Jeff; All some people worry about is the fluff.They have missed the whole point of trying to be prepared! It's the info you share that's important, and the quality of your products. I'm a very satisfied customer who spent his money, instead of just flapping his lips. Your info, and your products are great, and very appreciated!!
This is great to know! I live in a very humid/hot climate. I have the opposite issue. The water builds up and starts blowing into the room on occassion. People in dry climates like AZ or NM can use swamp coolers. They get the area COLD!!! very quick! It's amazing how well they work, and they don't use as much energy.
Only advantage of 220V is you can use smaller wire due to decreased amperage. same amount of watts in either case. power = current x voltage. cut current in half and doubling volts give the same power consumption. I squared R loss is negligible. putting the window unit in the shade does some good.
David Barnes it's true 220 doesn't save power on the ac but it will have a lower voltage drop across the conductors. the savings would not be significant but would be noticeable. using a heavier conductor also solves the problem. either way wouldn't cover the cost of hiring an electrician though.
220v appliances produce more watts with the same thickness of internal wires, have slightly higher efficiency, and requiring cheaper wire to install. He's right, they're a good choice.
you did a pretty nice job explaining the homeowner basics. just so that you know: an oversized air conditioner won't remove enough moisture from the air and you'll still feel warm. Also, you can expect about a 20 degree Delta T between you return and supply air. You really can't expect a 50 degree supply air temp unless the room temp is about 70 degrees.
OMGOSH!!...Your videos are just GREAT!! They work well for WOMEN THAT LIVE ALONE and haven't any help. I can't wait to give this one a try. It's a necessary step in my apartment. THANKS ever so much !!
Thanks for making this post, it has some useful tips. I have been working with window units for 47 years and wanted to pass on info about the water slinger. This feature was added as an attempt to get rid of the condensation water without the unit dripping. It does add help the condenser coil (the outdoor radiator) get rid of heat a slight bit but, at the expense of corroding the radiator fins (which makes them lose thermal contact with the copper tubing used in the radiator) and rust out the unit's metal condensation pan plus, keep a high humidity environment for the entire unit, causing corrosion and mold. You actually want to get any condensation out of the unit as soon as possible. I recommend carefully drilling a hole in the bottom of the A/C unit in the area where the water accumulates first (taking care not to drill through pipes or wiring).
Plus; Doesn't the water interfere with the fan blades. Causing a small bit of energy loss. Then the fan motor needs more power causing more heat. All the suggestions the author makes are Fine adjustments to the efficiency. They make sense, and I suppose it would add up. But we're still talking maybe only a 1 to 2% difference over all. And really if you have to tell someone to close windows in the Air Conditioned spaces. Then they don't deserve an AC unit.
@@USSBB62 Yes, the water slinger does cause some noticable drag on the condenser fan when it contacts water. I wanted to point out that the differences in opinions presented here may also reflect local weather effects. Most of my experience comes from living in Florida, where air conditioning is typically used 8 months out of the year and the average relative humidity is 70%. To maximize unit life and efficiency, whenever I buy a new unit, I take the unit completely apart and drill drain holes, paint the condenser, evaporator, refrigerant lines, and drain pan with Rustoleum glossy black. Although a big task, it maximizes the thermal conduction of the radiators over the life of the unit. Additionally, the unit should be disassembled every few years to clean bugs and dirt/dust build up from the radiators.
Everyone here is correct. In Florida, slinging water on something isn't going to cool it much, as the humidity is so high. So there, drilling a hole is beneficial to prolong the life of the unit. In AZ, due to the dry weather, evaporation cooling is extremely effective, and mold is not an issue, so a slinger makes sense there.
I have an older Lg, it has a drain hole in the bottom. Man...it still works great! I checked how cold the air was coming out of it, just the other day. And it was°39 degrees! Can't beat that! In this Alabama heat! 👍👍🤜🤛💪💪
Wow, this explains so much and hopefully will save our three window units that I've almost killed. We live in Florida and was getting TOO much water, so much it would blow inside. So I clean it out and took out the plugs. And now they are running hot. I know why now and will look for something to plug those holes tomorrow.
For ppl that have some time on their hands, get a kiddy pool put it in the basement on bare concrete floor, no basement = shovel. Connect a water pump to hose insulate with bubble wrap and connect it to a few radiators the more square footage the better, you can Macgyver a radiator out of Hydronic Baseboard. Get a box fan to blow air over the radiator and have a pan under it to collect condensation. You'll tap into the Earth's constant 50 F degree temperature. This set up is cheap about $250 and draws about 200 watts vs a typical AC 1,200 watts. Saving you 80% on cooling costs. Don't get me started on Heating : D
MissouriWindandSolar Lets start with least complicated. Buy downspouts and flat black spray paint, measure to fit window size, cut, paint, hang on a wire in the sun facing windows like curtains this is passive heating. If you likey can scale up and make outside solar hot air collectors and fan the hot air into the house. For your bedroom at night get Eheat uses 450 watts costs 4 cents an hour to heat the room so the rest of the unused rooms can stay at lower temps. If you have a fireplace get an insert with heat exchanger, the insert will prevent the chimney from sucking all the hot air from the house and the heat exchanger will blow hot air like a motherfucker. If you don't have a fireplace even better, you can build a rocket stove it's not rocket science easy simple cheap. The rocket stove is the most efficient way to burn wood just remember to insulate the combustion chamber with perlite the higher the temperatures the cleaner the burn, you also get a chance to incorporate thermal mass that will radiate heat over night. Cheers
But Wait, There's More! Get a 48oz can of Crisco $5 and a candle wick congrats you just made a candle that will burn for 45 day OMG WTF! really. But Wait, There's More! now it's time to make some thermal mass, get a large and medium terracotta clay pot $5 bolt them together with 1 bolt, 4 washers, 2 nuts, $1. Big ass candle in the middle 3 bricks around it as the platform for the pots. This setup will radiate heat at 165F. Instead of the heat from the flame going straight to the ceiling the pots capture that shit.
Thank for the video. Just a bit of a correction. The fins and coils are not there to cool the compressor. The compressor compresses the refrigerant to high pressure. In doing so the refrigerant becomes very hot. The refrigerant then goes through the coils where it is cooled down. The coils and fan is for cooling the refrigerant. After the refrigerant is cooled, when the pressure is released the expansion of the refrigerant is what creates the cooling.
When I was a kid and teen my dad had this bright idea to get 2 120 volt window units to cool a 900 SF house after our central a/c went out. He was convinced that it was cheaper and better. It sucked on hot days because they house would get up to 82 degrees. Well we had an issue with the A/C unit in our kitchen window. The water would get so full that it would overflow and get all over the front of the house. This lead to algae, mold and mildew. We also had issues with algae in the unit. We eventually drilled a hole and ran a hose away from the house. Looking back it didn't cool near as well after we did that. I never thought that could have been the reason but it made sense. Bottom line in Houston that A/C being on 24/7 couldn't manage the water and running a hose only created a new problem.
That's the problem with real high humidity, lots of water in the pan. I use to live in Alabama, high, high humidity. I use to put some bleach in the pan once in awhile to kill the algae.
He needed to drill the hole up the edge of the pan rather than in the bottom, that way 1/2" of water stays in the pan, but too much overflows down the hose...
Awesome information.....you remind me of my dad....he can do anything and has a plethora of information....and I am not saying anything about your age!! lol Just your an informative man with endless info....like my father!!
I have a late model frigidaire window AC. Refrigerant runs through tubing in the condensate tray, immediately after leaving the compressor, acting as a desuperheater which results in lower compressor head pressures, and lower energy usage. It also has a slinger.
under some conditions, subcooling your condensed refrigerant too much can lower your suction pressure into a freezing condition, causing saturated refrigerant to enter compressor. (Which is bad). Also, using that much water on a "slinger" ring will over amp the fan motor. (Which is bad). Jusayin'
I have a GE 10,000BTU window AC and the compressor has built in thermal protection so no need for water as it also came with a Drain plug on the back located at the bottom corner. You can control how much water seeps out. My AC is awesome and always performs well.
