Portabel Air Conditioners.

[Twodose]

Portable Air Conditioners.

Has anyone ever used a portable ac unit inside there equipment room?

 

[MEP001]

I've been in a room with one in it - it didn't work well at all, but it wasn't ducted to get outside air. Most of them can run just sitting in a room if it's insulated, but they will work better if it's able to get the heat transferred outside.

I'd probably just cut a hole in the wall and put in a window unit - they're a lot cheaper.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Has anyone ever used a portable ac unit inside there equipment room?

Whar are you trying to accomplish? Keep equipment cool or make the room comfortable for yourself? If it's for certain equipment I would suggest.
1. Exhaust Fans
2. Fans blowing over equipment like compressors and motors.

Thought the fan idea was mickey mouse until i saw a behind the scenes show about an amusement park and that's exactly what they were doing on some of their back room electrical and Hydraulic units.

 

[Twodose]

It is so hot in the equipment room, if you have to work on anything in this heat it is killer.
Have a 20" fan running all summer but it is still very hot and humid in there.

What i'm trying to accomplish is like you say to make it more comfortable in the equipment room when working in there, and also I would think that all that heat and humidity has to be hard on all the equipment, especially the electronics.

 

[pitzerwm]

If it is a through the wall unit it should work, but pay attention to the security, as the bad guys will take it out and climb in.

 

[washnvac]

I have a portable at two locations in small equip rooms. They work fine, and really help. It is definitely worth the $300. It will keep it at 80 or so on a hot day, plus dehumidify. Order a 25' aluminum duct hose (5 inch dia) from Grainger or McMaster-Carr. Cut hole in your ceiling close to the wall. Run the hose through the hole and lay it over your soffit vents; then connect to a/c. It is that simple. I leave my set to 75 all the time.

I have cental air in my other 3 equipment rooms. I would not build one without cental air today. But portables are ok in the meantime. Plus it beats cutting a whole in the wall for a window unit.

Get the biggest portable you can. Mine are 12,000 btu (1 ton) You only save a few bucks going to a 9 or 10,000 btu and is not worth it.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Not sure where you are located and how hot it gets. I am in Chicago. . I have 1 room with 4 exhaust fans. One in the ceiling and 3 in the wall. The holes have 3 pieces of pipe set in mortar as bars to keep anyone from crawling in. I use typical Home attic units. I also mounted 2 air circulators on the walls aimed at the air compressors. Seems to do the trick.

 

[MEP001]

Not sure where you are located and how hot it gets. I am in Chicago. . I have 1 room with 4 exhaust fans.

I'm in central Texas. I used to run a wash that had 4" of concrete on the roof with black tar on top of that. It would get to 160° inside even with an exhaust fan pulling air under the door all the time. The ceiling held so much heat that by 7 am when the sun came up it was still 120° with the door shut. Running more fans seemed to make it like a convection oven rather than making it more comfortable.