I'm at 8 degrees north latitude which is probably a lot closer to the equator than where you are.
Check out this video:
You will notice that venting of air is not part of the operations. Inside air is recycled and cooled while outside air is made even hotter, but no air passes from the inside to the outside or vise versa.
guess you not been to NYC in some time... tons of apartments use window units here. I freelance at a studio in an old SoHo building that has window units
So did my friend who lives there in a 500 square foot studio until I told him about ductless and he switched. He is grateful to have his window back and also have a much cooler apartment with lower energy bills.
I live in the deep south and have a Mac Pro so I think I know a lot more about this than you give me credit. It can sometimes hover around 100 degrees in the dead of night. I have installed ductless units in less than 2 hours by myself. It might take a little longer but not by much and you will not remove an entire window from view. They also last far longer, are more easily serviced, and are far more energy efficient. You can buy some for around $700 and lower which is not much more than a window type. I see a lot of disadvantages to a window over a ductless but no advantages beyond perhaps price and even that is mitigated in a few years with the cost savings a ductless unit will provide.
Totally agree although mine were considerably more expensive, but they are very high quality…Samsung!
I seriously take issue with the notion that this solves a problem better than a window unit.
1. Try putting desktop computers into a home office in a home in the south and not adding additional cooling in that space. I've done this for years and you ALWAYS need more cooling than the residential systems can provide in a bedroom sized space with desktop computers.
2. When you cool a space, the heat you take from it has to go somewhere. In window units, and the portable floor units, the heat is vented outdoors through either a window or other opening to the outside.
3. The ductless units you referred to are significantly more expensive that small window units, and much harder to install.
3. These units are actually somewhat portable central air units requiring piping to an outdoor unit. This piping must go through a wall. The installation kits have sleeves you can use to run the freon tubing through a hole you must cut into a wall. In central air units, the heat is pumped outdoors through freon tubing and dissipated into the atmosphere through the "condenser" unit. Thus, no need for exhaust ducts. The heat is pumped out as heated freon. Study up on how refrigeration works.
I'm asserting that window units are much more prevalent that you postulate and they are needed in many modern residential settings that contain home offices with data processing equipment and existing central air conditioning systems.
Too much logic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwmac
No in fact I pointed out ductless units that are far more energy efficient than window units already include fuzzy logic and remote controls and have been around for years. These used to be primarily used in Asia and Europe but are catching on here. You obviously didn't click my link. Ductless units also provide heat in addition to cooling which I am not sure if this one does. They also do not remove an entire window from normal use since you mount only the blower at the top of a wall. These already can be added to universal remotes and very likely be controlled by an iPhone. This is nothing new. So instead of getting defensive and angry why don't you replace those ugly and inefficient window units with ductless ones that you can control with your iPhone if you want or the included remote. You're welcome. Or you can do what other people have done with even older houses than yours and get central air. Just because your 1982 house (which isn't exactly old) didn't include central air doesn't mean it can't be installed.
They are not the magic you believe them to be. They miss out on a key important aspect to proper, energy efficient cooling which is ventilation. They are also MASSIVE, hideous, very expensive, difficult to install, and not portable at all.
My window units are in boxes in the attic or basement for 9 months out of the year. They only go in the windows when they need to be there. As far as "efficiency"...well If I don't find my electric bill to be outrageous in the summer, I'd call that efficient. For a 3 bedroom house with 4 window units, I didn't pay more than $140 in my most expensive month last year. I'd call that efficient. Try finding a comparable house with central air and tell me if they do as well.
While we're talking about cost, a decent Ductless unit is $1500, and that takes care of ONE living space. Does nothing for bedrooms. Goo window units can be had for $150 to $200, will last 3-4 years each. I could go through quite a few of them before ever even equalling the cost of 1 Ductless unit.
In short, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
I live in the deep south and have a Mac Pro so I think I know a lot more about this than you give me credit. It can sometimes hover around 100 degrees in the dead of night. I have installed ductless units in less than 2 hours by myself. It might take a little longer but not by much and you will not remove an entire window from view. They also last far longer, are more easily serviced, and are far more energy efficient. You can buy some for around $700 and lower which is not much more than a window type. I see a lot of disadvantages to a window over a ductless but no advantages beyond perhaps price and even that is mitigated in a few years with the cost savings a ductless unit will provide.