Just wanted to let you know that the coils outside are not used to cool the motor. They are used to take the heat out of your house(heat exchange). Air conditioners do not put cool air in your house they take hot air out. Your are correct though about keeping them clean and dent free
Im very glad you pointed that out, had you not, i would have. I believe he also said its job was to cool the compressor which of course is not true. Coils are used to remove heat, either from the existing air in the home via evaporator or the from the refrigerant line inside the condenser coil.
The water keeps coils cooler and helps indoor cooler. Every aircon from around early 90s that I came across had a rubber bung that you can fit to make run cooler. You take it out every now and then to clean the coils and drain the dirty water
Just a drip tube inserted into the side fins of the window ac unit and hook to garden hose just turn it on, all you need is just a very very slow drip, just to keep that pan full of water, or even a mist nozzle will work, the main ideal is to keep those outside coils cool as possible !!
The "slinger" fan idea is to help the unit's efficiency, if it's installed so that the water drains away from the unit the fan won't "overheat" and burn out, the unit's efficiency rating will drop some, that's all.
You are the beast! This explains how my window unit works, I've been frustrated with it not cooling. I'm going to try out the water trick to see it cools off my room right now. Thanks! Great video on that dryer bucket filtration system too!
As an A/C&R specialist-certified internationally & licensed I can say that there are definitely some good tips here. The water slinger is actually trying to evaporate the condensate rather than have it drip all over the place, leaving stains on siding, windows below, etc. It certainly helps in drier climates to add water a couple times a day. Here in New England it really isn't a problem. I can't tell you how many homeowners that seem to think that they can engineer an A/C better than the manufacturer and decide to drill a hole in the bottom to let the water out, end up calling my company to ask if all the "air" that came out when they drilled it is normal. No. No it is not. That's refrigerant (Freon™). You drilled a nice hole through the bottom of the condenser (outside coil with the fins shown in the video) or in one case the bottom of the compressor! Anyway, 120 volt A/C units are just fine as long as the wire size to the outlet is correct, 240 volts won't save you any money. A long wire run from the electrical panel CAN lose more, but again, wire size HAS to be correct, for the load and the distance. The amount is negligible if all if done right..
you are so awesome I watched three of your videos and learned soo much I got up and cleaned my air conditioner vent first now onto more I am inspired im an older lady that needed help thank you.
The fins on the outside part of the air conditioner are to transfer heat that the air conditioner has picked up from inside the room and transfer to the condenser coils (outside). The find act like a heat exchanger. If they are bent down you will not get the heat removal, thus the air conditioner will have to work harder and use more electricity. If you find an air conditioner service center stop in and look for a fin comb. Like the video shows use the fin comb to gently rake down from top to bottom and carefully straighten out the bent fins. The round usually plastic ring around the condenser picks up water from the bottom of the air conditioner and slings the water on the coils. This puts water on the condenser coils and helps cool the coils down by evaporation. This is like spraying your arm with water and holding it in front of a fan in the summer. It is call evaporative cooling. .keep your filter clean and you will have the most efficient air conditioner you can get.
The slinger not bringing water up to the condenser won't make your A/C unit overheat, but it will definately make the process of turning the gas back into the liquid easier. Old A/C Units don't have a slinger anyways.
you just taught my wife and I a whole lot. I thought the entire time the plug was meant to drain and my wife thought they weren't suppose to get wet. thanks a bunch you saved us a lot. awesome video
Your better off buying your own stuff and picking it up yourself. Go with the larger Grade A solar panel's that are 240 watts or above because they're more power and BANG $ for your buck if you've got the roof space. Less brackets, holes in your roof etc.. You can get 4 ft X 6 ft 390 watt Grade A panel's right now for $240 each. That's less than .80 cents a watt. Ebay Renogy 12/24 vdc, 150 vdc max / 1,000 watt max MPPT Controller for $185. I've gottem on my RV and they run my AC free ALL day and 2 hrs after the sun goes down.
Hmm thanks and thanks fellow from Florida, My ac here in Florida had too much water I guess from humidity and was making mold in the ac and I put a hole in the unit so it would drain also. I can water just about anything lol. I guess I need the drain hole higher up so to keep some water in the pan? I haver an ac in the carport that was keeping the floor wet and have a bucket under it and a hose. I guess I need to check those holes too. Thanks.
Comments are good below. The point is that the air conditioner is an "air conditioner" not a refrigerator. Its job is to condition the air not just create cold air. The Units are designed to pull moisture out of the air as well as cool or heat it. The natural operation of the Unit will accumulate water into the pan as it pulls moisture out of the air like an dehumidifier, no need to add water as is shown in the video. We have found that over sizing a Unit will cause mold from cooling the room to quickly and shutting off before the dehumidifying has taken place. If you look at a cold soda can or beer can and see the moisture collect on it, that is exactly what happens to the walls of a room when there isn't enough time for the AC to remove that moisture from the air. Also, by running the fan when the Unit is not cooling will reintroduce moisture back into the room defeating the purpose of conditioning the air. Moist air will be warmer and cause mold to grow on the walls. The Unit needs to run long enough to pull moisture out of the room. I always try to keep the outside Unit in the shade to help it's cooling capacity. As the one comment below says, the thermostat is nothing more than an off on switch. AC Units don't cool faster or slower, they are either on or off. If the outside temp is 100 degrees don't expect to see 55 degrees inside. I am a Licensed Contractor, Licensed Mold Assessor and certified in HVAC.
I lived in Benson Arizona for years, dry, dry air. Unless you kept water in the pan air conditioning didn't work well at all. I used a swamp cooler on my other house out there. Jeff
As an Electrical Engineer I need to make it clear that electricity is priced per kilowatt hour and using a 110v or 220v standard makes not difference as you will use 1/2 the amps at the higher voltage, but consume the exact same number of kilowatts. It is true that the losses due to the wires going to the AC unit will be reduced, but these should be very small! You can also minimize by using a heavy duty wire and having a short run. Most people would be far better just buying a more expensive extension cord. The 110 AC units are manufactured on a very large scale and are very efficient. There are not too many 220 units in the field. They are mainly very large units. Typically the only 220v appliance in a house would be an electric dryer or water heater. I would rather have natural gas and only 110 in my house. 220v is more dangerous and should only be handled by a licensed electrician. Even most Electrical Engineers I know wouldn't do their own.
Disregard the immature comments from the degenerates. Thank you so much for all of the great tips and showing how to do these tips. Today, I will be cleaning and filling my window unit, vacuuming the back and bottom of my refrigerator and changing out all of my light bulbs to L.E.D. My next goal after all of these is to power my home with solar and wind energy here in Mesquite, Texas. Thank you again for all of your help and keep up the great videos.
Your presentation was beautiful. I had thought of doing the mister on the coil trick if I ever live in a place with central air or the window unit. In fact, if one has no choice but to mount on the sun side then a shade hood over the unit should help.
That's a very good idea. I used sun screen on my central air when i lived in Arizona. It worked great, made a huge difference. The mister is also a great idea and works well.
Im an AC Guy from Jersey, and in my experience I have found that since the laws have changed with the new Freon used (R-410 A), It seems that 55-57 degrees is the new optimal temp. Whereas it would be 50-52 with R-22 Freon. Good video, very informative.
My air conditioner was overflowing out of the front and around the window even with a tilt so my husband drilled a hole in the bottom of the back of the pan. Neither one of us knew it was supposed to keep some water in it, not sure if most people know. Now I do, thanks to you, so we will caulk it, but how do we keep it from overflowing out the front again.
Thanks very informative. I need to fill in the whole in the bottom of my travel van window unit. I thought that it was having too much water in the pan so I drilled a couple holes in the pan to drain it.
If you live in a humid area like S. Tx. you don't usually have ta worry about the water cause it takes the moisture from the air that condenses on the coil. Thanks for the great vid.
