best way to get a computer room cooled??

[SandrA9810]

Forgot about the board insulation. That might work a little better, and be a little less gawdy looking.

The prices are just the big sticker shock. And most the side units seem to be for much larger rooms, like a large basement or something. As small as this room is, a 5,000 btu is plenty. And as small as this room is, it makes it a little harder on finding space for a portable one.

 

[wdwfan16]

You don't even have to do that. They sell insulating foam board. It's thicker (up to 2") easier to cut to fit into an odd place. And a lot easier to transport. It should cost about $12-24 a 4x8 sheet...depending on the thickness.



Home Depot DOES sell casement window AC units. They are a little more costly, and not all the stores carry them. You would have to ask your local store. My store doesn't have them this year, so I can't give you a cost estimate.

You are correct but the plywood makes the window more secure.

 

[MommyBell08]

I would suggest building a giant igloo around your computer as soon as possible.

 

[FayeW]

Okay, it's not a computer room...it's a bedroom that has a laptop in it and some other electronics. The issue is not keeping the room cool enough to not damage the computer...it's keeping the bedroom cool enough to be comfortable when they are in there using the computer and watching TV/gaming.

If a portable a/c is not in the budget, I recommend a couple of small, inexpensive fans...you know, the kind that sit on a desk or stand in the corner. They are cheap, and you could have one directed at the desk or bed, set so that it is just blowing directly at you, and the other set to oscillating, to keep the air moving throughout the room.

 

[SandrA9810]

There already are two fans. A box fan that sits on top of an end table which blows directly towards the bed, and a ceiling fan in the middle. Unfortunately the ceiling fan was not installed properly and can only be run on low without wobbling so much. I've tried looking for the stabilizer kits that come with new fans, but can't seem to find them in the stores. I guess I could look at a new ceiling fan, the one I had was a small 50$ one from home depot, and did a decent job for the bedroom, but I never had that much electronics in the bedroom.

The problem with here, is I can't just keep the central AC unit running all day, which would solve the problem. So I was hoping for a budget friendly high energy star rated solution.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

There already are two fans. A box fan that sits on top of an end table which blows directly towards the bed, and a ceiling fan in the middle. Unfortunately the ceiling fan was not installed properly and can only be run on low without wobbling so much. I've tried looking for the stabilizer kits that come with new fans, but can't seem to find them in the stores. I guess I could look at a new ceiling fan, the one I had was a small 50$ one from home depot, and did a decent job for the bedroom, but I never had that much electronics in the bedroom.

The problem with here, is I can't just keep the central AC unit running all day, which would solve the problem. So I was hoping for a budget friendly high energy star rated solution.

Is there a reason why you can't keep the central air unit running all day? That is what you are supposed to do with central air and you adjust the temperature. Also, I am assuming you work so really it shouldn't be that hot during the day if the electronics are off.

 

[Magic Mom]

There already are two fans. A box fan that sits on top of an end table which blows directly towards the bed, and a ceiling fan in the middle. Unfortunately the ceiling fan was not installed properly and can only be run on low without wobbling so much. I've tried looking for the stabilizer kits that come with new fans, but can't seem to find them in the stores. I guess I could look at a new ceiling fan, the one I had was a small 50$ one from home depot, and did a decent job for the bedroom, but I never had that much electronics in the bedroom.

The problem with here, is I can't just keep the central AC unit running all day, which would solve the problem. So I was hoping for a budget friendly high energy star rated solution.

If the home owners keep the AC off to save energy/money, they probably wouldn't want you to run a portable AC, even if it is energy star rated. Could you just leave the door open?

 

[SandrA9810]

well i readjusted the central AC unit from a constant 66 degree temp, to lower 70's at night to upper 70's during the day. So the "home owners" know nothing about conserving energy, conserving water, or anything else that would make you a sensible home owner. She just wants something to scream about. But any day she's home.... It's reaching a "100 degrees outside", so the AC has to be kept on all day. Which btw, temps are in a low 90's with cool air blowing. They'd think it's 200 degrees if it was florida.

I'm trying to apply common sense and logic to a problem, with some one who has none.

 

[wdwfan16]

well i readjusted the central AC unit from a constant 66 degree temp, to lower 70's at night to upper 70's during the day. So the "home owners" know nothing about conserving energy, conserving water, or anything else that would make you a sensible home owner. She just wants something to scream about. But any day she's home.... It's reaching a "100 degrees outside", so the AC has to be kept on all day. Which btw, temps are in a low 90's with cool air blowing. They'd think it's 200 degrees if it was florida.

I'm trying to apply common sense and logic to a problem, with some one who has none.

I consider it rude for a house guest to change my A/C settings. I am paying the bills so I get to decide the temp. If I see my guests are not comfortable then I will adjust the A/C.

