Q: Can an air conditioner be installed sideways?

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
Hey all :)

Haven't been around in a long time!!!

Question though... it's ******* hot here lately and i have an AC unit just sittin around because it doesn't fit sideways in the windows here...

Can I install it sideways? If not, then way??

Same thing with my other question... why can't it be run in my house directly? Everyone keeps telling me "because you can't" type answers... i'm looking for concrete facts to tell me why...

i mean couldn't i simply make a little shelf type thing to put the unit on top of? and have a water runoff pipe thing in back? if that's the only thing...

Thanks guys :D
 
diyAudio Moderator Emeritus
Joined 2001
I don't know if you can run it sideways. Maybe sideways pointing up so the water runs out the back. I really don't know how to check if this is safe-you would have to know the path of the water.

As far as a shelf system goes, you should know that hot air comes out the back of the air conditioner. So any shelving situation must separate the hot air coming out back from the cool air coming out front-sort of make an Infinite Baffle for an air conditioner.

Just make sure your back end is up above the slope where the water is supposed to run out, and you should be okay. And remember there are motors in the air conditioner, so the heat from them needs some room to escape.

If you have tall, thin crank out style windows, bear in mind that they do have air conditioners for those. Taking off the crank-out style window so the air conditioner fits in should be easy-just be careful.
 
Yikes!

The compressor is usually a sealed unit with an oil immersion bath for permanent lubrication.

Rotating the unit 90 degrees will likely cause oil to leek past the valves and into the refrigerant lines. Allowing the unit to sit upright without running it can usually cure this, unless it was operated while sideways.

Running the unit sideways can force lubricant into the condenser (or is it the evaporator?) lowering the efficiency of the unit. This loss of lubricant from the compressor will likely also lead to early failure.

I'm uncertain about the technical accuracy here, but reasonably certain that this isn’t such a great idea.

-Dave

Afterthoughts and Suggestions:

Perhaps you can get some 6 or 8” hoses and make a hood for the back of the unit to connect them to. A board could be cut to fit in the window opening to attach the other end of the hoses to.

This is of is course assuming that you currently have electricity to read this and to power the air conditioner.

A big plastic bottle or a condensate pump (about $30 at home depot) will be needed to catch the condensate.
 
Re: Yikes!

Da5id4Vz said:
The compressor is usually a sealed unit with an oil immersion bath for permanent lubrication.

Rotating the unit 90 degrees will likely cause oil to leek past the valves and into the refrigerant lines. Allowing the unit to sit upright without running it can usually cure this, unless it was operated while sideways.

Running the unit sideways can force lubricant into the condenser (or is it the evaporator?) lowering the efficiency of the unit. This loss of lubricant from the compressor will likely also lead to early failure.

I'm uncertain about the technical accuracy here, but reasonably certain that this isn’t such a great idea.

-Dave

Afterthoughts and Suggestions:

Perhaps you can get some 6 or 8” hoses and make a hood for the back of the unit to connect them to. A board could be cut to fit in the window opening to attach the other end of the hoses to.

This is of is course assuming that you currently have electricity to read this and to power the air conditioner.

A big plastic bottle or a condensate pump (about $30 at home depot) will be needed to catch the condensate.

This last part is exactly what i thought of doing... making some kinda fitting fort he back of the unit, to catch the water runoff and the heat... pass it through a large type tube and out the window...

place the unit very near the window so it's not too bad this way...
 
ok i've figured it out!

I'm going to wrap the sides of the air conditioner around with cardboard... This cardboard will be an inch off the metal side of the air conditioner...

Each cardboarded side will meet up with each other on top of the ac unit. I will attach a washer and dryer hose and have that go outside.

I will cover the back of the AC unit and have another dryer hose and make that go outside... I will then put the AC unit on a slant and have the water drip intoa bucket inside my place.

sound feasable? sounds very very easy!!

I'm going to give this a shot :D

Diagram:

Code:
 Cardboard wrapping around unit


		to window
           _________________________________
           | _______________________________
           | |
           | |
 -------------------------
 |                       |
 | |-------------------| |
 | | |||||  |  |||||   | |
 | | --------------- O | |
 | |      Front      O | |
 | |                   | |
 |-|                   |-|
   ---------------------


           _________________________________
           | _______________________________
           | |
           | |
 -------------------------
 |                       |
 | |-------------------| |
 | | Back              | |
 | |        __         | |
 | |       /  \        | |
 | |       \   \       | |
 |-|        \   \      |-|
   ----------\   \------         To Window
              \   \_________________________
               \____________________________

Back is fully covered with only the hole for a 
way of breathing outside


Think this will work?
 
I'm not sure what you are getting at with the first hose and the cardboard surrounding the machine.

From what I do understand I think you may be headed in the right direction.

For temporarily use this should work fine.

Luan 1/4" plywood would work a little better and still cuts with a mat knife, but the from what I'm guessing the extra 5 bucks might toss you out of budget.

The other thing to watch out for is if 4" hose will carry enough cubic feet per minute over the length of the hose without confusing too high a static air pressure. You might need to increase to 6" hose or use 2 runs of 4" phase to make it work OK. 6" hose is available with a layer of fiberglass insulation.

Depending on what vent settings your AC has and how long you plan on running it, you might be OK with just the hose from the rear.

I also wouldn’t recommend letting this thing run when your not at home.
 
Da5id4Vz said:
I'm not sure what you are getting at with the first hose and the cardboard surrounding the machine.

From what I do understand I think you may be headed in the right direction.

For temporarily use this should work fine.

Luan 1/4" plywood would work a little better and still cuts with a mat knife, but the from what I'm guessing the extra 5 bucks might toss you out of budget.