I have learned to look for the following to save with air conditioners: 1- Variable compressor technology (lower consumption when room is near set temperature) 2- Mini split AC to keep the compressor outside (keep the compressor heat out) and simplify the installation 3- Heat pump to heat in the winter (two functions for the same price - heat & cool) 4- High SEER (above 25) and high COP numbers (above 3.5) 5- Install it with a sensor to detect the presence of a person (if nobody in the room after x minutes, it turns off)
I have a 18 year old 220 unit that holds and makes its own water from its own condensation. The fan picks it up and throws the water on the condenser. Usually in late summer, that thing gets to sweating so good, water just runs out the back and it gets freezing cold inside. For a unit that old it kicks, only had to replace the capacitor on it one time since i bought it new.
glad you talked about the fan having a slinger on it, and what it does. I have read alot of threads the last few years about the homeowner buying a new window air conditioner and noticing that there is no drain hole for the water to drain, and they take a drill and drill a hole, totally voiding the warranty and shortening the compressors life, then they wonder why the air conditioner isnt cooling like there old one. technology changes the way things look and work compared to years past so if something looks odd read your manual and if you still not sure call the help line and ask questions.
That's exactly what I've always done because when there's water in that pan I'd see rust, mold and soggy leaves and debris building up, so figuring the condensation water needs to drain out faster and more completely so it would keep the pan dry, I've usually opened that drain hole more so it doesn't get plugged up and at the same time it drains all the water out completely. I've never noticed any cooling difference, and when something goes bad on the unit in about 3 summers of use, it's usually some cheap component on the electronic board.
When you place water on an air cooled condenser. Yes it drops temperatures but it also drops pressures which a lot of factors must be observed. Outdoor temps, indoor ambient temps. Suction and discharge temps and pressures. The engineers design most HVAC equipment at a 72* center which means anything above 72 is designed for cooling and anything below 72 is designed for heat with a variance of approx a 20* rise. If your blowing a 52* with 80% ambient humidity and you place water on the condenser you displace the temps and pressures and will show signs of lack of load or low charge...
Another thing that can be done to greatly increase the power of an air conditioning unit is to harness the coolness of the Earth underground. This would be good for house units as it requires a lot of work and is a permanent fixture. The idea is to dig a trench that goes at least 10 feet under the ground and bury a pipe of some sort. This should run underground as long as you can get it so that it can collect as much cool air as possible. This would have to have an entrance that comes out of the ground somewhere to allow air to come in. The exit is at your ac unit. An enclosure would have to be made so that when the fan comes on, it will only be drawing air through the pipe you buried under the ground which will have the unit cooling the coolant with ~58 degree air instead of ~90 degree air, which means that the coolant will be at a much lower temperature inside the house and when it goes through the evaporator, it will be even colder. Your vents will be putting out much colder air than normal and this will cool your house much faster since the larger difference there is between two temperatures the faster they will equalize. It is free and passive way to vastly increase the efficiency of the air conditioner. I would do this but I can't do the digging part where I live as I don't own it.
The window units really save you MONEY! My electric bill with central heat and cooling costed 350 dollars a month. on a 1400 square foot house. Now my electric bill is only $ 75.00 a month ! With the saving i put a window unit in every room. it was a over kill. BUT one in the front room and 1 in the bed room. was plenty. If one goes out i can replace it. > I got a 12 btu in the front room, and a 5 btu in the bed room. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT 2 window units would cool down my hold 1400 square foot house ! Unbelievable ! I guess i got them at the right places. FINE WAYS TO CUT MORE!
I am not a air expert but ohms law is ohms law as far as energy. 220 volt wire is smaller and cheaper to install but watts is watts. 110 or 220 same watts. If it was cheaper EVERYONE wiould have EVERYTHING 220!!! Come on!
Voltage E = I x R is linear not the same as Heat : H = I^2* R a parabolic. High Currents( I squared ) cause greater system (heat) losses. The length of supply wires and conversion transformers in either case matters .
More losses from Currents and resistive heating as I^2 than the Higher voltage on V = I * R on average. Watts as V*I is not the only factor of Energy use for example in Watt Hours. There is a Direct Energy Conversion and distance issue.
Seel it with caulk or add some solder to the hole or go the cheap and dirty way and tape the hole. And rust will still happen when you drain it since not all of it but most will drain out when you drill it . Plus window units are the cheapest way to get air conditioning .
I don't know where you are located, but here In Florida the humidity is so bad in the summer, you just cant allow the pan to stay full all the time because the excess water slings right against the wall of my house and foundation (slab) and creates a moisture problem. The pan will also become very gross and slimy causing the drain channel to become clogged causing the unit to back up with slime water. Water that if left unchecked will eventually start to leak on the inside wall regardless of tilt. Yes, In the spring time I think I will use the rubber plug to keep the pan full, and to sling the water but not in hot humid summer. That's when I have to remove the rubber drain plug and just let it drain out using a large trash bin directly under the unit to collect the many gallons of water that would have ended up slung against my outside wall and running down to the ground right under my slab. You would not believe how many gallons of water I am dumping out from that trash bin every summer. Thanks very much for this tip that I will be able to use at least for springtime use
+Robin Scheines Missouri is where i am at. I use to live in Alabama and the humidity was as bad as Florida. No water in the pan problems there for sure. To much water from all the humidity was the problem. Arizona is another place i lived and no humidity was the problem for the Southwest.
A one ton window AC has worked fine for me. I bought a house with no AC, and the window unit gives me a good estimation of how to size a whole-house central unit. I figure 2 to 2 and 1/2 ton will be right. I'm cooling a little more than half the house with 1 ton, which is about 12,000 BTU. And yes, I understand the principle of using condensate water to cool the condenser coil. There are complications with this, though, mostly caused by accumulating dirt and bio material. They don't tell you that a rather difficult coil cleaning will be needed periodically to keep the thing efficient.
Without this video.... I would continue to believe that AC pans were filled with an unwanted byproduct... In Utah the pans are often dry.... and now I know to fill them... Thanks Jeff.
yeah hi dosey hvac student I'm sorry to tell you this Bro but the water slinger yes it help with the economy of the ac but it not going to raise your temp a significant amount if it runs dry you just trund your temp up and the compressor shut off
He is correct for modern window units for the most part. However, when he says "it will start overheating" if the tray is empty he's wrong, the unit will simply be less efficient when the tray doesn't have enough water for the fan to pick up and sling onto the coil. The A/C window unit I have is designed specifically to let the condensed water rise enough so the fan blade slings it onto the coil. This is why many manuals for multiple brands of window units say the following (which you can google): "Droplets of water hitting condenser during normal operation may cause “pinging or swishing” sounds"
You are exactly correct! He needs to go to AC school. Most of the things he suggests is totally unnecessary. Plus, what ever benefit is minuscule. A properly "sized" AC working correctly is the secret. MOST units are either too small or too large sadly. Also: IF the temperature outside is 100 degrees, the BEST MOST AC's can achieve is 80 degrees inside (based on the industry standard of 20 degrees difference outside and inside). This would feel TOO hot. And there is nothing you can do about it, UNLESS you change the unit out to a larger unit. But then a worse scenario can happen. IE: If the outside temperature is 85 to 90 degrees, the compressor will cool fine, but...you will feel cool and clammy. Reason is: the compressor does not stay on long enough to remove sufficient humidity. This is particularly true in high humidity areas. All of these maladies CAN be corrected, but sadly, it rarely happens, because the knowledge and expense forbids this ideal situation. IE: MOST AC companies simply do not have the expertise OR time to accurately rate HOW big a unit should be, etc. Even thought almost ALL will brag that they do have experts. Yeah right! If you believe that, I got some "Ocean front property" to sell you real cheap in the middle of the Sahara Dessert and I will throw in the Sphinx for free. Oh well.