Yes, I agree with all you said. However, I believe that most people, when confronted with the expense of the ductless unit, and it's difficulty to install, and the notion of making a permanent hole in the wall, will opt for a window, or floor, unit. This is the fundamental difficulty I had with your first post.
I can appreciate the south. I live in Dallas and I have always been a bit disappointed that homes here do not accommodate the needs of modern digital equipment installed in bed rooms and small offices. I'm sure you've even noticed that the ducts and registers going to these small rooms have smaller sizes, as well.
As far as an iPhone controller, if it adds significantly to the cost of the unit, I'm not sure that I personally see the value. In the cases where I did install a window unit, I either worked in close proximity or could use an infrared remote. The Nest type thermostats, on the other hand, have turned out to be amazingly handy for controlling the central air conditioning.
They are not the magic you believe them to be. They miss out on a key important aspect to proper, energy efficient cooling which is ventilation. They are also MASSIVE, hideous, very expensive, difficult to install, and not portable at all.
My window units are in boxes in the attic or basement for 9 months out of the year. They only go in the windows when they need to be there. As far as "efficiency"...well If I don't find my electric bill to be outrageous in the summer, I'd call that efficient. For a 3 bedroom house with 4 window units, I didn't pay more than $140 in my most expensive month last year. I'd call that efficient. Try finding a comparable house with central air and tell me if they do as well.
While we're talking about cost, a decent Ductless unit is $1500, and that takes care of ONE living space. Does nothing for bedrooms. Goo window units can be had for $150 to $200, will last 3-4 years each. I could go through quite a few of them before ever even equalling the cost of 1 Ductless unit.
In short, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
No it just sounds like you want to justify the choices you made and are not open to smarter alternatives. Many people invest heavily in a concept or technology and when someone challenges that and offers a better alternative they take great offense and take it personally as you seem to have done. Reminds me of the reaction from a friend that owned a crappy Dell Windows computer that was constantly having issues when I suggested he buy a Mac. He was furious at me and got extremely defensive that I could dare suggest he try a Mac after all the time and money he had spent to make his work at least some of the time. Instead of going with a superior solution like a Mac he would rather stick with a computer that didn't work half the time. I honestly don't care what you choose to use in reality. So if you don't mind replacing those window units every few years and installing then uninstalling every single year instead of buying a ductless one that would last you perhaps 20 years and only need to be installed once then more power to you. I value my time and money more than that.
However, ductless come in single or multi zone units with one outdoor unit and multiple indoor ones for several rooms since you seem to be unaware of that fact. You can also buy them for much cheaper than $1500, in fact the link I posted has one for $799. A ductless unit can last for 15 years or more if maintained and cleaned. Their lifespan is typically longer than central air units in fact. They also provide heat in addition to cooling, yet another advantage. As far as installation, I could install one in under 2 hours by myself and probably less with a helper. Once installed it is done unlike your situation where you have to install and uninstall every single year. How many hours a year does that require? They are also not massive and they can be installed on the ceiling or on the wall and unlike your hideous window unit that protrudes and also allows easy access to home invasion they only require one small hole through a wall. They are also easily controlled by an iPhone with a free app but the included remote is much easier. The noise factor alone is reason enough since ductless are very quiet and those window units are so noisy. But hey man you just keep doing you and sorry if I shook your world by suggesting there was a better alternative out there.
I currently have central air but when I lived in Japan that is what I used to have since central air is never used in Japan except for large buildings. Another untruth you told is they are not portable. They are just as portable as window units and can be uninstalled very easily. I did that 3 times in Japan when I moved to new apartments.
If this product is well made and works as advertised, I could see it really taking off. It's only $300. I can think of several places where I lived where I would've loved something like this. For example, I lived on the 28th floor of a building where the air conditioning were really big, loud, overkilling, and expensive to run. It would've been nice to be able to whip out my phone on the way home and turn the unit on so it would be cool when I got home. Also, these can work with location services... turning on and off automatically as you get near home or leave home.
