Improving efficiency of crap efficiency portable AC
 

My ancient duplex has tall narrow windows that won’t fit a normal window AC which means portable AC with a hot air pipe going outside.

Tempted to try to improve its efficiency by wrapping the burning hot plastic pipe in the silver reflective heat blanket I have.

But more complex I have a large return vent to the wet basement right behind this AC unit.
Years ago my folks had curved vent covers that would sit on this type of vent.
I would like to vent and duct tape the floor return to the exhaust intake on the ac so the wet stinky air get sucked out of the basement cooling the hot side of the ac venting it outside

Air is cooler down there so it should also increase efficiency.

Any ideas what junk I might get to attach the floor vent to the ac uptake to the exhaust? Stuff I can easily source doesn’t handle the vacuum. Would want to get it airtight so it pulls the air only from the basement, other vents are closed or covered to reduce simply sending cold air into the basement directly

I've used that paper lined foam board from the dollar store.
 

You can easily cut and fit. Some bending can be performed by heating carefully with a hair dryer. Tape it to see fit and performance then you can cover with common Titebond glue and cloth as poor man's fiberglass to make it permanent. Time is needed but it is low cost, easily worked and reasonably robust. If humidity is a problem, you will have to paint with an appropriate coating.

Keeping the same air inside will make it a lot more efficient.
Sounds like you need mini splits.

I'd probably look for a good deal on a dual hose unit and then sell yours on a hot summer day.

You can fairly quickly make up the added expense of an efficient unit in electricity savings.

https://www.amazon.com/Whynter-ARC-1...f_=as_li_ss_tl

If you own the place, then mini-split is probably the way to go.

Duck tape

I can’t “ modify “ my rental

The one 110vac mini split I found that could just be plopped through the window for $499 is perpetually out of stock and from reviews easily broken and unreliable

Keeping the same air in only works with window units, the seer ratings for dual hose units are perpetually pretty terrible.

Insulating the hose so it isn’t radiating 180F back in the room and piping the return to vent out the leaky basement is likely the best I can do.

I’ve got everything blocked off so the air has to go through the kitchen to the far end of the house through the breezeway,

My 1868 era basement is a leaky POS so pulling air through it would have a variety of benefits, ventilating it not the least.

I hadn't commented because the pics could use an UP arrow. Neither pic shows the top end of the hose.

But generally speaking, hose clamps should serial the upper ends, a piece of carpet turned upside down should seal the bottom.

What you want is a [plenum] box that extends the basement vent upward with a venturi around the end of the vent pipe.

My concern is the thing with the cardboard over it.

The hose will get wrapped (easy) but I want to pipe from the cardboard covered floor vent to the slots in the back of the unit that pull room air to cool the coils, the air consumed goes out the pipe.

I would prefer my basement to get ventilated to help dry and the cool air there would cool the coils more, outside air entering my basement is much less of a concern than pulling hot air into the dehumidified upstairs area.

I guess I know what that means now. Don't mind me, I can't even spell 'seal' half the time.

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Simple.

Remove floor vent. Get a long piece of flexible ducting that will reach the floor in the basement and add a duct booster fan like this.

https://i.postimg.cc/tgC9p3dT/416438...28-DE84428.jpg

They can be had for less the $50.

Then connect ducting to your portable unit.

You could just use the duct with the booster fan to blow cooler air from the basement directly into the floor vent and into your living space. However, there would be no dehumidification. Dehumidified air is key to feeling cool. 50% humidity is close to ideal.

Make sure you also clean the fan blades on the ac unit. If you can see any dirt what so ever on the blades you could have minimum reduction of 10% air flow across the coil and air flow is critical.




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