+transformer889 it is purposely engineered for the fan blades to sling water on the coil. Buy a new one and read the manual. They could have easily put a hole in the bottom of the try to avoid water being slung onto the coil but they instead engineered it to have the water level get high enough for the fan to pick up the condensed water.
Thanks Mary. An attic fan is for summer months only and is used to remove excessive heat buildup, say like over 100 degree temperatures. Most of them have adjustable heat settings. Some attic fans go in the roof and some on the gable end of your house which are the easiest to install.
MissouriWindandSolar RE attic fan questions. Thanks for first answers. I am in rental property. The wiring and such is all odd. There is only a wall switch off and on for one fan. I can hear it come on when flip switch. Roof vent. Other end of house also has roof vent but so far unable to locate a switch. No thermostats. Weather here running low 90s and will get hotter. Attic is hotter. House thermostat is set on 81degrees. Use the attic fan now? Any idea where switch mode be hidden? Maybe they are on one switch and I don’t hear them separately? Grrrr. Landlord is no help.
Tap water is a bad idea. Distilled water only...Why? The tap water will coat the condenser with lime scale reducing it's heat shedding abilities. The condensate from a/c operation is distilled water and will not form a film on the condenser. Ever looked inside your kettle ?....that's what will happen to your condenser .
Is the a/c cooling okay ? If the humidity is low, there may be no condensate running off the condenser. Try dropping the demand temperature down to 60F or LOW for an hour or so to see if condensate forms. If so, you have low humidity or very high condenser temperature and the condensate is drying off before dripping to the tray..
you can get a port that clamps onto the line in your air conditioner and also check that it aint low on Freon. If it is you can add Freon to it just don't overfill it. I had a small unit and done this and it works real well. Also make sure you use the proper Freon.
anonov1 I don't recommend saddle valves for they are probed to leak over time. Get a qualified service tech to open a hole in the suction line and brazen in a Schafer valve to get your gauges on. And or Have service valves put in. R-22 is being phased out and it is illegal in the state of Oklahoma by EPA blah blah to set a charge to manuf. specs until the leak is repaired. The overall costs for that repair will cost more than the unit is worth...
Pour only distilled water into the condensation tray, especially if your tap water (like where I live) is hard. If you don't, you'll just trade the "overheating" (I disagree with that characterization, it's not "overheated," it's just warmer than it could be) for a scaled over condenser.
the temp on a good running a/c should be 18 to 21 deg from the air intake to what it is blowing the extra cooling you think you have when you add water is just temporary fix as the a/c runs it removes humidity from the inside air thus cooling the air and the access water is drained into the out side pan the slinger ring was designed to evaporate the water so no drain line is needed and removing the risk of water damage and possible slippage in the surrounding area figured you might want to know the truth in what is happening I been a a/c contractor for 40 years in Florida we know all about humidity lol something else that will blow your mind is it is not cooling the air at all it is just removing the heat from the air lol
The fins in the back of an air conditioning unit is to pull the heat out of the freon before it goes back to the condenser. What you hear in this video is the fan hitting the water. The difference in air from an a/c unit should be 20 degrees cooler than the air in the room. The water in the pan is made by the a/c unit pulling moisture out of the air. That's really all an a/c system does. P.S. There is no normal operating temperature for an a/c. It's based on the temp inside, outside, and freon level. Every single a/c system is different.
good advice. I never knew that. I live in Arizona and my compressors are always over heating. so I rigged up a water pipe to an old washer solenoid and a digital timer. it sprays water on the compressor for 1 minute every hour from 10 am to 6 pm. my neighbors thought i was crazy but it seems to work. after seeing your vid, i Don't feel like a retart anymore. thanks
Buy a mister and use evaporative cooling on the coils, making a sort of hybrid a/c system. We had to do this once at a plant at which I once worked. The a/c wasn't cooling the building sufficiently, and the computer system was about to shut down. Solution? Somebody went to a hardware store and bought a lawn sprinkler to spray into the coils. It cooled them enough that we didn't have to shut down the plant for the day! The employee who thought of this got an "attaboy" ... but no money, for this idea.
+Chaplain Dave Sparks That works. We do that at the store with our big AC unit. It's a plastic tube with misters on it. As soon as the spray comes on the temperature goes down in the store real fast on hot days.
THNKS for helping my basic understanding of how AC's function. Appreciated. Keep doing vids. You explain very well to the novice. Hv u ever made a DIY AC? or posted it? Respectfully, Margo
You don't save anything by purchasing a 220 volt air conditioner. Electricity is sold in watts. To calculate watts for 110 volt A/C, Watts = 110 x Amps. For 220 volt A/C, Watts = 220 x Amps. So, even though 220 volt A/C uses half the amps of a 110 volt one, the watts used are the same.
Jeff;
All some people worry about is the fluff.They have missed the whole point of trying to be prepared! It's the info you share that's important, and the quality of your products. I'm a very satisfied customer who spent his money, instead of just flapping his lips. Your info, and your products are great, and very appreciated!!
This is great to know! I live in a very humid/hot climate. I have the opposite issue. The water builds up and starts blowing into the room on occassion. People in dry climates like AZ or NM can use swamp coolers. They get the area COLD!!! very quick! It's amazing how well they work, and they don't use as much energy.
Only advantage of 220V is you can use smaller wire due to decreased amperage. same amount of watts in either case. power = current x voltage. cut current in half and doubling volts give the same power consumption. I squared R loss is negligible. putting the window unit in the shade does some good.
David Barnes it's true 220 doesn't save power on the ac but it will have a lower voltage drop across the conductors. the savings would not be significant but would be noticeable. using a heavier conductor also solves the problem. either way wouldn't cover the cost of hiring an electrician though.
If you HAVE to use the south side just put up something that will keep that puppy shaded. problem solved BAM!
That is correct “watts law”
220v appliances produce more watts with the same thickness of internal wires, have slightly higher efficiency, and requiring cheaper wire to install. He's right, they're a good choice.
you did a pretty nice job explaining the homeowner basics. just so that you know: an oversized air conditioner won't remove enough moisture from the air and you'll still feel warm. Also, you can expect about a 20 degree Delta T between you return and supply air. You really can't expect a 50 degree supply air temp unless the room temp is about 70 degrees.
OMGOSH!!...Your videos are just GREAT!! They work well for WOMEN THAT LIVE ALONE and haven't any help. I can't wait to give this one a try. It's a necessary step in my apartment.
THANKS ever so much !!
Thanks for making this post, it has some useful tips. I have been working with window units for 47 years and wanted to pass on info about the water slinger. This feature was added as an attempt to get rid of the condensation water without the unit dripping. It does add help the condenser coil (the outdoor radiator) get rid of heat a slight bit but, at the expense of corroding the radiator fins (which makes them lose thermal contact with the copper tubing used in the radiator) and rust out the unit's metal condensation pan plus, keep a high humidity environment for the entire unit, causing corrosion and mold. You actually want to get any condensation out of the unit as soon as possible. I recommend carefully drilling a hole in the bottom of the A/C unit in the area where the water accumulates first (taking care not to drill through pipes or wiring).
The water seems to help my ac a lot and I've been adding filtered water a few years now.
Plus; Doesn't the water interfere with the fan blades. Causing a small bit of energy loss. Then the fan motor needs more power causing more heat. All the suggestions the author makes are Fine adjustments to the efficiency. They make sense, and I suppose it would add up. But we're still talking maybe only a 1 to 2% difference over all. And really if you have to tell someone to close windows in the Air Conditioned spaces. Then they don't deserve an AC unit.
@@USSBB62 Yes, the water slinger does cause some noticable drag on the condenser fan when it contacts water. I wanted to point out that the differences in opinions presented here may also reflect local weather effects. Most of my experience comes from living in Florida, where air conditioning is typically used 8 months out of the year and the average relative humidity is 70%. To maximize unit life and efficiency, whenever I buy a new unit, I take the unit completely apart and drill drain holes, paint the condenser, evaporator, refrigerant lines, and drain pan with Rustoleum glossy black. Although a big task, it maximizes the thermal conduction of the radiators over the life of the unit. Additionally, the unit should be disassembled every few years to clean bugs and dirt/dust build up from the radiators.
