[R-390] Sweat Shops

[Barry Hauser]

We're a bit OT, but corrosive sweat dripping down into the RF coils is a
condition to be avoided.

To give you an idea, I just replaced an old Sears 5000 BTU A/C with a 5700
BTU Friedrich which I bought at a local appliance chain (PC Richard) for
$179.  This was the highest BTU unit I could find at the right size --
similar to R-390 dimensions -- about 19" wide X 12-13" high and 14 in. deep.
It's full featured with remote control, which does come in handy.  The same
store had basic 5k units down to about $99 before haggling.  The Friedrich
was $199 before a gentle prod got me $20 off.

These are all window A/C's, meaning they come with the expanding sides and
don't have slide-in shell cabinets.  In my case, I have it mounted through
the wall in the same spot as the old one.

The room is about 12' X 14' -- maybe a bit smaller, ground floor with two
floors over it and sharing an insulated wall with an unheated, non-A/C
garage, one small window.  It is barely powerful enough to keep the room
comfortable in 90 plus days.  While the rating is nominally higher than the
old one, it seems to be no more powerful and possibly somewhat less so.  The
old A/C used Refrigerant-12, the new ones all use something that's more
ozone layer safe - -and less effective.

I doubt if a unit like this would be effective at all in an uninsulated
garage -- typically at least two or three times larger than my little room.
Unless you can somehow partition off your workbench area, you might not even
get a cool enough breeze out of it to be worthwhile.  You'd probably at
least need a barebones unit of 12K BTU's or higher.

Before going to that trouble and expense, try a good quality fan.  If the
garage is detached, and particularly if it has an open peaked roof, an
exhaust fan mounted near the peak can do a lot.  Draws off the rising heat
and creates a convection effect which makes the garage equivalent to being
in the shade with a breeze.

But try a regular fan first.  It's a form of evaporative A/C.  As you sweat,
the breeze evaporates it, cooling skin temperature.  Of course, this
principle doesn't work on humid days. ;-(

Sharper Image is pushing a gimmick that goes around your neck.  I don't know
if it uses ice cubes or those electronic cooling elements, but the idea (I
think) is to cool the blood as it flows -- turning your circulatory system
into an inside A/C system.  Maybe it just cools your head?  They're about
$30-40.

In the old days, my mother used to set us up with a table fan and a bowl of
ice cubes.  Not terribly effective, but it was the thought that counted.
Another method -- soak your T-shirt in cold water, wring it out and put it
back on.  Probably not a good idea around electrical work.

Seriously though,  you're better off with a bigger capacity A/C -- no frills
as you'll have it on full blast all the time.  Also, it will be a true
through-the-wall unit and easier to install.  Get as many BTU's as  you and
your electrical system can handle without running a dedicated line.  You
might have to spend $300-400 with some good results, vs. $100 and change for
next to nothing.  YMMV

Barry



----- Original Message -----
From: <ToddRoberts2001 at aol.com>
To: <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2004 12:33 AM
Subject: Re: [R-390] Sweat Shops


> In a message dated 7/14/2004 12:25:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> dwade at pacbell.net writes:
> We have a simlar problem here in Sacramento with summer heat.
>
> Do you think a window a/c unit would to any good without any isulation
> overhead?
>
>       Dennis
> A blast of cold air has gotta help. If it's a closed room a window a/c
unit
> can do a lot of good. I see Wal-Mart has 5200 BTU window air-conditioners
for
> $79.00, a 6000 BTU unit for $124.00. I know there are gonna be tons of
> variables - size of room, height of ceiling, insulation/no insulation, but
it might
> make the difference between trying to work in an unbearable hotbox and a
room
> you can work in. 73 Todd Roberts WD4NGG.
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