I may even look at getting one of these for our house. We have central air conditioning, but with no separate zones. It's a huge house, and I could save a ton of money just using one of these in my office instead of cooling the whole house. Again, either through GPS or remote, it's more than convenience, it would pay for itself in energy savings.
guess you not been to NYC in some time... tons of apartments use window units here. I freelance at a studio in an old SoHo building that has window units
So did my friend who lives there in a 500 square foot studio until I told him about ductless and he switched. He is grateful to have his window back and also have a much cooler apartment with lower energy bills.
Ridiculous. Splits are great but still too expensive.
Seriously considered, but when I crunched the numbers, just didn't pan out.
Question is moot anyway. Reading through the posts, can see you clearly just had too much time on your hands today.
Quick answer to your initial question though: "Really a lot of people."
No it just sounds like you want to justify the choices you made and are not open to smarter alternatives. Many people invest heavily in a concept or technology and when someone challenges that and offers a better alternative they take great offense and take it personally as you seem to have done. Reminds me of the reaction from a friend that owned a crappy Dell Windows computer that was constantly having issues when I suggested he buy a Mac. He was furious at me and got extremely defensive that I could dare suggest he try a Mac after all the time and money he had spent to make his work at least some of the time. Instead of going with a superior solution like a Mac he would rather stick with a computer that didn't work half the time. I honestly don't care what you choose to use in reality. So if you don't mind replacing those window units every few years and installing then uninstalling every single year instead of buying a ductless one that would last you perhaps 20 years and only need to be installed once then more power to you. I value my time and money more than that.
However, ductless come in single or multi zone units with one outdoor unit and multiple indoor ones for several rooms since you seem to be unaware of that fact. You can also buy them for much cheaper than $1500, in fact the link I posted has one for $799. A ductless unit can last for 15 years or more if maintained and cleaned. Their lifespan is typically longer than central air units in fact. They also provide heat in addition to cooling, yet another advantage. As far as installation, I could install one in under 2 hours by myself and probably less with a helper. Once installed it is done unlike your situation where you have to install and uninstall every single year. How many hours a year does that require? They are also not massive and they can be installed on the ceiling or on the wall and unlike your hideous window unit that protrudes and also allows easy access to home invasion they only require one small hole through a wall. They are also easily controlled by an iPhone with a free app but the included remote is much easier. The noise factor alone is reason enough since ductless are very quiet and those window units are so noisy. But hey man you just keep doing you and sorry if I shook your world by suggesting there was a better alternative out there.
I currently have central air but when I lived in Japan that is what I used to have since central air is never used in Japan except for large buildings. Another untruth you told is they are not portable. They are just as portable as window units and can be uninstalled very easily. I did that 3 times in Japan when I moved to new apartments.
Seems to me you just want to sell ductless units for some unknown reason, and ignore ALL of the points I made in favor of my choices, despite providing a wall of text response.
The repeated mention of "home invasion" is very suspicious in your selling tactic. My windows are alarmed, so good luck getting in with or without a unit in the window. Even without an alarm system, I fail to see the difference between a closed GLASS window, and one that is closed around a window unit. If someone wants in, it makes no difference. Either they break the glass (noise factor?), or they break the glass and window unit, which either falls on them or falls inside the house, making just as much noise....
...either way I'm done. All you're trying to do is sell ductless units that do not make as much sense as you pretend.
The repeated mention of "home invasion" is very suspicious in your selling tactic. My windows are alarmed, so good luck getting in with or without a unit in the window. Even without an alarm system, I fail to see the difference between a closed GLASS window, and one that is closed around a window unit. If someone wants in, it makes no difference. Either they break the glass (noise factor?), or they break the glass and window unit, which either falls on them or falls inside the house, making just as much noise....
...either way I'm done. All you're trying to do is sell ductless units that do not make as much sense as you pretend.
Good points. I share gwmacs enthusiasm for the Asian ductless systems, They are fantastic. I'm pretty sure he isn't actually selling them. Window AC units are a compromise where as the ductless systems often more energy efficiency because unlike central air you have more control over the zones since each room has its own AC unit. Sure it can get expensive but it requires a lot less attention to control because each room is separate. For example we like to keep our kitchen and living room open to the natural breeze but leave the sleeping areas cooled. With conventional ducted central AC that becomes a management problem. The main drawback of window units is that you need those double hung windows, not slider style, and the units themselves are ugly.
