The Dino-Aspie Ex-Café (for Those 40+... or feeling creaky)

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Hey hey hey
Merle has nearly got five kay!

ok. if anyone out there has a hell of a lot of free time and wants to help in the great a/c hunt? i'm air conditioner hunting. the quote the rather obnoxious guy who came to the house gave me, when he finally bothered to phone me back after acting as if I was wasting his time, was obscene and a total rip off. as in like $1,400. PLUS installation. I know better. How insulting, as well! (He also couldn't be bothered to fax me a quote.) so, i'm gonna just buy my own, and pay a handyman to put it in, especially since a/c guy said "all we have to do is take the old one out and put the new one in".

i've been looking at a/c units almost nonstop for two days and my eyes are starting to cross. i need assistance. or, at least, another set of eyes.


Here are the caveats -

I can neither lift anything much over 75pounds nor can I carry that up our flight of stairs, so it has to be delivered. I have to get a handyman, which I can for about $50, to put this thing in the wall sleeve and take the old one away. The wall sleeve is in the upper portion of my living room wall, otherwise I could have gotten creative with wedges and stuff to get it into the sleeve. No way I can lift it over my head like that. (They all seem to weight about 100 pounds.) If it's in a convenient place, the handyman might pick it up for me if I pre-pay and just have it waiting for him, depends.

The wall sleeve opening is 26" wide by 18" tall. Hence, the A/C unit has to be less than 26"wide and 18" tall or it won't fit. I believe the depth is a standard one.

The power source is 220volts on a 20 amp dedicated circuit.

The old A/C was a vintage 1972 General Electric. Considering it's been run every year since 1972, I'd say GE must make a pretty darned good unit! Granted, it's been wheezing badly the last few years.

The space to be cooled is, ideally, 1,000 sq. ft., but I'd settle for just cooling the front half of the place (about 600sq ft) if that's all the BTUs I can get. It'd be like one big room, for all intents and purposes. All the "BTU selectors" are telling me I want something over 15,000 BTUs, given that we're upstairs, have no insulation (and can't put anything in), have a black flat roof, and single-pane glass windows that just transmit the heat in something fierce when the sun is on the building (translate that as"from July through October"). We have a long west and south exposure. In the summer you can pretty much bake an egg on the windowsill.

The Homeowner's Association will not allow window units, nor any non-standard window treatments (reflecty stuff, awnings, etc.) to deal with the heat. They balked at my using the little portable on wheels that we use in the kid's room in emergency situations when it's really hot, because the exhaust hose in the window was "unsightly" but backed down when we threatened an ADA lawsuit. I pretty much have to go with a through-the-existing-wall-sleeve unit.

If we can find a high BTU unit that runs on 220v for 15 or 20 amps, but that is smaller than the opening, kits are available to fill in the gaps left between the smaller unit and the frame. So, smaller physical size is ok.



What I've done so far -

I looked at Sears, and they have some that are exactly 26 inches wide. Which means they're just a hair too big to fit in the existing sleeve. The smaller dimensions window units, which all the stuff I've read online says can be used in a "through the wall" setting, too, are 115v.

I looked at Home Depot, Target, Walmart, QVC, Costco, Best Buy, and they are all either too large or run on 115V or they don't carry any.

I looked in Consumer Reports magazine to see which were the best rated as far as reliability, quietness, efficiency, etc., and got a list, but it turns out that the list is for 115 volt units, so is useless.

I printed out the list of Energy-Star rebate approved units, thinking I could maybe get a $50 rebate from SDG&E, or, at least, a tax break.

My priorities, now rearranged, are 1) that the damned thing fits the space, 2) affordability - I'd really like to not spend more than $600 on the unit, considering there's gonna be shipping and the handyman expenses, 3)reliability, 4)efficiency (energy star is best, but anything remotely close to a 10.EER is fine), 5) that it can be delivered or is available in a local store, and 6) has a standard warranty. If it was a nice, uber-quiet unit that would be nice. I don't care about remote controls, etc. When it's on, it'll be on all day and a good portion of the night. We won't be fiddling with it and a remote is just another thing to lose in the couch cushions.

Any recommendations?

Nan...I am useless at helping you with finding the best air-conditioner but wanted to mention a couple of things.

My bf has MS and belongs to the National MS society. Because of the MS..he is very heat sensitive and it can trigger exasterbations as well as just making him miserable. The MS society not only paid for him to get an air conditioner but helped with all the details. I was wondering if there was such an orginization for your daughters illness? I know it is rare and I thought there was an umbrela group that helped people with "rare diseases".

