Air conditioner recommendations?

[FutureDVM]

I will be moving into an older house in August that does not have air conditioning. Obviously, I'm going to need to get a portable AC unit to keep the chins comfy. Does anyone have any recommendations on ones that work well?

Unfortunately, I can't use traditional window AC units, due to the way my windows slide open. I have been looking at various units on different websites, but I'm not sure what will actually work best. A lot of the ones I've come across are "evaporative cooling units". Do these work well for chins? Or do they increase humidity?

I'd preferrably like to find one that's fairly affordable, but I also don't want a piece of junk that will only cool down the room 1 or 2 degrees. I'd really appreciate any recommendations you guys might have!

 

[AZChins]

How large of an area are you wanting to keep cool?

Evaporative coolers all raise the humidity as a means of cooling the air. Colorado is very dry, so it could work pretty well in cooling things down. However, you need to keep the area well ventilated to keep the air from becoming completely saturated.

A portable A/C unit should be pretty easy to use. They aren't as efficient as the window unit types, but a decent one should keep things cool enough as long as you size it properly for the area you are wanting to cool down.

 

[FutureDVM]

How large of an area are you wanting to keep cool?

Evaporative coolers all raise the humidity as a means of cooling the air. Colorado is very dry, so it could work pretty well in cooling things down. However, you need to keep the area well ventilated to keep the air from becoming completely saturated.

A portable A/C unit should be pretty easy to use. They aren't as efficient as the window unit types, but a decent one should keep things cool enough as long as you size it properly for the area you are wanting to cool down.

Thanks for the advice. It will be a small bedroom. I'm not sure about the actual square footage, but it's about the average size of a typical bedroom in an older house.

 

[AZChins]

You could get a 5000 btu to 8000 btu unit and it would work great. You don't have to get the most expensive unit that does a ton or more...just one of the smaller units. The rule of thumb is that you need about one ton of A/C per 500 square feet, so with a small bedroom you would probably just need half that or less.

 

[SunshinePixie]

I also live in Colorado, and it evaporative coolers work great here and don't raise the humidity too much just because it is so dry.

I had to move my babies down to the basement (bedrooms are down there and its quieter place anyways). Because it is SO darn hot so far this year. And in typical CO fashion...no AC in the home.

We might have to do the same if it continues getting hotter, even with them in the basement.

 

[frolic]

We have this one http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04280086000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 and it works pretty well but our space is too large for it to keep both us and the chin cool. I can get her cage down low enough by aiming it so it hits a corner of her cage and the area to the side of it(I have a thermometer right at her level so I can make sure it's right ) but for us across the room it's still a little too tosty. Our house is like a solar cooker. Without the air conditioning it get to 10 degrees above the outdoor temperature easily.

Our landlord assured us that the house was fine without airconditioning because it was so temperate near the cost. He failed to tell us how bad the insulation was and how much hotter the actual house gets. I was freaking out when the temp got too hot for her and we weren't sure if we could afford an air conditioner. I didn't expect it to get this hot for another few months. I was at the point of considering rehoming her till I picked up a new job and was able to get the air conditioner for her. I'm trying to work extra hours so we can exchange it within the 30 days and get a 1200 btu unit to keep us all cool.

The unit itself was easy to instal and it's nice that it's on wheels so it's easy to maneuver around.

I did have one question about aiming the air on her. I know having it directly on her is a bad idea but is it ok to have it hit a corner of her cage(like 1/4 of it) so she can go in and out of it? She also has a wooden house that would protect her from draftyness. Right now she's very perky and staying in her house most of the time sleeping during the day with little spurts of running around into the air and down to her wheel. Her ears are light pink and she is alert. I want to keep it as cool as possible until we get the new unit. If we need to we can move her into a smaller room where the temperature will stay cooler with the unit farther away from her but my own selfish side likes her in the living room where I can see her and talk to her if it's safe enough for her.

I'm dreading seeing the electric bill now but I want to keep my little girl happy and alive.

 

[tunes]

DVM - If you have windows that slide to the side rather than up or down, they have special a/c's for that. Do a search on Amazon and you will find them. They also have them at Wal-Mart.com. If it's a typical old house with smallish rooms, I would go with the 8,000 BTU. I used a 5,000 BTU in a one car garage and it wasn't enough. 8,000 was perfect. Anything bigger than that and it was too much and the unit kept freezing. If your unit freezes, it's too big for your room.

frolic - I would not aim an a/c at any part of the cage. Chins can so easily develop respiratory issues, it just isn't worth the risk. You can spread the a/c around a bit more by using a fan along with it. Also, if you're in a fairly humid area, you can cut down on that significantly by aiming a fan at the floor to help break up the humidity, which tends to sink down low. I've done that in my barn for years and it works great.

 

[frolic]

Thanks Tunes, I moved the air conditioner and the temp is holding at an ok level. She is acting like she's a bit pissed at me for moving it and keeps running to the part of the cage it was aimed at and acting like a crazy chin now but she'll be ok.

I think she really wants to come out and play but I don't think it'll get to 70 in the area she'd be in for a few more hours. What would be an appropriate temperature for playing? I was thinking 70 or 72 but I wasn't sure.