Here in the Pacific NW we usually have no need for AC. Yet the older I
get, the more the rare 100+ day affects me. We are going through a series
of 3 or 4 of those days now.

So I'm thinking about the room AC option. I'm not intending to stay in this
house more than another 8 - 10 years, so I don't think the whole house AC
opton really pans out

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo determining
what sze BTUs) unit for what siz spaces?

House is a tri-level. Main level has 24' x 12' living room; 12' x '12
dining room, 14' x 12 kitchen, and a sort of 8' x 6' foyer that leads to
staircases up and down.

Upper level has hall that runs almost width of house; master bedroom and
bath, about 20' X 14'; at one end of hall; largish bedroom at other end of
hall about 14' x 12; smallish bedroom next to that about 10' x 12'; full
bath about 6 ' x 8' .

Lots of doors, etc off that hall to rooms.

Lowest level has short hall at bottom of stairs running along the width of
the house from left to right; 12' x 22 family room with big french door set
with side lites that open, no other windows; full bath and laundry room
opening off middle of hall and another large ish 14' x 14' (?) bedroom off
other end of hall.

I'm thinking unit in upstairs master bedroom;
unit in LR and unit in downstairs large bedroom?

Opinions, thoughts, guidance, heat jokes all welcome.

Thanks.
--
Jim McLaughlin

Reply address is deliberately munged.
If you really need to reply directly, try:
jimdotmclaughlinatcomcastdotcom

And you know it is a dotnet not a dotcom
address.

Jim McLaughlin wrote:
Here in the Pacific NW we usually have no need for AC. Yet the older I
get, the more the rare 100+ day affects me. We are going through a series
of 3 or 4 of those days now.

So I'm thinking about the room AC option. I'm not intending to stay in this
house more than another 8 - 10 years, so I don't think the whole house AC
opton really pans out

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo determining
what sze BTUs) unit for what siz spaces?

House is a tri-level. Main level has 24' x 12' living room; 12' x '12
dining room, 14' x 12 kitchen, and a sort of 8' x 6' foyer that leads to
staircases up and down.

Upper level has hall that runs almost width of house; master bedroom and
bath, about 20' X 14'; at one end of hall; largish bedroom at other end of
hall about 14' x 12; smallish bedroom next to that about 10' x 12'; full
bath about 6 ' x 8' .

Lots of doors, etc off that hall to rooms.

Lowest level has short hall at bottom of stairs running along the width of
the house from left to right; 12' x 22 family room with big french door set
with side lites that open, no other windows; full bath and laundry room
opening off middle of hall and another large ish 14' x 14' (?) bedroom off
other end of hall.

I'm thinking unit in upstairs master bedroom;
unit in LR and unit in downstairs large bedroom?

Opinions, thoughts, guidance, heat jokes all welcome.

Thanks.
--
Jim McLaughlin

Reply address is deliberately munged.
If you really need to reply directly, try:
jimdotmclaughlinatcomcastdotcom

And you know it is a dotnet not a dotcom
address.


Okay, since you're open to heat jokes, etc., how about useless
suggesstions like what we call "swamp coolers"
http://cgi.ebay.com/ICE-FAN-LIKE-AIR...QQcmdZViewItem
http://www.asedeals.com/cooling_fans.html

I don't khow about sizing. I go read the box at Walmart.

Jim McLaughlin wrote:
Here in the Pacific NW we usually have no need for AC. Yet the
older I get, the more the rare 100+ day affects me. We are going
through a series of 3 or 4 of those days now.

So I'm thinking about the room AC option. I'm not intending to stay
in this house more than another 8 - 10 years, so I don't think the
whole house AC opton really pans out

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo
determining what sze BTUs) unit for what siz spaces?

House is a tri-level. Main level has 24' x 12' living room; 12' x
'12 dining room, 14' x 12 kitchen, and a sort of 8' x 6' foyer that
leads to staircases up and down.

Upper level has hall that runs almost width of house; master bedroom
and bath, about 20' X 14'; at one end of hall; largish bedroom at
other end of hall about 14' x 12; smallish bedroom next to that about
10' x 12'; full bath about 6 ' x 8' .

Lots of doors, etc off that hall to rooms.

Lowest level has short hall at bottom of stairs running along the
width of the house from left to right; 12' x 22 family room with big
french door set with side lites that open, no other windows; full
bath and laundry room opening off middle of hall and another large
ish 14' x 14' (?) bedroom off other end of hall.