The repeated mention of "home invasion" is very suspicious in your selling tactic. My windows are alarmed, so good luck getting in with or without a unit in the window. Even without an alarm system, I fail to see the difference between a closed GLASS window, and one that is closed around a window unit. If someone wants in, it makes no difference. Either they break the glass (noise factor?), or they break the glass and window unit, which either falls on them or falls inside the house, making just as much noise....
...either way I'm done. All you're trying to do is sell ductless units that do not make as much sense as you pretend.
Also, a safely installed window air conditioner will have L-brackets screwed into the window frame to hold the lower window snugly against the a/c. It's at least as secure as the more-or-less decorative window latches most people have holding their windows closed.
And of course a lot of window air conditioners aren't on the first floor anyway.
I'm sure the market will be flooded with these. Lots of folks living in decrepit, 1950's mobile homes with smart devices. (sarcasm)
Hard to tell which part of this was intended to be sarcastic, but I think your classism is showing. There are a lot of perfectly good houses in this country that were built before central a/c, and there are lots of parts of the country where the weather is such that you really only need to cool a bedroom or two at night for part of the year such that window a/c is more efficient. Plus apartment complexes, etc.
I'm sure the market will be flooded with these. Lots of folks living in decrepit, 1950's mobile homes with smart devices. (sarcasm)
Even Tom Brady's house has window unit ACs. In old cities, these are prominent fixtures.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwmac
Who uses a window unit anymore? I haven't seen one of those types of AC in years.
Nearly everybody in NYC and Boston, and many in Philly and Chicago to name a few. You suburban types don't get out much.
Window AC units are more efficient than the forced air units used in your average McMansion. You just have to be smart about using them, which this goes a long way towards enabling.
Seems to me you just want to sell ductless units for some unknown reason, and ignore ALL of the points I made in favor of my choices, despite providing a wall of text response.
The repeated mention of "home invasion" is very suspicious in your selling tactic. My windows are alarmed, so good luck getting in with or without a unit in the window. Even without an alarm system, I fail to see the difference between a closed GLASS window, and one that is closed around a window unit. If someone wants in, it makes no difference. Either they break the glass (noise factor?), or they break the glass and window unit, which either falls on them or falls inside the house, making just as much noise....
...either way I'm done. All you're trying to do is sell ductless units that do not make as much sense as you pretend.
Nope, don't sell them don't even currently use one. I did in the past when I lived in Japan. You sure are invested in trying to tout window units. Are you a salesman for window units? Look, like I said if you like sleeping in a room with an air conditioner that sounds like a jet engine, like installing and reinstalling every single year, don't mind that your house looks hideous from the outside then more power to you bud.
I'm sure the market will be flooded with these. Lots of folks living in decrepit, 1950's mobile homes with smart devices. (sarcasm)
Do you realize the housing market is way overpriced for your average post-college or non-career worker? Folks who have no possible way to buy an apartment and whose landlord never returns their calls likely number in the 10s of millions in the US. These kind of units are perfect for those folks.
Even our daughter's nanny has an iPhone. It is really not a luxury device anymore.
You must not live in a big city. I live in Chicago and walk by any apartment building in the city and you'll see roughly 75% of residences have window A/C units. I use one and it's a great way to cool my 1 bedroom apartment during the summer. In the winder I take it out and put it in my closet.
You must not live in a big city. I live in Chicago and walk by any apartment building in the city and you'll see roughly 75% of residences have window A/C units. I use one and it's a great way to cool my 1 bedroom apartment during the summer. In the winder I take it out and put it in my closet.
Nope, Atlanta which has a metro population of over 6 million people. The only times you see window units is in the hood/housing projects and very poor neighborhoods. Even apartments here have central air. You just don't see them often except in garages.
Nope, Atlanta which has a metro population of over 6 million people. The only times you see window units is in the hood/housing projects and very poor neighborhoods. Even apartments here have central air. You just don't see them often except in garages.