I also think, given your daughters condition...an air conditioner should fall under "medical expenses". I think a good tax lawyer should be able to help you with the details...might need a DR's note and keep receipts of all expenses. This isn't a comfort item for her but a live saving device...why doesn't medical insurence cover it...(I know the answer but I still think they should). Your rental place sucks if they prioritize someones discomfort at seeing a hose,etc over your daughters life... Why are humans so insane and neurotic and how did that become the "norm"?


Handymen....do you have one you really trust? I'm not sure of the cost of joining Craigs list...but it might be worth it. Someone who puts one in wrong will cost you money in energy and if not installed so it drains properly, the whole unit can freeze up. So buyer beware...few handymen who pay for damaging a poorly installed unit and the legal cost to go after them.... . If you pay electrical...it might be worth paying more for a unit that is energy effecient rather then the "cheapist", given current energy prices. I know you plan on leaving eventually and you should be able to bring the unit with you.


Hope something in that rambel helped.

Nan, I Googled "220 volt air conditioner", and got several hits. Here is the first one I found, at Best Buy, currently on sale for $459.99. The cabinet measures 24" wide by 14.5" tall, and is 19" deep (20.5" including the front plate, the part that has to hang out into the room). It's EnergyStar compliant, and is rated 10,000 BTU. Enjoy!
jjjjjjkk33331111

Oh, and Iain says hi, too.

I do NOT believe this!! !! !

I just got a bonus as they'd heard I was approached for that other job and they'd like me to stay here.


Timing does NOT work like this for me. Am waiting for the other cosmic shoe to drop. And going to Home Depot tonight and getting the best A/C I can buy before it does.

Will make a donation to Modest Needs to thank the great beyond for the windfall.



I wonder what's next? Plague? Fire (noooo, do NOT go there)? Dead car? There's always a catch.

Nope, Nan. No catch, this time. I have cast the runes, read the entrails, looked at the stars and put in a good word for you with the people that matter.

Where are you going to post P5k? Here or the Random forum? Either way I have my spam-dancers ready.....

HAPPY MAY DAY!


Self Portrait

and love to all my wonderful friends on WrongPlanet.net
my life has changed for the better and I will never again be alone
and that is worth everything it takes to live another day.

I am humbled by your Aspie (and non-Aspie, Robyn) LUV!!

Merle

C ngrats!! !
Happy 5000!! !!

I am happy that you chose the diner to post your 5000


Nan...take the money and run. That is such awesome news. It kind of makes the whole religious concept that "God" makes bad things happen so we can appreciate the good all the more...make a little bit of sense.(even if I still don't think it's true) OK God, I get it...you can knock it off now and I promise to appreciate.


My word for the day...denizens...as in the grand denizens of this cafe. I was just wondering (while I was looking up info about minerals in MN and rock hounded info.....(when I should be looking for a new job or a million other productive things)

How do you deal with your obsessions? Before I learned about AS...I called these my "addictions" and thought they were examples of my evil tendency to avoid things that I would rather not do...so I tried really hard to repress them, with some(limited) success. I tried to make a deal with myself to only be obsessed with things that were "good for me"...like my biking or yoga OR things that could eventually make some money and make me less reliaent on a "real job". Be practicle. I allowed my self a few "slips" with my compulsive reading, sudokus, crosswords...but would eventually get back on track..practicle. I chose jobs where I could get paid and still be able to do these things(pretty sneaky of me, no?). Working over nights was a godsend.

Now I find that I am spoiled by this...I don't want to work day hours and give up my over night free time...but that really limits the kind of work I can do. Most of it is dead end and all the things I have found(social service types) also require working with people I don't really like(staff not clients) or violent unpredictable clients...or noisy over crowded dogs or working mornings or driving or says must multi-task or have special training...or pays dirt and most jobs have several of those "draw backs". Other people seem to except that they are going to be miserable and stressed at their work(that's why they pay us, right?)

I'm mind stuck. I don't know what I want to be if I grow up.

I don't know if I'm looking for advice or just need to whine but I was wondering how you all manage to balance your interests with working full time. It kind of feels like people who are on a diet but still has to be around food, (unlike alhohol, that I could mostly avoid).

Whine over. How do you handle balancing real life and obsessions?

Richie...I like letting my eyes go out of focus and watching those mini Michele Jacksons...cool.