I'm thinking unit in upstairs master bedroom;
unit in LR and unit in downstairs large bedroom?

Opinions, thoughts, guidance, heat jokes all welcome.

Thanks.

Frankly now would not be the best time for you to get one. Those
selling them are going to have their prices up and selection down in your
area.

Start by asking yourself if you are going to try and cool the whole home
or just a few rooms.

If you are going to cool just rooms, consider buying just one unit at
first and size it on the small size for the largest area. Then you can move
it to a different area if it is too small. You DON'T want to get something
too large as it will not de-humidify properly. From that first test you
can then make better guesses about the other smaller rooms or maybe a larger
one for the large room.

Don't buy for today's weather, but for a little less warm weather.

Personally I would suggest considering hiring a HVAC professional to
look at your home, do the numbers and add his experience of your areas
construction and weather to make some suggestions.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

This time of year you take what you can get and that is if you can find a
window A/C anywhere. New units use half the electricity of old units, so
only buy a new one. I have a 10,000 BTU window A/C in the bedroom and it
keeps several rooms cool or on very hot days like we have been having, it
keeps the bedroom cool and adjoining rooms somewhat cool.

The best time to buy a window A/C is in late winter. I purchased mine one
year when it was snowing and there were 3 other people doing the same thing!
(We were too hot the summer before and all stores were sold out...) The
stores around here have winter stuff in the late summer and summer stuff in
the late winter.


"Jim McLaughlin" jim.mclaughlin wrote in message
Here in the Pacific NW we usually have no need for AC. Yet the older I
get, the more the rare 100+ day affects me. We are going through a
series
of 3 or 4 of those days now.

So I'm thinking about the room AC option. I'm not intending to stay in
this
house more than another 8 - 10 years, so I don't think the whole house AC
opton really pans out

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo
determining
what sze BTUs) unit for what siz spaces?

House is a tri-level. Main level has 24' x 12' living room; 12' x '12
dining room, 14' x 12 kitchen, and a sort of 8' x 6' foyer that leads to
staircases up and down.

Upper level has hall that runs almost width of house; master bedroom and
bath, about 20' X 14'; at one end of hall; largish bedroom at other end
of
hall about 14' x 12; smallish bedroom next to that about 10' x 12'; full
bath about 6 ' x 8' .

Lots of doors, etc off that hall to rooms.

Lowest level has short hall at bottom of stairs running along the width of
the house from left to right; 12' x 22 family room with big french door
set
with side lites that open, no other windows; full bath and laundry room
opening off middle of hall and another large ish 14' x 14' (?) bedroom
off
other end of hall.

I'm thinking unit in upstairs master bedroom;
unit in LR and unit in downstairs large bedroom?

Opinions, thoughts, guidance, heat jokes all welcome.

Thanks.
--
Jim McLaughlin

Reply address is deliberately munged.
If you really need to reply directly, try:
jimdotmclaughlinatcomcastdotcom

And you know it is a dotnet not a dotcom
address.

Pat wrote:
...


Okay, since you're open to heat jokes, etc., how about useless
suggesstions like what we call "swamp coolers"
http://cgi.ebay.com/ICE-FAN-LIKE-AIR...QQcmdZViewItem
http://www.asedeals.com/cooling_fans.html

I don't khow about sizing. I go read the box at Walmart.


The OP is in Washington State. Unless they are on the east side of the
mountains, I doubt if a swamp cooler is going to help. :-)


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

I appreciated the swamp cooler joke and the shop cooler joke.

Regarding reading the boxes at Wallyworld, the nearest one i a 30 mile drive
'cause we here in Portland are so politically correct pure and our city
council don't let no low price competitors do business here.

And I'd rather no rely solely upon the boxes, or a salesman at the local
appliance emporium.

Off to the library to look at Cnsumer Reports.

-- Jim McLaughlin

Reply address is deliberately munged.
If you really need to reply directly, try:
jimdotmclaughlinatcomcastdotcom

And you know it is a dotnet not a dotcom
address.
"Pat" wrote in message
ups.com...

Jim McLaughlin wrote:
Here in the Pacific NW we usually have no need for AC. Yet the older I
get, the more the rare 100+ day affects me. We are going through a
series
of 3 or 4 of those days now.

So I'm thinking about the room AC option. I'm not intending to stay in
this
house more than another 8 - 10 years, so I don't think the whole house
AC
opton really pans out

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo
determining
what sze BTUs) unit for what siz spaces?