Completely different worlds. Atlanta is a 'newer' city and in the south. You have to have A/C there. In 'older', cooler cites like Chicago, NYC, Boston, Detroit Etc. it's more common that the buildings are 100+ years old and were built before A/C was even a dream.
Literally everyone I know has a window unit, myself included. Built-in A/C in NYC is really hard to find at a reasonable price.
I think a phone controlled A/C unit is a great idea if the price is right.
Comments
I'm at 8 degrees north latitude which is probably a lot closer to the equator than where you are.
Check out this video:
You will notice that venting of air is not part of the operations. Inside air is recycled and cooled while outside air is made even hotter, but no air passes from the inside to the outside or vise versa.
guess you not been to NYC in some time... tons of apartments use window units here. I freelance at a studio in an old SoHo building that has window units
So did my friend who lives there in a 500 square foot studio until I told him about ductless and he switched. He is grateful to have his window back and also have a much cooler apartment with lower energy bills.
Totally agree although mine were considerably more expensive, but they are very high quality…Samsung!
I seriously take issue with the notion that this solves a problem better than a window unit.
1. Try putting desktop computers into a home office in a home in the south and not adding additional cooling in that space. I've done this for years and you ALWAYS need more cooling than the residential systems can provide in a bedroom sized space with desktop computers.
2. When you cool a space, the heat you take from it has to go somewhere. In window units, and the portable floor units, the heat is vented outdoors through either a window or other opening to the outside.
3. The ductless units you referred to are significantly more expensive that small window units, and much harder to install.
3. These units are actually somewhat portable central air units requiring piping to an outdoor unit. This piping must go through a wall. The installation kits have sleeves you can use to run the freon tubing through a hole you must cut into a wall. In central air units, the heat is pumped outdoors through freon tubing and dissipated into the atmosphere through the "condenser" unit. Thus, no need for exhaust ducts. The heat is pumped out as heated freon. Study up on how refrigeration works.
I'm asserting that window units are much more prevalent that you postulate and they are needed in many modern residential settings that contain home offices with data processing equipment and existing central air conditioning systems.
Too much logic.
No in fact I pointed out ductless units that are far more energy efficient than window units already include fuzzy logic and remote controls and have been around for years. These used to be primarily used in Asia and Europe but are catching on here. You obviously didn't click my link. Ductless units also provide heat in addition to cooling which I am not sure if this one does. They also do not remove an entire window from normal use since you mount only the blower at the top of a wall. These already can be added to universal remotes and very likely be controlled by an iPhone. This is nothing new. So instead of getting defensive and angry why don't you replace those ugly and inefficient window units with ductless ones that you can control with your iPhone if you want or the included remote. You're welcome. Or you can do what other people have done with even older houses than yours and get central air. Just because your 1982 house (which isn't exactly old) didn't include central air doesn't mean it can't be installed.
They are not the magic you believe them to be. They miss out on a key important aspect to proper, energy efficient cooling which is ventilation. They are also MASSIVE, hideous, very expensive, difficult to install, and not portable at all.
My window units are in boxes in the attic or basement for 9 months out of the year. They only go in the windows when they need to be there. As far as "efficiency"...well If I don't find my electric bill to be outrageous in the summer, I'd call that efficient. For a 3 bedroom house with 4 window units, I didn't pay more than $140 in my most expensive month last year. I'd call that efficient. Try finding a comparable house with central air and tell me if they do as well.
While we're talking about cost, a decent Ductless unit is $1500, and that takes care of ONE living space. Does nothing for bedrooms. Goo window units can be had for $150 to $200, will last 3-4 years each. I could go through quite a few of them before ever even equalling the cost of 1 Ductless unit.
In short, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
I live in the deep south and have a Mac Pro so I think I know a lot more about this than you give me credit. It can sometimes hover around 100 degrees in the dead of night. I have installed ductless units in less than 2 hours by myself. It might take a little longer but not by much and you will not remove an entire window from view. They also last far longer, are more easily serviced, and are far more energy efficient. You can buy some for around $700 and lower which is not much more than a window type. I see a lot of disadvantages to a window over a ductless but no advantages beyond perhaps price and even that is mitigated in a few years with the cost savings a ductless unit will provide.
