' GPS. Not only does it tell me how to get to my destination, it tells me why I wanted to go there.
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Re: Window AC with central air ?
[Re: kyron4]
#6577253
07/19/19 08:51 PM
07/19/19 08:51 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,937 Ohio
stinkypete
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,937
Ohio
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Re: Window AC with central air ?
[Re: star flakes]
#6577405
07/19/19 11:34 PM
07/19/19 11:34 PM
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,311 Indiana
kyron4
OP
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,311
Indiana
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As you do not say the age of the ranch house, the insulation, the age of the central air or if you have had it serviced, there is a reality in this in my part of hotter than Hades.
For some reason people think that they can run big screen televisions, cook like it is Thanksgiving and find other flame throwers to heat a house up, and then are puzzled why on hot summer days their central air won't keep their house at 73 Siberia conditions. There are things that help like closing the shades on the windows, running small fans to move air, and the novel idea of closing the doors on rooms not used, including closing the central air to them, so it is concentrated in living areas.
In most cases in our home, we have evergreens planted on the north side of our house. We leave the windows open, with a fan running, except in 90 plus degree weather, and that maintains the house in the mid 70's. At night the windows are open and the house cools off, and is shut up by 9 AM if it is a hot day, so the cool air stays inside.
We cook on cool days, and eat pasta, salads or grill and except in the hottest periods of 75 degree nights, the house is cool and we rarely run the AC.
The heat and humidity the upper Midwest has been having this past month is now moving east and our area is being given a break. In almost every case a window AC should cool a house, as should central air. If you are having the problems you are with not heating the house up, your central needs to be serviced as others have rightly said, but if you are heating the house up from the inside, then it is not the outside temperatures. Okay let me give more details. All windows have blinds and room darking drapes closed (no sun light gets in), ceiling fans in all living spaces, box fan in hall way, all unused rooms have doors closed (closing air vents is not recommended as it strains the system per my HVAC man), we don't used the oven or stove, we eat "light" meals in the summer or cook out. So ya, I have taken all the steps to keep the heat down inside. System is about 20 years old, clean filter every month, cond. coils kept clean, unit in the shade, etc. It was 96* today with a 110* heat index, low was 79*. House stayed cool at 73*, but unit ran non stop from 9 am to 9 pm. I realized it is approaching the end of it's lifespan, but it is still working and was inspected a year and a half ago. Thermometer on vent reads 57* to 59* so it still produces cold air, though blower seems weak. I see a new one in the near future , but for now I have to get by as is. I just thought a window unit might give it a break on those really hot days.
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Re: Window AC with central air ?
[Re: kyron4]
#6577413
07/19/19 11:47 PM
07/19/19 11:47 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,165 Central NC
traprjohn
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,165
Central NC
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[quote=star flakes] I have taken all the steps to keep the heat down inside. . including an attic fan to pull all THAT heat out, so it doesn't heat your rooms' ceilings?
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Re: Window AC with central air ?
[Re: kyron4]
#6577494
07/20/19 07:05 AM
07/20/19 07:05 AM
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,327 vermont
vermontster
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trapper
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Posts: 1,327
vermont
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Kyron4 sounds good. If you could mist some water into the condenser coils it would let your air conditioning work a lot easier . You could put a stake in the ground and attach the garden hose spray handle and have just mist some water into the coils. It would make a huge difference in the a/c capacity.
The bitterness of poor quality last a lot longer than the sweetness of low price
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Re: Window AC with central air ?
[Re: kyron4]
#6577559
07/20/19 09:05 AM
07/20/19 09:05 AM
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Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,553 Saucier, Mississippi Harrison ...
turkn8rtrapper
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Saucier, Mississippi Harrison ...
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Has the blower fan been removed and cleaned in the past several years ? Proper air flow along with the the other things noted are all required for proper cooling. That temp at the vents can be misleading. Take the temp at the filter and the temp at the closest vent and see what the difference is. It should be in the 16 to 20 degree range. A dirty blower wheel happens so gradually that it is often overlooked but can cause major issues as far as cooling in high outdoor temps. Also check the duct work to make sure you don't have leaks causing a loss of pressure at the vents. Again air flow being a major factor in the equation. don't assume that because you keep up with your filters and keep the coils clean that the fan blades haven't become dirty. I find this issue constantly and always check/clean the blower when servicing a unit. All the other suggestions are spot on. The first question I generally ask in these situations is " How was it doing in similar conditions prior to this?" That answer can generally point you in the correct direction.
"Skin that smokewagon and see what happens"
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