House is a tri-level. Main level has 24' x 12' living room; 12' x '12
dining room, 14' x 12 kitchen, and a sort of 8' x 6' foyer that leads to
staircases up and down.

Upper level has hall that runs almost width of house; master bedroom and
bath, about 20' X 14'; at one end of hall; largish bedroom at other end
of
hall about 14' x 12; smallish bedroom next to that about 10' x 12'; full
bath about 6 ' x 8' .

Lots of doors, etc off that hall to rooms.

Lowest level has short hall at bottom of stairs running along the width
of
the house from left to right; 12' x 22 family room with big french door
set
with side lites that open, no other windows; full bath and laundry room
opening off middle of hall and another large ish 14' x 14' (?) bedroom
off
other end of hall.

I'm thinking unit in upstairs master bedroom;
unit in LR and unit in downstairs large bedroom?

Opinions, thoughts, guidance, heat jokes all welcome.

Thanks.
--
Jim McLaughlin

Reply address is deliberately munged.
If you really need to reply directly, try:
jimdotmclaughlinatcomcastdotcom

And you know it is a dotnet not a dotcom
address.


Okay, since you're open to heat jokes, etc., how about useless
suggesstions like what we call "swamp coolers"

http://cgi.ebay.com/ICE-FAN-LIKE-AIR...QQcmdZViewItem
http://www.asedeals.com/cooling_fans.html

I don't khow about sizing. I go read the box at Walmart.

Good points.

--
Jim McLaughlin

Reply address is deliberately munged.
If you really need to reply directly, try:
jimdotmclaughlinatcomcastdotcom

And you know it is a dotnet not a dotcom
address.
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
. ..
Jim McLaughlin wrote:
Here in the Pacific NW we usually have no need for AC. Yet the
older I get, the more the rare 100+ day affects me. We are going
through a series of 3 or 4 of those days now.

So I'm thinking about the room AC option. I'm not intending to stay
in this house more than another 8 - 10 years, so I don't think the
whole house AC opton really pans out

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo
determining what sze BTUs) unit for what siz spaces?

House is a tri-level. Main level has 24' x 12' living room; 12' x
'12 dining room, 14' x 12 kitchen, and a sort of 8' x 6' foyer that
leads to staircases up and down.

Upper level has hall that runs almost width of house; master bedroom
and bath, about 20' X 14'; at one end of hall; largish bedroom at
other end of hall about 14' x 12; smallish bedroom next to that about
10' x 12'; full bath about 6 ' x 8' .

Lots of doors, etc off that hall to rooms.

Lowest level has short hall at bottom of stairs running along the
width of the house from left to right; 12' x 22 family room with big
french door set with side lites that open, no other windows; full
bath and laundry room opening off middle of hall and another large
ish 14' x 14' (?) bedroom off other end of hall.

I'm thinking unit in upstairs master bedroom;
unit in LR and unit in downstairs large bedroom?

Opinions, thoughts, guidance, heat jokes all welcome.

Thanks.

Frankly now would not be the best time for you to get one. Those
selling them are going to have their prices up and selection down in your
area.

Start by asking yourself if you are going to try and cool the whole
home
or just a few rooms.

If you are going to cool just rooms, consider buying just one unit at
first and size it on the small size for the largest area. Then you can
move
it to a different area if it is too small. You DON'T want to get
something
too large as it will not de-humidify properly. From that first test you
can then make better guesses about the other smaller rooms or maybe a
larger
one for the large room.

Don't buy for today's weather, but for a little less warm weather.

Personally I would suggest considering hiring a HVAC professional to
look at your home, do the numbers and add his experience of your areas
construction and weather to make some suggestions.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Jim McLaughlin wrote:

Here in the Pacific NW we usually have no need for AC. Yet the older I
get, the more the rare 100+ day affects me. We are going through a series
of 3 or 4 of those days now.

So I'm thinking about the room AC option. I'm not intending to stay in this
house more than another 8 - 10 years, so I don't think the whole house AC
opton really pans out

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo determining
what sze BTUs) unit for what siz spaces?


All of the formulas I have seen are way off, they oversize by a mile!
A lack of air circulation is the smaller unit's major shortcoming, so
you need to supplement the airflow!

I cool the first floor over 900-S.F. of a 1934 with a mere 6,000-btuh
half ton ultra quite Whirlpool window unit.
Yes, we have the rare 100+ days too and it handles it just right.
It said on the box that it cools rooms up to 225-S.F., it cools over
three times that area and does it perfectly!