Good advice less water in the pan the better
Everyone here is correct. In Florida, slinging water on something isn't going to cool it much, as the humidity is so high. So there, drilling a hole is beneficial to prolong the life of the unit.
In AZ, due to the dry weather, evaporation cooling is extremely effective, and mold is not an issue, so a slinger makes sense there.
I have an older Lg, it has a drain hole in the bottom. Man...it still works great! I checked how cold the air was coming out of it, just the other day. And it was°39 degrees! Can't beat that! In this Alabama heat! 👍👍🤜🤛💪💪
Wow, this explains so much and hopefully will save our three window units that I've almost killed. We live in Florida and was getting TOO much water, so much it would blow inside. So I clean it out and took out the plugs. And now they are running hot. I know why now and will look for something to plug those holes tomorrow.
For ppl that have some time on their hands, get a kiddy pool put it in the basement on bare concrete floor, no basement = shovel. Connect a water pump to hose insulate with bubble wrap and connect it to a few radiators the more square footage the better, you can Macgyver a radiator out of Hydronic Baseboard. Get a box fan to blow air over the radiator and have a pan under it to collect condensation. You'll tap into the Earth's constant 50 F degree temperature. This set up is cheap about $250 and draws about 200 watts vs a typical AC 1,200 watts. Saving you 80% on cooling costs. Don't get me started on Heating : D
That's a pretty smart idea. I know that would work. Thanks
Like to hear about heating to.
Jeff
MissouriWindandSolar
Lets start with least complicated. Buy downspouts and flat black spray paint, measure to fit window size, cut, paint, hang on a wire in the sun facing windows like curtains this is passive heating. If you likey can scale up and make outside solar hot air collectors and fan the hot air into the house. For your bedroom at night get Eheat uses 450 watts costs 4 cents an hour to heat the room so the rest of the unused rooms can stay at lower temps. If you have a fireplace get an insert with heat exchanger, the insert will prevent the chimney from sucking all the hot air from the house and the heat exchanger will blow hot air like a motherfucker. If you don't have a fireplace even better, you can build a rocket stove it's not rocket science easy simple cheap. The rocket stove is the most efficient way to burn wood just remember to insulate the combustion chamber with perlite the higher the temperatures the cleaner the burn, you also get a chance to incorporate thermal mass that will radiate heat over night. Cheers
MissouriWindandSolar
your products are
great
But Wait, There's More! Get a 48oz can of Crisco $5 and a candle wick congrats you just made a candle that will burn for 45 day OMG WTF! really. But Wait, There's More! now it's time to make some thermal mass, get a large and medium terracotta clay pot $5 bolt them together with 1 bolt, 4 washers, 2 nuts, $1. Big ass candle in the middle 3 bricks around it as the platform for the pots. This setup will radiate heat at 165F. Instead of the heat from the flame going straight to the ceiling the pots capture that shit.
Those wind chimes are better than any royalty-free background track anybody’s got going
Thank you so much,great video.This old widow learning something helpful everyday thanks to people like you giving great advice.
Thanks for watching!
I did a test with a kill a watt meter. Just by spraying the condenser I went from using 1080 Watts of power to only using 860 Watts.
220 watt drop in power usage is really a savings over time. Good test.
MissouriWindandSolar 20% energy savings plus colder air temps.
220 Watts can run a few other things. Especially if you are running solar.
How many times you sprayed on condenser Sir? Thanks please do reply.
Thank for the video. Just a bit of a correction. The fins and coils are not there to cool the compressor. The compressor compresses the refrigerant to high pressure. In doing so the refrigerant becomes very hot. The refrigerant then goes through the coils where it is cooled down. The coils and fan is for cooling the refrigerant. After the refrigerant is cooled, when the pressure is released the expansion of the refrigerant is what creates the cooling.
Thanks for the info Brian
When I was a kid and teen my dad had this bright idea to get 2 120 volt window units to cool a 900 SF house after our central a/c went out. He was convinced that it was cheaper and better. It sucked on hot days because they house would get up to 82 degrees. Well we had an issue with the A/C unit in our kitchen window. The water would get so full that it would overflow and get all over the front of the house. This lead to algae, mold and mildew. We also had issues with algae in the unit. We eventually drilled a hole and ran a hose away from the house. Looking back it didn't cool near as well after we did that. I never thought that could have been the reason but it made sense. Bottom line in Houston that A/C being on 24/7 couldn't manage the water and running a hose only created a new problem.
That's the problem with real high humidity, lots of water in the pan.
I use to live in Alabama, high, high humidity. I use to put some bleach in the pan once in awhile to kill the algae.
He needed to drill the hole up the edge of the pan rather than in the bottom, that way 1/2" of water stays in the pan, but too much overflows down the hose...
thereare4lights17 Yeah sure, now if only bleach wasn't a massive corrosive agent to eat away the coils... be smart, use a drill.
Awesome information.....you remind me of my dad....he can do anything and has a plethora of information....and I am not saying anything about your age!! lol Just your an informative man with endless info....like my father!!
I have a late model frigidaire window AC. Refrigerant runs through tubing in the condensate tray, immediately after leaving the compressor, acting as a desuperheater which results in lower compressor head pressures, and lower energy usage. It also has a slinger.
Yea iv had pep.drill holes inthe bottom to drain the water then there ac.burned up .now we know why .lol .thanks for the info.great video
under some conditions, subcooling your condensed refrigerant too much can lower your suction pressure into a freezing condition, causing saturated refrigerant to enter compressor. (Which is bad). Also, using that much water on a "slinger" ring will over amp the fan motor. (Which is bad). Jusayin'
I have a GE 10,000BTU window AC and the compressor has built in thermal protection so no need for water as it also came with a Drain plug on the back located at the bottom corner. You can control how much water seeps out. My AC is awesome and always performs well.
These LG units are junk in my opinion. Both control panels have quit working now i have to use the remote only to work them.
I am Grateful that's more cool than one gets told stay chilled
Excellent, I love it.
Thanks so much for sharing these ideas with the public.
*thumbs up 👍for the stash alone!*
Omg I did not know about the 'slinger' and keeping water in the pan! Mind blown. Thank you. I'm your neighbor in TN.
God bless you brother, love the way you make your videos.
i did put my aircondition on east side but the water trick i never knew it not until i watch your video.it works
Just wanted to let you know that the coils outside are not used to cool the motor. They are used to take the heat out of your house(heat exchange). Air conditioners do not put cool air in your house they take hot air out. Your are correct though about keeping them clean and dent free
heat transfer via air movement is called convection and not radiation
Im very glad you pointed that out, had you not, i would have. I believe he also said its job was to cool the compressor which of course is not true. Coils are used to remove heat, either from the existing air in the home via evaporator or the from the refrigerant line inside the condenser coil.
The water keeps coils cooler and helps indoor cooler. Every aircon from around early 90s that I came across had a rubber bung that you can fit to make run cooler. You take it out every now and then to clean the coils and drain the dirty water
Just a drip tube inserted into the side fins of the window ac unit and hook to garden hose just turn it on, all you need is just a very very slow drip, just to keep that pan full of water, or even a mist nozzle will work, the main ideal is to keep those outside coils cool as possible !!
The "slinger" fan idea is to help the unit's efficiency, if it's installed so that the water drains away from the unit the fan won't "overheat" and burn out, the unit's efficiency rating will drop some, that's all.
You are the beast! This explains how my window unit works, I've been frustrated with it not cooling. I'm going to try out the water trick to see it cools off my room right now. Thanks! Great video on that dryer bucket filtration system too!
