So I've been trying to figure out some air-conditioning on the cheap in my apartment while the weather has been mild... And I've not had good luck. The central unit kicks on for 15-20 mins, and then stops for about 10 mins, if the temperature difference is more than 5F. In a test, it dropped the temperature of the apartment 3F in ONE HOUR. Clearly not gonna cut it.
Next up was the portable air conditioner I was using at my parents house, (bedroom above a garage that gets ridiculously hot), and it's somehow worse, despite having been manufactured perhaps 20 years after the central unit in my apartment. It takes over 150w just for the FAN.
Once the compressor kicks in, though, it hovers around 550w. Then it starts rising. It gets up to the point of 1,100w after about 10 mins. Never does get a good enough flow going to cool the apartment, either. Can anyone clue me in on the rising consumption? Second compressor, perhaps?
This is the type that sits on the floor and uses a hose to access the window, BTW.
Finally, I have an evaporative cooler on loan, which does nicely in moving air, only uses 75 watts with all the features on, and has a tray for adding ice, which does cool the air significantly. But it's not enough when it reaches 85F in the apartment, still gets hot and sticky.
I've also been opening the window and screen door and running the exhaust fans at night to move all of the hot air out of the apartment, but then I get moths and a bunch of things coming in.
Dammit somebody give me 2kW worth of solar panels, and some Peltier panels so I can refrigerate my apartment while setting fire to my deck.