You have to use a floor fan and read my page on how it is done. - udarrell

http://www.udarrell.com/aircondition...harting.h tml


--
Air Conditioning's Affordable Path to the "Human Comfort Zone Goal"
http://www.udarrell.com/air-conditio...tent-heat.html
For HVAC Techs:
http://www.udarrell.com/ac-trouble-s...ubcooling.html

"Jim McLaughlin" jim.mclaughlin wrote in message

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo
determining
what sze BTUs) unit for what siz spaces?

You can try this one
http://coolingcalc.whirlpool.com/calculator/default.asp This is not perfect
in that there are any factors to consider. Exposure, contruction types,
widnow area, and on and on. But they are pretty close for most uses.



House is a tri-level. Main level has 24' x 12' living room; 12' x '12
dining room, 14' x 12 kitchen, and a sort of 8' x 6' foyer that leads to
staircases up and down.

I'm thinking unit in upstairs master bedroom;
unit in LR and unit in downstairs large bedroom?

Yes, it can work. What is the real goal? I fit is to be comfortable
sleeping, get bedroom sized units there and at night or unoccupied times,
close the doors and let the rest of the house be hot. If you want all over
cool, all the time, figure the total cooling needed, then come up with a
distribution plan.

Tri levels can be difficult. You can't easily cool an upper level with one
unit doing more than one room, unless the lower level is also cooled. The
cold air will be going down and the small AC will struggle. With the
downstairs cooled already, not a problem.

In my case, a bi-level, I have three units. Lower level (most occupied) is
cooled all the time. Second level, has a bedroom unit on all the time in
the heat. The rest of the house is not cooled at all some days. When it
is, the dining room unit is turned on, but a fan is needed to move the cold
air out to the rest of that level. Only then is the bedroom door left open
for full circulation. Two unused rooms are closed off during the cooling
season.

Room units are not as efficient as a central unit, but it can be very
economical if done properly. If I lived in Arizona, I'd have central, but
here in New England I can't justify adding it now.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
m...

"Jim McLaughlin" jim.mclaughlin wrote in message

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo
determining
what sze BTUs) unit for what siz spaces?

You can try this one
http://coolingcalc.whirlpool.com/calculator/default.asp This is not
perfect
in that there are any factors to consider. Exposure, contruction types,
widnow area, and on and on. But they are pretty close for most uses.



House is a tri-level. Main level has 24' x 12' living room; 12' x '12
dining room, 14' x 12 kitchen, and a sort of 8' x 6' foyer that leads to
staircases up and down.

I'm thinking unit in upstairs master bedroom;
unit in LR and unit in downstairs large bedroom?

Yes, it can work. What is the real goal? I fit is to be comfortable
sleeping, get bedroom sized units there and at night or unoccupied times,
close the doors and let the rest of the house be hot. If you want all
over
cool, all the time, figure the total cooling needed, then come up with a
distribution plan.


In the upstairs master, need to be able to sleep. A small room sized unit
should do it.

On the downstairs level, in the big downstairs bedroom, my 91 year old
mother lives here now. She spends a lot of time in the family room on that
level which has the 37" TV that she can actually see with her macular
degeneration. That family room has a big set of doors, with additional
side lites, but no actual window in which to install a unit. I think tahts
a big unit in her BR with a fan or two to circulate down the hall to the
FR.

The main level with the living oom, dining room and kitchen is used and
daily cooling would be nice. I think tahts the big unit, too, in the LR.

I found a site on www.ConsumerReports.org that purports to calculate sizes
for room ACs.

I'll compare the CS results with the results from the site you reported.



Tri levels can be difficult. You can't easily cool an upper level with
one
unit doing more than one room, unless the lower level is also cooled. The
cold air will be going down and the small AC will struggle. With the
downstairs cooled already, not a problem.

In my case, a bi-level, I have three units. Lower level (most occupied) is
cooled all the time. Second level, has a bedroom unit on all the time in
the heat. The rest of the house is not cooled at all some days. When it
is, the dining room unit is turned on, but a fan is needed to move the
cold
air out to the rest of that level. Only then is the bedroom door left
open
for full circulation. Two unused rooms are closed off during the cooling
season.

Room units are not as efficient as a central unit, but it can be very
economical if done properly. If I lived in Arizona, I'd have central, but
here in New England I can't justify adding it now.