As an A/C&R specialist-certified internationally & licensed I can say that there are definitely some good tips here. The water slinger is actually trying to evaporate the condensate rather than have it drip all over the place, leaving stains on siding, windows below, etc. It certainly helps in drier climates to add water a couple times a day. Here in New England it really isn't a problem. I can't tell you how many homeowners that seem to think that they can engineer an A/C better than the manufacturer and decide to drill a hole in the bottom to let the water out, end up calling my company to ask if all the "air" that came out when they drilled it is normal. No. No it is not. That's refrigerant (Freon™). You drilled a nice hole through the bottom of the condenser (outside coil with the fins shown in the video) or in one case the bottom of the compressor!
Anyway, 120 volt A/C units are just fine as long as the wire size to the outlet is correct, 240 volts won't save you any money. A long wire run from the electrical panel CAN lose more, but again, wire size HAS to be correct, for the load and the distance. The amount is negligible if all if done right..
Thanks a lot . I appreciate you taking the time to post that nice comment.
The water should come from inside your house as the a/c removes the Humidity and end up in that pan ,then evaporate off the condenser fins
The cat meows in agreement.🐱❄
What
you are so awesome I watched three of your videos and learned soo much I got up and cleaned my air conditioner vent first now onto more I am inspired im an older lady that needed help thank you.
Your welcome Mary Ann.
MissouriWindandSolar how do I add water to my AC that's in the wall but not accessible on the outside Second Story on a slanted roof? Help?
your doing a good job,i learn a lot about how to take a care of my air conditioner thank you .
The fins on the outside part of the air conditioner are to transfer heat that the air conditioner has picked up from inside the room and transfer to the condenser coils (outside). The find act like a heat exchanger. If they are bent down you will not get the heat removal, thus the air conditioner will have to work harder and use more electricity.
If you find an air conditioner service center stop in and look for a fin comb. Like the video shows use the fin comb to gently rake down from top to bottom and carefully straighten out the bent fins.
The round usually plastic ring around the condenser picks up water from the bottom of the air conditioner and slings the water on the coils. This puts water on the condenser coils and helps cool the coils down by evaporation. This is like spraying your arm with water and holding it in front of a fan in the summer. It is call evaporative cooling.
.keep your filter clean and you will have the most efficient air conditioner you can get.
D. Hansel That is all correct, thanks for the input.
I am re doing all the videos. I lost the other 4. They will be back up shortly, new and improved.
Thanks buddy.
The slinger not bringing water up to the condenser won't make your A/C unit overheat, but it will definately make the process of turning the gas back into the liquid easier. Old A/C Units don't have a slinger anyways.
just saw the video added water and it worked like a champ, thank you sir!!!!!
That's great to hear and your welcome.
holy crap. I just got to the part with your 'stache comb. I take it back. You win. A switchblade 'stache comb is unreal. Keep the 'stache.
half the amps but twice the volts EQUAL the same as twice the AMPS by half the volts. Man... NO SAVINGS THERE!
you just taught my wife and I a whole lot. I thought the entire time the plug was meant to drain and my wife thought they weren't suppose to get wet. thanks a bunch you saved us a lot. awesome video
Your welcome and thanks for taking the time to watch.
good points. most window shakers will run a 20 degree differential of room set point.
Wish I lived close enough to come talk to you about solar and wind. Maybe someday
Your better off buying your own stuff and picking it up yourself. Go with the larger Grade A solar panel's that are 240 watts or above because they're more power and BANG $ for your buck if you've got the roof space. Less brackets, holes in your roof etc.. You can get 4 ft X 6 ft 390 watt Grade A panel's right now for $240 each. That's less than .80 cents a watt. Ebay Renogy 12/24 vdc, 150 vdc max / 1,000 watt max MPPT Controller for $185. I've gottem on my RV and they run my AC free ALL day and 2 hrs after the sun goes down.
Hmm thanks and thanks fellow from Florida, My ac here in Florida had too much water I guess from humidity and was making mold in the ac and I put a hole in the unit so it would drain also. I can water just about anything lol. I guess I need the drain hole higher up so to keep some water in the pan? I haver an ac in the carport that was keeping the floor wet and have a bucket under it and a hose. I guess I need to check those holes too. Thanks.
great going man.. i have started following it. n it really makes a difference specially in India
i got a 24,000 BTU 220 on low cools my whole 3 bed room apartment on low setting in 2 hours on a 90 degree day.. good video
Thanks this is going to save me money next summer.
Comments are good below. The point is that the air conditioner is an "air conditioner" not a refrigerator. Its job is to condition the air not just create cold air. The Units are designed to pull moisture out of the air as well as cool or heat it. The natural operation of the Unit will accumulate water into the pan as it pulls moisture out of the air like an dehumidifier, no need to add water as is shown in the video. We have found that over sizing a Unit will cause mold from cooling the room to quickly and shutting off before the dehumidifying has taken place. If you look at a cold soda can or beer can and see the moisture collect on it, that is exactly what happens to the walls of a room when there isn't enough time for the AC to remove that moisture from the air. Also, by running the fan when the Unit is not cooling will reintroduce moisture back into the room defeating the purpose of conditioning the air. Moist air will be warmer and cause mold to grow on the walls. The Unit needs to run long enough to pull moisture out of the room. I always try to keep the outside Unit in the shade to help it's cooling capacity. As the one comment below says, the thermostat is nothing more than an off on switch. AC Units don't cool faster or slower, they are either on or off. If the outside temp is 100 degrees don't expect to see 55 degrees inside.
I am a Licensed Contractor, Licensed Mold Assessor and certified in HVAC.
Big thanks from Arizona. Never knew about the water deal.
I lived in Benson Arizona for years, dry, dry air. Unless you kept water in the pan air conditioning didn't work well at all. I used a swamp cooler on my other house out there.
Jeff
Cool thanks for sharing your experience and posting your words of wisdom for appliance maintenance you rock
Comb trick is the best idea. Thanks
Your welcome Matthew
As an Electrical Engineer I need to make it clear that electricity is priced per kilowatt hour and using a 110v or 220v standard makes not difference as you will use 1/2 the amps at the higher voltage, but consume the exact same number of kilowatts. It is true that the losses due to the wires going to the AC unit will be reduced, but these should be very small! You can also minimize by using a heavy duty wire and having a short run. Most people would be far better just buying a more expensive extension cord. The 110 AC units are manufactured on a very large scale and are very efficient. There are not too many 220 units in the field. They are mainly very large units. Typically the only 220v appliance in a house would be an electric dryer or water heater. I would rather have natural gas and only 110 in my house. 220v is more dangerous and should only be handled by a licensed electrician. Even most Electrical Engineers I know wouldn't do their own.
am doing that too. i plugged a rubber to the drainage. and i put i gallon of water on top of my A/C. and continously dripping water. effective
+swordbearer3 That's good to hear.
Disregard the immature comments from the degenerates.
Thank you so much for all of the great tips and showing how to do these tips. Today, I will be cleaning and filling my window unit, vacuuming the back and bottom of my refrigerator and changing out all of my light bulbs to L.E.D.
My next goal after all of these is to power my home with solar and wind energy here in Mesquite, Texas.
Thank you again for all of your help and keep up the great videos.
That cat is following you all the time, we can hear it at almost all videos you make :)
+azazazrzrzr Yeah, can't help it. She has to be around when were doing something outside. She likes to watch.
Your presentation was beautiful. I had thought of doing the mister on the coil trick if I ever live in a place with central air or the window unit. In fact, if one has no choice but to mount on the sun side then a shade hood over the unit should help.
That's a very good idea. I used sun screen on my central air when i lived in Arizona. It worked great, made a huge difference. The mister is also a great idea and works well.
Thanks for your reply.
Im an AC Guy from Jersey, and in my experience I have found that since the laws have changed with the new Freon used (R-410 A), It seems that 55-57 degrees is the new optimal temp. Whereas it would be 50-52 with R-22 Freon. Good video, very informative.