 

[Magic Mom]

well i readjusted the central AC unit from a constant 66 degree temp, to lower 70's at night to upper 70's during the day. So the "home owners" know nothing about conserving energy, conserving water, or anything else that would make you a sensible home owner. She just wants something to scream about. But any day she's home.... It's reaching a "100 degrees outside", so the AC has to be kept on all day. Which btw, temps are in a low 90's with cool air blowing. They'd think it's 200 degrees if it was florida.

I'm trying to apply common sense and logic to a problem, with some one who has none.

If she pays the bills, it's only her business what the temperature is set at. It's not very polite to change the temperature on HER thermostat.

 

[SandrA9810]

no cause then she screams about the electric bill being 300$. So he gives her 50-100 to go pay it, and in a couple months there's disconnect notices. Same goes for other utilities. So who knows where the money is going, but it's not to the bills.

I didn't just adjust it for my pleasure. But i was showing him how to set the thermostat so that it would effectively cool the house without it running the whole time. She thinks when the AC is on the compressor is running the entire time, which is true at 66 degrees, but the house never gets that cold. At a decent 74 degrees, the compressor works the way it should. Maintaining the tempature, and only turning on when it needs to.


To give you an idea of no common sense being here....
The first time i did laundry, the clothes weren't getting dry. And it was like 2hrs later. These are the HE whirpool duet models, just purchased in Jan. Lint screen was clean, so i peaked behind the dryer, and see that the dryer is pushed up against the wall and blocks the vent hose. So I pulled the dryer away from the wall, and low and behold, the dryer works in 30 minutes for a full load. I told him about it, and he was like "that's why the clothes are always wet?" His mom comes home, and starts screaming, why is the dryer pulled out. So i went to explain to her, the hot air needs to escape, when the dryer is pushed back it can't function properly. Letting it run 4-5 times for the same load, it's going to use a lot of electricity.
She refuses to allow the dryer to be pulled out (it's not blocking or affecting anything else by being 5" away from the wall). And if she ever comes home and the dryer hasn't finished, all hell breaks loose.

I tell him so many things, about conserving or you only have to do this for it to work. And he listens to me and is surprised by all that i know. I can't blame him for not knowing, because he was never taught anything. But you would think if she's gonna have a heart attack with world war 3 at the site of a 3 month past due electric bill, she'd be doing something about it. Or at least listening to suggestions.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

The electronics are off when we're not in the room. It's the bedroom, but it's the only room with any sort of electronics in it. And since it's so small, it doesn't allow for the heat to escape. I figured most people would understand why the room is so hot if I put computer room, to give a better idea.
What's running is a laptop, brand new, so it's a bit cooler than an older one. A 40" LCD tv and the big heat producer is the PS3. And the TV is only on when the PS3 is. The house is too far from the main city to receive digital channels without putting an antenna on the roof, and no cable. So a lot of gaming and movie watching. But not 24/7.

When no one else is home, we can leave the door open. Which helps cool off the room a little. But generally the central AC gets turned off, so there's nothing to really help circulate the air out of the room. But if we leave, the door is shut and locked the entire time, but everything is turned off.

Does the room have a 'return' in it? This is opposite of a vent. Air is sucked into the AC through the returns. The more returns a house has, the more equalized the temp. Anyway, if it does, make sure you vacuum it occasionally. Our return covers build up with fuzz and it helps the flow of air if you keep them clean. Just an idea.

Do you really have to keep it closed and locked up when you're not home?

 

[SandrA9810]

Does the room have a 'return' in it? This is opposite of a vent. Air is sucked into the AC through the returns. The more returns a house has, the more equalized the temp. Anyway, if it does, make sure you vacuum it occasionally. Our return covers build up with fuzz and it helps the flow of air if you keep them clean. Just an idea.

Do you really have to keep it closed and locked up when you're not home?

there is no return vent. And the AC filter didn't get replaced till i got here and replaced it. (he was complaining about the amount of dusting he had to do weekly, and breathing... So i looked for obvious solutions). I'm still debating on putting a mini filter inside the vent to catch even more dust.

And there's lots of sticky fingers around here, and nosey people. The room has to be locked, even if we leave the house for a few minutes.

 

[Magic Mom]

there is no return vent. And the AC filter didn't get replaced till i got here and replaced it. (he was complaining about the amount of dusting he had to do weekly, and breathing... So i looked for obvious solutions). I'm still debating on putting a mini filter inside the vent to catch even more dust.

And there's lots of sticky fingers around here, and nosey people. The room has to be locked, even if we leave the house for a few minutes.

So why on earth do you live there? I take it these aren't roommates, but instead "his" parents maybe? You don't like the way she cooks in her kitchen. You don't like the way she budgets her money. You don't like the way she manages her appliances. And you don't like how she runs the AC. And you seem to have zero respect or gratitude for this woman that let you move into her house. If I were in the situation, I would spend a lot less energy on trying to fix how they live and a lot more on trying to find my own place to live. Even having roommates in a singlewide behind the liquor store sounds better than letting someone else that you don't care for support you.