Thanks for helping me clarify and focus my thinking on this.

-- Jim McLaughlin

Reply address is deliberately munged.
If you really need to reply directly, try:
jimdotmclaughlinatcomcastdotcom

And you know it is a dotnet not a dotcom
address.

Joseph,

Good suggestions, but I have one concern. As busy as they
are, plus considering the fact that the OP doesn't want to
purchase a permanent system, how many HVAC techs are
going to want to come out and evaluate the OP's requirements?

Plus, if he is going to spend a few hundreds dollars on window
AC units, does it really make sense to spend a few hundred
additional dollars to have a pro "do the numbers"? He should
spend his money on actually hardware, in my opinion. Especially
since he has indicated that he really doesn't need AC very often.
All he needs is a few window units to get him past a few horrible
days each summer.

Gideon

================

Joseph Meehan wrote

Frankly now would not be the best time for you to get one. Those
selling them are going to have their prices up and selection down in your
area.

Start by asking yourself if you are going to try and cool the whole home
or just a few rooms.

If you are going to cool just rooms, consider buying just one unit at
first and size it on the small size for the largest area. Then you can move
it to a different area if it is too small. You DON'T want to get something
too large as it will not de-humidify properly. From that first test you
can then make better guesses about the other smaller rooms or maybe a larger
one for the large room.

Don't buy for today's weather, but for a little less warm weather.

Personally I would suggest considering hiring a HVAC professional to
look at your home, do the numbers and add his experience of your areas
construction and weather to make some suggestions.

Jim,

Remembering your questions, I made a side trip yesterday at Sam's
Club to check out their window AC units. Some suggestions and
observations that resulted from what I saw:
1) 5000-6000 BTU window units were about $90 and had SEER
ratings of 9.7 to 9.8.
2) 10,000 BTU window units were about $170-$190 and had similar
SEER ratings.
3) I would expect prices at WalMart to be about 10% higher?
4) There was a decent supply and selection still available.
5) All units were the sort in which you must install some permanent
bracketing to support the unit. You should consider if this is
the type that you would prefer. Many small units have accordian
side pieces and are designed to pop in and out of a window very
easily and quickly. I prefer the highly portable units for folks
such as you. At the end of the cooling season, the units can be
removed quickly and there is no evidence that they were ever in
the window.
6) All units that I saw were 120v. Avoid 240v units unless you want
to do some house wiring.
7) As I indicated in another post, I would suggest crunching your
own numbers and not hiring a pro to evaluate your requirements.
At Sam's Club prices, you can purchase 2 small units and a larger
10,000 unit for $360. For your modest AC requirements, you may
determine that those 3 units would be very adequate. No matter
what you compute, you probably won't be off by much if you make
a reasonable effort to compute carefully. And the money you save
by not bring in an HVAC pro will cover a large part of the cost of
your AC purchase.
8) Both Sam's Club and WalMart have online sites where you can
search for AC units, check prices and place an order. Obviously,
you must be a Sam's Club member (or have a friend who is a member)
to order from their site.
9) You can wait until December to save a few bucks on your AC. You
can also do all of your restaurant dining at 4PM or 11PM to save a
few bucks on meals. Personally, I make a purchase when I need it.
If you wait until winter to buy the AC units, how much will you actually
save and will it be worth going through the rest of this summer without
AC?
10) Sam's Club (and WalMart) have powerful floor fans for about $30.
Those help move the air around the house quite well. Do you have
central forced air heating? If so, running the furnace fan continuously
when the AC units are in operation helps move the cool air throughout
the entire house, if that is your goal.

Good luck,
Gideon

===============

Jim McLaughlin wrote in message ...
Here in the Pacific NW we usually have no need for AC. Yet the older I
get, the more the rare 100+ day affects me. We are going through a series
of 3 or 4 of those days now.

So I'm thinking about the room AC option. I'm not intending to stay in this
house more than another 8 - 10 years, so I don't think the whole house AC
opton really pans out

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo determining
what sze BTUs) unit for what siz spaces?

House is a tri-level. Main level has 24' x 12' living room; 12' x '12
dining room, 14' x 12 kitchen, and a sort of 8' x 6' foyer that leads to
staircases up and down.

Upper level has hall that runs almost width of house; master bedroom and
bath, about 20' X 14'; at one end of hall; largish bedroom at other end of
hall about 14' x 12; smallish bedroom next to that about 10' x 12'; full
bath about 6 ' x 8' .