My air conditioner was overflowing out of the front and around the window even with a tilt so my husband drilled a hole in the bottom of the back of the pan. Neither one of us knew it was supposed to keep some water in it, not sure if most people know. Now I do, thanks to you, so we will caulk it, but how do we keep it from overflowing out the front again.
Thanks very informative. I need to fill in the whole in the bottom of my travel van window unit. I thought that it was having too much water in the pan so I drilled a couple holes in the pan to drain it.
If you live in a humid area like S. Tx. you don't usually have ta worry about the water cause it takes the moisture from the air that condenses on the coil. Thanks for the great vid.
but if you live somewhere like Arizona, Nevada, or New Mexico, that may not be so.
You can also use a plastic fork to straighten the fins
I have learned to look for the following to save with air conditioners:
1- Variable compressor technology (lower consumption when room is near set temperature)
2- Mini split AC to keep the compressor outside (keep the compressor heat out) and simplify the installation
3- Heat pump to heat in the winter (two functions for the same price - heat & cool)
4- High SEER (above 25) and high COP numbers (above 3.5)
5- Install it with a sensor to detect the presence of a person (if nobody in the room after x minutes, it turns off)
I have a 18 year old 220 unit that holds and makes its own water from its own condensation. The fan picks it up and throws the water on the condenser. Usually in late summer, that thing gets to sweating so good, water just runs out the back and it gets freezing cold inside. For a unit that old it kicks, only had to replace the capacitor on it one time since i bought it new.
A switch blade mustache comb? This guy is cool.
glad you talked about the fan having a slinger on it, and what it does. I have read alot of threads the last few years about the homeowner buying a new window air conditioner and noticing that there is no drain hole for the water to drain, and they take a drill and drill a hole, totally voiding the warranty and shortening the compressors life, then they wonder why the air conditioner isnt cooling like there old one. technology changes the way things look and work compared to years past so if something looks odd read your manual and if you still not sure call the help line and ask questions.
That's exactly what I've always done because when there's water in that pan I'd see rust, mold and soggy leaves and debris building up, so figuring the condensation water needs to drain out faster and more completely so it would keep the pan dry, I've usually opened that drain hole more so it doesn't get plugged up and at the same time it drains all the water out completely.
I've never noticed any cooling difference, and when something goes bad on the unit in about 3 summers of use, it's usually some cheap component on the electronic board.
If all else fails a good pair of scissors will work.
lawrence Wolfe. 8
Vinita sarabjeet
I always thought that water was condensation build up and needed to drain LOL! DERP
When you place water on an air cooled condenser. Yes it drops temperatures but it also drops pressures which a lot of factors must be observed. Outdoor temps, indoor ambient temps. Suction and discharge temps and pressures. The engineers design most HVAC equipment at a 72* center which means anything above 72 is designed for cooling and anything below 72 is designed for heat with a variance of approx a 20* rise. If your blowing a 52* with 80% ambient humidity and you place water on the condenser you displace the temps and pressures and will show signs of lack of load or low charge...
Adding some spray on Vipercoil cleaner in is a cheat it is self rinsing in the evaporator coil washes out of condenser coil with water
Another thing that can be done to greatly increase the power of an air conditioning unit is to harness the coolness of the Earth underground. This would be good for house units as it requires a lot of work and is a permanent fixture.
The idea is to dig a trench that goes at least 10 feet under the ground and bury a pipe of some sort. This should run underground as long as you can get it so that it can collect as much cool air as possible. This would have to have an entrance that comes out of the ground somewhere to allow air to come in. The exit is at your ac unit. An enclosure would have to be made so that when the fan comes on, it will only be drawing air through the pipe you buried under the ground which will have the unit cooling the coolant with ~58 degree air instead of ~90 degree air, which means that the coolant will be at a much lower temperature inside the house and when it goes through the evaporator, it will be even colder. Your vents will be putting out much colder air than normal and this will cool your house much faster since the larger difference there is between two temperatures the faster they will equalize. It is free and passive way to vastly increase the efficiency of the air conditioner.
I would do this but I can't do the digging part where I live as I don't own it.
Sounds like a good idea.
Jeff
The window units really save you MONEY! My electric bill with central heat and cooling costed 350 dollars a month. on a 1400 square foot house. Now my electric bill is only $ 75.00 a month ! With the saving i put a window unit in every room. it was a over kill. BUT one in the front room and 1 in the bed room. was plenty. If one goes out i can replace it. > I got a 12 btu in the front room, and a 5 btu in the bed room. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT 2 window units would cool down my hold 1400 square foot house ! Unbelievable ! I guess i got them at the right places. FINE WAYS TO CUT MORE!
I am not a air expert but ohms law is ohms law as far as energy. 220 volt wire is smaller and cheaper to install but watts is watts. 110 or 220 same watts. If it was cheaper EVERYONE wiould have EVERYTHING 220!!! Come on!
I run my AC at 1000 Volts ad only pay one dollar per month to run it.
LOL.
Voltage E = I x R is linear not the same as Heat : H = I^2* R a parabolic. High Currents( I squared ) cause greater system (heat) losses. The length of supply wires and conversion transformers in either case matters .
More losses from Currents and resistive heating as I^2 than the Higher voltage on V = I * R on average. Watts as V*I is not the only factor of Energy use for example in Watt Hours. There is a Direct Energy Conversion and distance issue.
The water pan well fill by itself. After it runs
putheflamesou that's all they use in Europe and most of the world. All the way down to the light bulbs.
Oh crap… I have taken several A/C's and drilled holes to let the water out to keep em' from getting rusty.
Dang, oops...
Seel it with caulk or add some solder to the hole or go the cheap and dirty way and tape the hole. And rust will still happen when you drain it since not all of it but most will drain out when you drill it . Plus window units are the cheapest way to get air conditioning .
@@rogeliolopez2190 don't. It sounds awful.
Dammit man!!
I don't know where you are located, but here In Florida the humidity is so bad in the summer, you just cant allow the pan to stay full all the time because the excess water slings right against the wall of my house and foundation (slab) and creates a moisture problem. The pan will also become very gross and slimy causing the drain channel to become clogged causing the unit to back up with slime water. Water that if left unchecked will eventually start to leak on the inside wall regardless of tilt.
Yes, In the spring time I think I will use the rubber plug to keep the pan full, and to sling the water but not in hot humid summer. That's when I have to remove the rubber drain plug and just let it drain out using a large trash bin directly under the unit to collect the many gallons of water that would have ended up slung against my outside wall and running down to the ground right under my slab. You would not believe how many gallons of water I am dumping out from that trash bin every summer. Thanks very much for this tip that I will be able to use at least for springtime use
+Robin Scheines Missouri is where i am at. I use to live in Alabama and the humidity was as bad as Florida. No water in the pan problems there for sure. To much water from all the humidity was the problem. Arizona is another place i lived and no humidity was the problem for the Southwest.
A one ton window AC has worked fine for me. I bought a house with no AC, and the window unit gives me a good estimation of how to size a whole-house central unit. I figure 2 to 2 and 1/2 ton will be right. I'm cooling a little more than half the house with 1 ton, which is about 12,000 BTU. And yes, I understand the principle of using condensate water to cool the condenser coil. There are complications with this, though, mostly caused by accumulating dirt and bio material. They don't tell you that a rather difficult coil cleaning will be needed periodically to keep the thing efficient.
Without this video.... I would continue to believe that AC pans were filled with an unwanted byproduct... In Utah the pans are often dry.... and now I know to fill them...
Thanks Jeff.
Your welcome Rory
Jeff
How often should you put water on those coils. once a day, once every 6 hours, any information you provide will be a great help
yeah hi dosey hvac student I'm sorry to tell you this Bro but the water slinger yes it help with the economy of the ac but it not going to raise your temp a significant amount if it runs dry you just trund your temp up and the compressor shut off
great video, thank you for the in depth tips! Please keep making these videos, helps a ton!
Great tip keeping it out of the night sun.