 

[wdwfan16]

no cause then she screams about the electric bill being 300$. So he gives her 50-100 to go pay it, and in a couple months there's disconnect notices. Same goes for other utilities. So who knows where the money is going, but it's not to the bills.

I didn't just adjust it for my pleasure. But i was showing him how to set the thermostat so that it would effectively cool the house without it running the whole time. She thinks when the AC is on the compressor is running the entire time, which is true at 66 degrees, but the house never gets that cold. At a decent 74 degrees, the compressor works the way it should. Maintaining the tempature, and only turning on when it needs to.


To give you an idea of no common sense being here....
The first time i did laundry, the clothes weren't getting dry. And it was like 2hrs later. These are the HE whirpool duet models, just purchased in Jan. Lint screen was clean, so i peaked behind the dryer, and see that the dryer is pushed up against the wall and blocks the vent hose. So I pulled the dryer away from the wall, and low and behold, the dryer works in 30 minutes for a full load. I told him about it, and he was like "that's why the clothes are always wet?" His mom comes home, and starts screaming, why is the dryer pulled out. So i went to explain to her, the hot air needs to escape, when the dryer is pushed back it can't function properly. Letting it run 4-5 times for the same load, it's going to use a lot of electricity.
She refuses to allow the dryer to be pulled out (it's not blocking or affecting anything else by being 5" away from the wall). And if she ever comes home and the dryer hasn't finished, all hell breaks loose.

I tell him so many things, about conserving or you only have to do this for it to work. And he listens to me and is surprised by all that i know. I can't blame him for not knowing, because he was never taught anything. But you would think if she's gonna have a heart attack with world war 3 at the site of a 3 month past due electric bill, she'd be doing something about it. Or at least listening to suggestions.

Her house; her money; her business!!! Why do you have to "fix" everybody who you live off of. A job and your own place would be a way to "fix" what is really the problem.

there is no return vent. And the AC filter didn't get replaced till i got here and replaced it. (he was complaining about the amount of dusting he had to do weekly, and breathing... So i looked for obvious solutions). I'm still debating on putting a mini filter inside the vent to catch even more dust.

And there's lots of sticky fingers around here, and nosey people. The room has to be locked, even if we leave the house for a few minutes.

The A/C can run all day and the room will never get cooler. The A/C is pressurizing the room. If the place where you are living for free has sticky fingers then getting your own place will stop the sticky fingers and the heat problem at the same time.

So why on earth do you live there? I take it these aren't roommates, but instead "his" parents maybe? You don't like the way she cooks in her kitchen. You don't like the way she budgets her money. You don't like the way she manages her appliances. And you don't like how she runs the AC. And you seem to have zero respect or gratitude for this woman that let you move into her house. If I were in the situation, I would spend a lot less energy on trying to fix how they live and a lot more on trying to find my own place to live. Even having roommates in a singlewide behind the liquor store sounds better than letting someone else that you don't care for support you.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

You definitely need your own place. I couldn't live like that but then again, I'm probably a LOT older than OP and have been at my job for a long time.

 

[SandrA9810]

WDWfan... why don't you tell me why I do anything in this life... since you're just so all knowing and better at everything.

And THANK YOU for butting into EVERY freakin topic I make. Do you really have some strange fascination with my life?

 

[SandrA9810]

And now that the topic is way off from the original question. I guess there is no answer available on the dis.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

There were a lot of suggestions. You just don't want to take any. Seems very similar to the woman you keep complaining is doing nothing right in her own home. Just something to think about........

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I think it's that when you reach a certain age in life, it's harder to share a home with others, esp if their ideas/standards are very different from your own. You know the saying 'Two women can't share a kitchen.'

Obviously, we don't know the whole story and I'm not taking sides here of who's right or wrong. As a teen I once lived at my boyfriend's grandmother's house. It wasn't quite so dysfunctional as OP described but lived and learned and if anything kept me motivated to stay in school, get a good job and have my own place. Eventually, I sucked it up and moved back home to my parents. Who knows if OP has that option.

Sometimes we strive for better jobs b/c of the crap job we're in at the moment.
Sometimes we strive for better living circumstances b/c of what we're stuck with at the time.

OP was just asking for AC advice and gets a lecture about respect.
It would seem to me that OP has more common sense than the homeowners she's living with. Esp the story about the dryer and shut off notices. Sorry but they sound as smart as a bag of rocks. jmho. It would drive me crazy too. I'd let them run their dryer 4 cycles and get the shut off notice.

My neice was in a similar crazy situation too. She and her dh are hurting financially and live with his dad & stepmother. They both work FT and her inlaws are used to hanging all laundry on the line. My neice and her dh have a baby so shortly after they moved in, the inlaws started griping about gas bills from her using the dryer. Working FT it's hard to be able weather wise to always hang on the line. Plus she grew up in a condo where no one was allowed to hang things outside. It's just what happens when you put 2 families together. Not everyone has same priorities and everyone insists they are right.

Good luck in moving out. I think you need that more than a portable AC. Again, jmho.