Lots of doors, etc off that hall to rooms.

Lowest level has short hall at bottom of stairs running along the width of
the house from left to right; 12' x 22 family room with big french door set
with side lites that open, no other windows; full bath and laundry room
opening off middle of hall and another large ish 14' x 14' (?) bedroom off
other end of hall.

I'm thinking unit in upstairs master bedroom;
unit in LR and unit in downstairs large bedroom?

Opinions, thoughts, guidance, heat jokes all welcome.

Thanks.
--
Jim McLaughlin

Jim McLaughlin wrote:

Here in the Pacific NW we usually have no need for AC. Yet the older I
get, the more the rare 100+ day affects me. We are going through a series
of 3 or 4 of those days now.

So I'm thinking about the room AC option. I'm not intending to stay in this
house more than another 8 - 10 years, so I don't think the whole house AC
opton really pans out

Any one have any links to sites that purport to give fomulas fo determining
what sze BTUs) unit for what size spaces?


All of the formulas I have seen are way off, they oversize by a mile!
A lack of air circulation is the smaller unit's major shortcoming, so
you need to supplement the airflow!

I cool the first floor over 900-S.F. of a 1934 with a mere 6,000-btuh
9.7-EER half ton ultra quite very good airflow remote control Whirlpool
window unit.

Yes, we have the rare 100+ days too and it handles it just right.

It said on the box that it cools rooms up to 225-S.F., "it cools Four
(4) times that area and does it perfectly."

"The new linked chart at .90 for my area, calls for 19,600-btuh daytime
3.26 times more cooling btuh than needed using a properly placed floor
fan, and 14,740-btuh used for nighttime cooling (ridiculous)."

You have to use a floor fan and read my page on how it is done. - udarrell

http://www.udarrell.com/aircondition...harting.h tml


--
Air Conditioning's Affordable Path to the "Human Comfort Zone Goal"
http://www.udarrell.com/air-conditio...tent-heat.html
For HVAC Techs:
http://www.udarrell.com/ac-trouble-s...ubcooling.html

"Gideon" wrote in message
.. .
Joseph,

Good suggestions, but I have one concern. As busy as they
are, plus considering the fact that the OP doesn't want to
purchase a permanent system, how many HVAC techs are
going to want to come out and evaluate the OP's requirements?


I was expecting the OP to pay for the techs time. I suppose a tech may
be willing to come out and do the numbers to provide a bid to supply the
system, but they were not be obliged to give that information to the OP with
it being paid for.


Plus, if he is going to spend a few hundreds dollars on window
AC units, does it really make sense to spend a few hundred
additional dollars to have a pro "do the numbers"? He should
spend his money on actually hardware, in my opinion. Especially
since he has indicated that he really doesn't need AC very often.
All he needs is a few window units to get him past a few horrible
days each summer.

I am a firm believer that having properly sized equipment is key to
having equipment that will provide the best comfort and lowest overall cost.
To me it would be well worth the cost. I did try to suggest a procedure
that might help increase the odds that the OP would end up with properly
sized equipment without the professional advice.

While some have suggested web sites and these are good sources of
information, you always need to remember that they are average numbers and
each area has different needs for heat loads and humidity control. That is
why I often suggest a LOCAL professional as the best solution. Local
conditions should be considered and not just typical high temperatures.



Gideon

================

Joseph Meehan wrote

Frankly now would not be the best time for you to get one. Those
selling them are going to have their prices up and selection down in your
area.

Start by asking yourself if you are going to try and cool the whole
home
or just a few rooms.

If you are going to cool just rooms, consider buying just one unit at
first and size it on the small size for the largest area. Then you can
move
it to a different area if it is too small. You DON'T want to get
something
too large as it will not de-humidify properly. From that first test you
can then make better guesses about the other smaller rooms or maybe a
larger
one for the large room.

Don't buy for today's weather, but for a little less warm weather.

Personally I would suggest considering hiring a HVAC professional to
look at your home, do the numbers and add his experience of your areas
construction and weather to make some suggestions.

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message

I am a firm believer that having properly sized equipment is key to
having equipment that will provide the best comfort and lowest overall
cost.


I agree. For many of is in rather mild summer climates, that lowest overall
cost is merely a $88 unit in the bedroom window for 10 nights a year.

Many of our homes were built with hot water heat (no ducts), were built
before AC was invented and a retrofit is very expensive. Anything can be
done, given enough time and money, but sometimes the cheap way out is really
the best.