It works best to keep it out of the sun altogether it you can
Love the mustache comb drop lol
I been around A/C for years and I never knew the water trick. Holy moley! Thanks, great job.
He is correct for modern window units for the most part. However, when he says "it will start overheating" if the tray is empty he's wrong, the unit will simply be less efficient when the tray doesn't have enough water for the fan to pick up and sling onto the coil. The A/C window unit I have is designed specifically to let the condensed water rise enough so the fan blade slings it onto the coil. This is why many manuals for multiple brands of window units say the following (which you can google): "Droplets of water hitting condenser during normal operation may cause “pinging or swishing” sounds"
You are exactly correct! He needs to go to AC school. Most of the things he suggests is totally unnecessary. Plus, what ever benefit is minuscule.
A properly "sized" AC working correctly is the secret. MOST units are either too small or too large sadly.
Also: IF the temperature outside is 100 degrees, the BEST MOST AC's can achieve is 80 degrees inside (based on the industry standard of 20 degrees difference outside and inside).
This would feel TOO hot. And there is nothing you can do about it, UNLESS you change the unit out to a larger unit. But then a worse scenario can happen. IE:
If the outside temperature is 85 to 90 degrees, the compressor will cool fine, but...you will feel cool and clammy. Reason is: the compressor does not stay on long enough to remove sufficient humidity. This is particularly true in high humidity areas.
All of these maladies CAN be corrected, but sadly, it rarely happens, because the knowledge and expense forbids this ideal situation. IE: MOST AC companies simply do not have the expertise OR time to accurately rate HOW big a unit should be, etc. Even thought almost ALL will brag that they do have experts. Yeah right!
If you believe that, I got some "Ocean front property" to sell you real cheap in the middle of the Sahara Dessert and I will throw in the Sphinx for free.
Oh well.
The tray is to catch the condensation, it is not for cooling, this not a swamp cooler.
+transformer889 it is purposely engineered for the fan blades to sling water on the coil. Buy a new one and read the manual. They could have easily put a hole in the bottom of the try to avoid water being slung onto the coil but they instead engineered it to have the water level get high enough for the fan to pick up the condensed water.
+transformer889 but that's not to say that this guy didn't over exaggerate the necessity of water being in the tray.
Hi. Really helpful information. Thanks for posting. My question is how and when do you use an attic fan?
Thanks Mary. An attic fan is for summer months only and is used to remove excessive heat buildup, say like over 100 degree temperatures. Most of them have adjustable heat settings. Some attic fans go in the roof and some on the gable end of your house which are the easiest to install.
MissouriWindandSolar RE attic fan questions. Thanks for first answers. I am in rental property. The wiring and such is all odd. There is only a wall switch off and on for one fan. I can hear it come on when flip switch. Roof vent. Other end of house also has roof vent but so far unable to locate a switch. No thermostats. Weather here running low 90s and will get hotter. Attic is hotter. House thermostat is set on 81degrees. Use the attic fan now? Any idea where switch mode be hidden? Maybe they are on one switch and I don’t hear them separately? Grrrr. Landlord is no help.
@@maryhill2346 Mary it’s easy to change the switch to a timer that comes on during the hottest time of day, good luck!
Tap water is a bad idea. Distilled water only...Why? The tap water will coat the condenser with lime scale reducing it's heat shedding abilities. The condensate from a/c operation is distilled water and will not form a film on the condenser. Ever looked inside your kettle ?....that's what will happen to your condenser .
Is the a/c cooling okay ? If the humidity is low, there may be no condensate running off the condenser. Try dropping the demand temperature down to 60F or LOW for an hour or so to see if condensate forms. If so, you have low humidity or very high condenser temperature and the condensate is drying off before dripping to the tray..
you can get a port that clamps onto the line in your air conditioner and also check that it aint low on Freon. If it is you can add Freon to it just don't overfill it. I had a small unit and done this and it works real well. Also make sure you use the proper Freon.
anonov1 I don't recommend saddle valves for they are probed to leak over time. Get a qualified service tech to open a hole in the suction line and brazen in a Schafer valve to get your gauges on. And or Have service valves put in. R-22 is being phased out and it is illegal in the state of Oklahoma by EPA blah blah to set a charge to manuf. specs until the leak is repaired. The overall costs for that repair will cost more than the unit is worth...
Schrader Valve ... sorry
Tap water is poison.
Pour only distilled water into the condensation tray, especially if your tap water (like where I live) is hard. If you don't, you'll just trade the "overheating" (I disagree with that characterization, it's not "overheated," it's just warmer than it could be) for a scaled over condenser.
Hey thanks for that info,, i never new about the pan and water cooling system.
Your welcome
Jeff
MissouriWindandSolar"You're"
thanks a lot for the useful tip, now i have extra money to buy more cigarrettes👌
I watch this video every summer😏
Thank you!
People do it all the time, you not the only one.
You have the most informational videos that I have seen from anyone! Please make more!!!! I have learned so much from you!
muito bom eu ja tinha estes conhecimentos mas voce pôs para todos parabéns adorei seu vídeo ajuda muito a quem não tem este conhecimento parabéns
Thanks Alvaro
Jeff
I heard the slinger but also heard the cat drowning as you poured the water in.......holy crap!!!!!
the temp on a good running a/c should be 18 to 21 deg from the air intake to what it is blowing the extra cooling you think you have when you add water is just temporary fix as the a/c runs it removes humidity from the inside air thus cooling the air and the access water is drained into the out side pan the slinger ring was designed to evaporate the water so no drain line is needed and removing the risk of water damage and possible slippage in the surrounding area figured you might want to know the truth in what is happening I been a a/c contractor for 40 years in Florida we know all about humidity lol something else that will blow your mind is it is not cooling the air at all it is just removing the heat from the air lol
The fins in the back of an air conditioning unit is to pull the heat out of the freon before it goes back to the condenser.
What you hear in this video is the fan hitting the water. The difference in air from an a/c unit should be 20 degrees cooler than the air in the room.
The water in the pan is made by the a/c unit pulling moisture out of the air. That's really all an a/c system does.
P.S. There is no normal operating temperature for an a/c. It's based on the temp inside, outside, and freon level. Every single a/c system is different.
good advice. I never knew that. I live in Arizona and my compressors are always over heating. so I rigged up a water pipe to an old washer solenoid and a digital timer. it sprays water on the compressor for 1 minute every hour from 10 am to 6 pm. my neighbors thought i was crazy but it seems to work. after seeing your vid, i Don't feel like a retart anymore. thanks
That's a cool idea.
If you live in uber dry areas like Arizona, you'd benefit more from a swamp cooler.
+matt9c1
true that. but only until the rainy season starts. then it's humid for a few months
wow. didn't realize i would like that video so much. that goat and stache made me think he was selling watches. lol. great vid.
just did the water add.... no joke it's like my account is brand new THANK YOU!!!
That's great to hear Nicholas and your welcome buddy
Buy a mister and use evaporative cooling on the coils, making a sort of hybrid a/c system. We had to do this once at a plant at which I once worked. The a/c wasn't cooling the building sufficiently, and the computer system was about to shut down. Solution? Somebody went to a hardware store and bought a lawn sprinkler to spray into the coils. It cooled them enough that we didn't have to shut down the plant for the day! The employee who thought of this got an "attaboy" ... but no money, for this idea.
+Chaplain Dave Sparks That works. We do that at the store with our big AC unit.
It's a plastic tube with misters on it. As soon as the spray comes on the temperature goes down in the store real fast on hot days.
THNKS for helping my basic understanding of how AC's function. Appreciated. Keep doing vids. You explain very well to the novice. Hv u ever made a DIY AC? or posted it? Respectfully, Margo
You don't save anything by purchasing a 220 volt air conditioner. Electricity is sold in watts. To calculate watts for 110 volt A/C, Watts = 110 x Amps. For 220 volt A/C, Watts = 220 x Amps. So, even though 220 volt A/C uses half the amps of a 110 volt one, the watts used are the same.