Window AC Oriented Vertically???


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Old 10-04-19, 01:21 PM
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Window AC Oriented Vertically???

I want to take a cargo trailer camping for four nights. I picked up a 5'000 btu window air conditioner for $69 so I can have air conditioning at night for sleeping. I know the unit "should" only be operated in the upright position. I'm thinking of cutting a hole in the floor of the trailer and just dropping the AC into the hole with the condenser coil facing down and the control panel facing up toward the ceiling. How long do you think it will survive operating in that orientation?

For $69 I don't care about the air conditioners long term survival but I would like to get four nights use out of it. I don't want to pack a generator, air conditioner and cut a hole in the floor only to have the compressor seize after an hour's run time.
 
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Old 10-04-19, 01:51 PM
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Good question.
I guess it comes down to how long the compressor can run before all the oil leaves the sump.
 
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Old 10-04-19, 04:14 PM
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I want to take a cargo trailer camping for four nights.

I'd just leave the trailer on the parking lot at the nearest Holiday Inn.....problem solved.
 
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Old 10-04-19, 10:07 PM
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I’d guess it’d run a couple hours before it seized. I would be very surprised if it lasted half of one night.
 
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Old 10-05-19, 04:36 AM
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I predict it would last minutes.
Think of a 4 cycle lawnmower engine on its side.

Would be an interesting experiment though.
 
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Old 10-05-19, 04:42 AM
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Darn, that's what I was afraid of. I'd throw a rooftop air conditioner on this thing if they made them in smaller sizes. So far the smallest I've found is 13'500 btu.

Plan A2 is to open up the AC and see if I can bend the compressor around 90 degrees so it will be in the correct orientation to go through the floor.

Plan B is to install a RV baggage door in the side of the trailer. Then I can put the window AC in the opening. Unfortunately buying a pre-made baggage door is going to cost more than the air conditioner and I'll have to do some reinforcing of the trailer in the door area.

Plan C is to use a two hose portable AC that I also have. I can run both hoses down through holes in the floor. Unfortunately that AC is 14'000 btu and right on the edge of what my 2'000 watt inverter generator can power. It works but the generator is running at full throttle making it noisier than I'd like. Never mind that 14'000 btu is three times bigger than it needs to be for the trailer.

---
The cargo trailer is going on this trip so I can bring a golf cart. My wife just shakes her head when she catches me cursing that Airstream doesn't make a toy hauler.
 
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Old 10-05-19, 07:08 AM
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Can you suspend it from the roof of the trailer inside near the front and cut a hole in the front (or side) wall to vent it. Sort of like a refrigerated truck or trailer would have (although those units are usually mounted on the outside.) To keep weather out, you could put a door on the outside that you open when using the AC.
 
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Old 10-05-19, 07:36 AM
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A window a/c draws air from it's side and discharges out of the back.
The last suggestion would have you exhausting more air than can be cooled.

Another idea that is fairy simple:
Ice absorbs 144 BTU/lb.
A ton of ice blocks and a simple fan would certainly cool you off with the added bonus of lots of ice for your drinks!
 
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Old 10-05-19, 07:40 AM
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Now you're thinking! Keeping the beer cold was a concern of mine.
 
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Old 10-18-19, 05:47 AM
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It's done. I modified the window AC to have ducting. I place the unit on the ground underneath my trailer and in/out hoses pass up through the floor into the trailer. So far in my tests it has worked well. I don't think 5'000 btu will be enough to cool the trailer in the sun at noon on a hot day but it should be enough to make it comfortable at night for sleeping.

I removed the front from the AC and measured the open area at the output of the fan. It was 12 square inches but most of that area is dead space. So, I have two 2 1/2" diameter exhaust ducts for the cold air providing about 10 square inches of area. For the return I am using 4" dryer duct which provides about 12 1/2 square inches of area so the unit is not starved on the suction side.

 
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Old 10-18-19, 06:37 AM
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Did you block the front outlets or do the duct connections bypass them?
 
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Old 10-18-19, 08:42 AM
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The vent's are blocked internally so all the air must exit through the two round ports on the top.
 
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Old 10-18-19, 09:42 AM
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Looks pretty good. Can't wait to see how it does the job.

(must remember to keep extra ice for the beer)
 
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Old 10-18-19, 10:02 AM
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That's very clever !! twenty five characters
 
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Old 10-19-19, 04:58 AM
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I looked a bit odd walking through Walmart with the face plate of the air conditioner looking for the perfectly sized plastic storage bin.
 
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Old 10-19-19, 07:18 AM
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I looked a bit odd walking through Walmart with the face plate of the air conditioner
I doubt it...depends on what you were wearing ;-)

https://www.thethings.com/15-unbelie...re-to-walmart/
 
 

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