The other thing to watch out for is if 4" hose will carry enough cubic feet per minute over the length of the hose without confusing too high a static air pressure. You might need to increase to 6" hose or use 2 runs of 4" phase to make it work OK. 6" hose is available with a layer of fiberglass insulation.

Depending on what vent settings your AC has and how long you plan on running it, you might be OK with just the hose from the rear.

I also wouldn’t recommend letting this thing run when your not at home.


hehe to be sure heres another image :)

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Basically i would cover the side vents. in the picture above, that's where the wall joins the AC unit.

Then I would also cover the back. At the moment i have 8 foot long hose that's 3 inches in diameter. I'm not sure what the exact needs are of the air coming from the back or the sides... since AC Units don't take air in from outside to cool and throw in the house...

Its more to keep the condensor/compressor, etc... cool i think..
Hence I figure the air intake demands aren't so high?
 
Much clearer. You’ll just need to make sure that you do get enough air to the side vents that the compressor doesn’t overheat. A 1” duct space might be pushing it a bit.

Watch out too that the hoses are far enough apart at the window that the airflow doesn’t short cycle, drawing the hot exhaust into the side vent intake.
 
Da5id4Vz said:
Much clearer. You’ll just need to make sure that you do get enough air to the side vents that the compressor doesn’t overheat. A 1” duct space might be pushing it a bit.

Watch out too that the hoses are far enough apart at the window that the airflow doesn’t short cycle, drawing the hot exhaust into the side vent intake.

didn't think about the seperation gap for the vents... I will
keep that in miond when i put them in the window. Thanks :)

Hmm So what your saying is that I should maybe put 2 inches on each side of the AC to let air flow? Your right, a 1 inch gap might be too small.
 
COOl! hohohoho I'm FUNNY!

All right Ive stopped laughing at my humor...

Ive been wondering if you could get away with leaving the side vents open and drawing indoor air.

Hear is a picture and web site for some commercial units that do the same, to provide you with a little inspiration.

These things typically run a single large house into a ceiling plenum or out a window and spew cold air out the little houses on the front.

They either pump condensate out a house or have a bucket with a float switch attached to catch the condensate.

I hope you have a big enough electric circuit for that puppy. It would be a shame to have an electric fire while trying to stay cool.

You have me wondering about using a $100 AC unit with a power inverter to cool my 87 Jeep Cherokee. Its an old beater and not worth the $900 gamble for the new evaporator that might get the AC unit working in it.

http://www.airrover.com/
 

Attachments

  • air rover.jpg
    air rover.jpg
    66.6 KB · Views: 98
Thought about it some more...

What if you left the side vents open and used two pieces of 3" tubing for the exhaust.

The diagram you posted shows the side vents as intake for chilling the air as well as the exhaust back outside.

This approach might make the unit run more efficiently. The negative effect might be to have negative air presure inside the house, but its likely not too big an issue.

3" hose has a sectioned area of about 6.75 square inches
4" hose has a sectioned area of about 12 square inches

2x3" pipes would be about the same as a single 4"

Keeping dryer vent flaps on the hoses will keep the squirls from chewing into your house at night. Bilge vents from a boat supply shop cost more but also make good ways of terminating the hoses.

Oh, one more thing, mow your lawn!
 
Da5id4Vz said:
Thought about it some more...

What if you left the side vents open and used two pieces of 3" tubing for the exhaust.

The diagram you posted shows the side vents as intake for chilling the air as well as the exhaust back outside.

This approach might make the unit run more efficiently. The negative effect might be to have negative air presure inside the house, but its likely not too big an issue.

3" hose has a sectioned area of about 6.75 square inches
4" hose has a sectioned area of about 12 square inches

2x3" pipes would be about the same as a single 4"

Keeping dryer vent flaps on the hoses will keep the squirls from chewing into your house at night. Bilge vents from a boat supply shop cost more but also make good ways of terminating the hoses.

Oh, one more thing, mow your lawn!


hahaha! hey! I only live in the basement... luckily it's not my building, and i'm only living here.. renting the place :D hehe

actually what i was thinking is maybe getting a 5 inch tube. You think that might be better for the back? as for the other vent... I guess I could always just remove the tubing alltogether but leave the cardboard around it... hmm.. :scratch:

My friend mentionned maybe i should put more than 2 inches of depth in the back... You think i should? Or the 2 inches should be enough?

I must also cut the hoses so that they arn't as long... this should let the exhaust leave faster. So in essence there are no gasses emmitted by this device, it's really just the back which gets really hot and would end up defeating the purpose of running inside...
 
Like a funnel

I guess you could think of your duct adapter as a funnel. The less resistance the pressurized air has to go through to get to where it is going the better.

Shorter is always better for pushing air through a pressurized hose.

Bigger is better for making turns and adapting between sizes. Don’t count on the venturi effect to allow for constrictions in airflow, restrictions will always raise the pressure reduce efficiency.

A run of 5" house would be great and also give the whole rig that Braille look.


http://www.trond.com/brazil/sound/jingle.wav
 

Attachments

  • brazille.jpg
    brazille.jpg
    2.9 KB · Views: 80
heyyy Guys....Just got back from a weeks holidays and briefly read this thread (Thanks Dave)

when I get time to read through the thread and reply I will.

Some brief comments that have already been mentioned:

NEVER place the unit sideways and if you do let it sit upright for a few hours

the surface area of the condenser has been calculated to exhaust without restriction based upon the evaporater and compressor rating (we use a program to determine the sizing for the fan and compressor provided by different Mfg`s)

More to come

Cheers!!The DIRT®
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.