Yes, I agree with all you said. However, I believe that most people, when confronted with the expense of the ductless unit, and it's difficulty to install, and the notion of making a permanent hole in the wall, will opt for a window, or floor, unit. This is the fundamental difficulty I had with your first post.
I can appreciate the south. I live in Dallas and I have always been a bit disappointed that homes here do not accommodate the needs of modern digital equipment installed in bed rooms and small offices. I'm sure you've even noticed that the ducts and registers going to these small rooms have smaller sizes, as well.
As far as an iPhone controller, if it adds significantly to the cost of the unit, I'm not sure that I personally see the value. In the cases where I did install a window unit, I either worked in close proximity or could use an infrared remote. The Nest type thermostats, on the other hand, have turned out to be amazingly handy for controlling the central air conditioning.
Too much logic.
They are not the magic you believe them to be. They miss out on a key important aspect to proper, energy efficient cooling which is ventilation. They are also MASSIVE, hideous, very expensive, difficult to install, and not portable at all.
My window units are in boxes in the attic or basement for 9 months out of the year. They only go in the windows when they need to be there. As far as "efficiency"...well If I don't find my electric bill to be outrageous in the summer, I'd call that efficient. For a 3 bedroom house with 4 window units, I didn't pay more than $140 in my most expensive month last year. I'd call that efficient. Try finding a comparable house with central air and tell me if they do as well.
While we're talking about cost, a decent Ductless unit is $1500, and that takes care of ONE living space. Does nothing for bedrooms. Goo window units can be had for $150 to $200, will last 3-4 years each. I could go through quite a few of them before ever even equalling the cost of 1 Ductless unit.
In short, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
No it just sounds like you want to justify the choices you made and are not open to smarter alternatives. Many people invest heavily in a concept or technology and when someone challenges that and offers a better alternative they take great offense and take it personally as you seem to have done. Reminds me of the reaction from a friend that owned a crappy Dell Windows computer that was constantly having issues when I suggested he buy a Mac. He was furious at me and got extremely defensive that I could dare suggest he try a Mac after all the time and money he had spent to make his work at least some of the time. Instead of going with a superior solution like a Mac he would rather stick with a computer that didn't work half the time. I honestly don't care what you choose to use in reality. So if you don't mind replacing those window units every few years and installing then uninstalling every single year instead of buying a ductless one that would last you perhaps 20 years and only need to be installed once then more power to you. I value my time and money more than that.
However, ductless come in single or multi zone units with one outdoor unit and multiple indoor ones for several rooms since you seem to be unaware of that fact. You can also buy them for much cheaper than $1500, in fact the link I posted has one for $799. A ductless unit can last for 15 years or more if maintained and cleaned. Their lifespan is typically longer than central air units in fact. They also provide heat in addition to cooling, yet another advantage. As far as installation, I could install one in under 2 hours by myself and probably less with a helper. Once installed it is done unlike your situation where you have to install and uninstall every single year. How many hours a year does that require? They are also not massive and they can be installed on the ceiling or on the wall and unlike your hideous window unit that protrudes and also allows easy access to home invasion they only require one small hole through a wall. They are also easily controlled by an iPhone with a free app but the included remote is much easier. The noise factor alone is reason enough since ductless are very quiet and those window units are so noisy. But hey man you just keep doing you and sorry if I shook your world by suggesting there was a better alternative out there.
I currently have central air but when I lived in Japan that is what I used to have since central air is never used in Japan except for large buildings. Another untruth you told is they are not portable. They are just as portable as window units and can be uninstalled very easily. I did that 3 times in Japan when I moved to new apartments.
If this product is well made and works as advertised, I could see it really taking off. It's only $300. I can think of several places where I lived where I would've loved something like this. For example, I lived on the 28th floor of a building where the air conditioning were really big, loud, overkilling, and expensive to run. It would've been nice to be able to whip out my phone on the way home and turn the unit on so it would be cool when I got home. Also, these can work with location services... turning on and off automatically as you get near home or leave home.
