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Help me size choose the right size Air conditioner

maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
Original poster
May 3, 2009
74,342
44,603
So the wife wants an air conditioner in the living room but I'm a little unsure of what size given the quasi openness of our first floor layout.

I've attached below a crude drawing of the layout, its incomplete but shows enough I think to determine the right size A/C

Basically I have a 250 square foot living room, but its open to the hallway and dinning room. I'm hoping an 8,000 BTU a/c may work but because the living room is open to the hallway and the dinning room it may be undersized.

If the air will just mingle around the living room and hallway (for the most part) the 8,000 BTU should be big enough, if it will try to cool the dinning room then a 10,000 BTU unit will be needed and it seems that is a 100 dollar jump in price so I'm thinking I can live with the low cost and it should be sufficient but I'm hoping I can get some advice from folks here :)
 

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In my limited experience with window units it will likely have the largest effect on the living room with the other rooms feeling little to know change unless you can affect the way the air flows out so the cold air is immediately sent to multiple directions.
 
My goal is try to keep as much of it in the living room, because I don't want to spend the extra money :)
 
maflynn said:
My goal is try to keep as much of it in the living room, because I don't want to spend the extra money :)
Click to expand...

IMO it will stay in there mostly. If you used a room divider to partially block the entrance the hallway you could contain the air even more and have less of it escape and get wasted.
 
I would say 10,000. All of my apt has window a/c and I have an 8,000 in my study and is a small room and it takes some time for it to get cold and if you open the door then it takes even more time. When it does get cold then it stays cold though.

With windows a/c you should always go one size up than recommendation and in your case w/ the permanent open space I think a 10,000 would be the best choice. I bought a new 18,000 unit for my room 2 months ago in Sams and it was way cheaper w/ better warranty than other places.
 
I hope those stairs are going up and not down?

If so, the hot air from below will rise, and your costly cold air will fall.

Mine is second hand, but it does that approximate volume, but on one level. I close off the 2 bedrooms. Just the living room, dining room and kitchen.

I think it's between 6,000 BTU and 7,500 BTU, but I'm not sure, and manufactured in the early 90's.

It works well enough for used, and the compressor is outside, below the window, so it's reasonably quiet. ;)
 

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Thanks guys, I ordered the 10k unit, the bad news is the maxium width that bad boy fits is 36 inches - my window is a 2 inches bigger but I'll see if I can get those foam blocks or something to seal the window. The size that fits is a 15,000 unit, its a 100 pounds and 100 dollars more then the 10k unit.

I'll not be able to lift that into the window by myself and its way more money then I'm willing to spend.

As for the stairs, yes, they go up to the second floor :)
 
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