I may even look at getting one of these for our house. We have central air conditioning, but with no separate zones. It's a huge house, and I could save a ton of money just using one of these in my office instead of cooling the whole house. Again, either through GPS or remote, it's more than convenience, it would pay for itself in energy savings.
guess you not been to NYC in some time... tons of apartments use window units here. I freelance at a studio in an old SoHo building that has window units
So did my friend who lives there in a 500 square foot studio until I told him about ductless and he switched. He is grateful to have his window back and also have a much cooler apartment with lower energy bills.
Ridiculous. Splits are great but still too expensive.
Seriously considered, but when I crunched the numbers, just didn't pan out.
Question is moot anyway. Reading through the posts, can see you clearly just had too much time on your hands today.
Quick answer to your initial question though: "Really a lot of people."
No it just sounds like you want to justify the choices you made and are not open to smarter alternatives. Many people invest heavily in a concept or technology and when someone challenges that and offers a better alternative they take great offense and take it personally as you seem to have done. Reminds me of the reaction from a friend that owned a crappy Dell Windows computer that was constantly having issues when I suggested he buy a Mac. He was furious at me and got extremely defensive that I could dare suggest he try a Mac after all the time and money he had spent to make his work at least some of the time. Instead of going with a superior solution like a Mac he would rather stick with a computer that didn't work half the time. I honestly don't care what you choose to use in reality. So if you don't mind replacing those window units every few years and installing then uninstalling every single year instead of buying a ductless one that would last you perhaps 20 years and only need to be installed once then more power to you. I value my time and money more than that.
However, ductless come in single or multi zone units with one outdoor unit and multiple indoor ones for several rooms since you seem to be unaware of that fact. You can also buy them for much cheaper than $1500, in fact the link I posted has one for $799. A ductless unit can last for 15 years or more if maintained and cleaned. Their lifespan is typically longer than central air units in fact. They also provide heat in addition to cooling, yet another advantage. As far as installation, I could install one in under 2 hours by myself and probably less with a helper. Once installed it is done unlike your situation where you have to install and uninstall every single year. How many hours a year does that require? They are also not massive and they can be installed on the ceiling or on the wall and unlike your hideous window unit that protrudes and also allows easy access to home invasion they only require one small hole through a wall. They are also easily controlled by an iPhone with a free app but the included remote is much easier. The noise factor alone is reason enough since ductless are very quiet and those window units are so noisy. But hey man you just keep doing you and sorry if I shook your world by suggesting there was a better alternative out there.
I currently have central air but when I lived in Japan that is what I used to have since central air is never used in Japan except for large buildings. Another untruth you told is they are not portable. They are just as portable as window units and can be uninstalled very easily. I did that 3 times in Japan when I moved to new apartments.
Seems to me you just want to sell ductless units for some unknown reason, and ignore ALL of the points I made in favor of my choices, despite providing a wall of text response.
The repeated mention of "home invasion" is very suspicious in your selling tactic. My windows are alarmed, so good luck getting in with or without a unit in the window. Even without an alarm system, I fail to see the difference between a closed GLASS window, and one that is closed around a window unit. If someone wants in, it makes no difference. Either they break the glass (noise factor?), or they break the glass and window unit, which either falls on them or falls inside the house, making just as much noise....
...either way I'm done. All you're trying to do is sell ductless units that do not make as much sense as you pretend.
...either way I'm done. All you're trying to do is sell ductless units that do not make as much sense as you pretend.
Good points. I share gwmacs enthusiasm for the Asian ductless systems, They are fantastic. I'm pretty sure he isn't actually selling them. Window AC units are a compromise where as the ductless systems often more energy efficiency because unlike central air you have more control over the zones since each room has its own AC unit. Sure it can get expensive but it requires a lot less attention to control because each room is separate. For example we like to keep our kitchen and living room open to the natural breeze but leave the sleeping areas cooled. With conventional ducted central AC that becomes a management problem. The main drawback of window units is that you need those double hung windows, not slider style, and the units themselves are ugly.
The repeated mention of "home invasion" is very suspicious in your selling tactic. My windows are alarmed, so good luck getting in with or without a unit in the window. Even without an alarm system, I fail to see the difference between a closed GLASS window, and one that is closed around a window unit. If someone wants in, it makes no difference. Either they break the glass (noise factor?), or they break the glass and window unit, which either falls on them or falls inside the house, making just as much noise....
...either way I'm done. All you're trying to do is sell ductless units that do not make as much sense as you pretend.
Also, a safely installed window air conditioner will have L-brackets screwed into the window frame to hold the lower window snugly against the a/c. It's at least as secure as the more-or-less decorative window latches most people have holding their windows closed.
And of course a lot of window air conditioners aren't on the first floor anyway.
I'm sure the market will be flooded with these. Lots of folks living in decrepit, 1950's mobile homes with smart devices. (sarcasm)
Hard to tell which part of this was intended to be sarcastic, but I think your classism is showing. There are a lot of perfectly good houses in this country that were built before central a/c, and there are lots of parts of the country where the weather is such that you really only need to cool a bedroom or two at night for part of the year such that window a/c is more efficient. Plus apartment complexes, etc.
I'm sure the market will be flooded with these. Lots of folks living in decrepit, 1950's mobile homes with smart devices. (sarcasm)
Even Tom Brady's house has window unit ACs. In old cities, these are prominent fixtures.
Who uses a window unit anymore? I haven't seen one of those types of AC in years.
Nearly everybody in NYC and Boston, and many in Philly and Chicago to name a few. You suburban types don't get out much.
Window AC units are more efficient than the forced air units used in your average McMansion. You just have to be smart about using them, which this goes a long way towards enabling.
Seems to me you just want to sell ductless units for some unknown reason, and ignore ALL of the points I made in favor of my choices, despite providing a wall of text response.
The repeated mention of "home invasion" is very suspicious in your selling tactic. My windows are alarmed, so good luck getting in with or without a unit in the window. Even without an alarm system, I fail to see the difference between a closed GLASS window, and one that is closed around a window unit. If someone wants in, it makes no difference. Either they break the glass (noise factor?), or they break the glass and window unit, which either falls on them or falls inside the house, making just as much noise....
...either way I'm done. All you're trying to do is sell ductless units that do not make as much sense as you pretend.
Nope, don't sell them don't even currently use one. I did in the past when I lived in Japan. You sure are invested in trying to tout window units. Are you a salesman for window units? Look, like I said if you like sleeping in a room with an air conditioner that sounds like a jet engine, like installing and reinstalling every single year, don't mind that your house looks hideous from the outside then more power to you bud.
I'm sure the market will be flooded with these. Lots of folks living in decrepit, 1950's mobile homes with smart devices. (sarcasm)
Do you realize the housing market is way overpriced for your average post-college or non-career worker? Folks who have no possible way to buy an apartment and whose landlord never returns their calls likely number in the 10s of millions in the US. These kind of units are perfect for those folks.
Even our daughter's nanny has an iPhone. It is really not a luxury device anymore.
You must not live in a big city. I live in Chicago and walk by any apartment building in the city and you'll see roughly 75% of residences have window A/C units. I use one and it's a great way to cool my 1 bedroom apartment during the summer. In the winder I take it out and put it in my closet.
I wonder how many drop out of 3rd floor windows onto the sidewalk below.
[VIDEO]clip from the episode of Seinfeld where the window AC falls out of Jerry’s window and kills a dog[/VIDEO]
You must not live in a big city. I live in Chicago and walk by any apartment building in the city and you'll see roughly 75% of residences have window A/C units. I use one and it's a great way to cool my 1 bedroom apartment during the summer. In the winder I take it out and put it in my closet.
Nope, Atlanta which has a metro population of over 6 million people. The only times you see window units is in the hood/housing projects and very poor neighborhoods. Even apartments here have central air. You just don't see them often except in garages.
Nope, Atlanta which has a metro population of over 6 million people. The only times you see window units is in the hood/housing projects and very poor neighborhoods. Even apartments here have central air. You just don't see them often except in garages.
Completely different worlds. Atlanta is a 'newer' city and in the south. You have to have A/C there. In 'older', cooler cites like Chicago, NYC, Boston, Detroit Etc. it's more common that the buildings are 100+ years old and were built before A/C was even a dream.
Literally everyone I know has a window unit, myself included. Built-in A/C in NYC is really hard to find at a reasonable price.
I think a phone controlled A/C unit is a great idea if the price is right.