Do Air Conditioning geeks exist?
I work from home now. It rocks 
I also live in a rental property in the warm climate of Brisbane, Australia.
I wish to convert one of the rooms — westward-facing, 3 metres by 3 metres — into my office. I currently work in the main living area under a split system A/C and this has some problems that I want to alleviate.
Below is an image of the only window in this room. It has a single slider 570mm by 1450mm (the pink line) which is fitted with a security screen by pop-rivets. This window faces west and there is drainage outside.
What is an appropriate set up for cooling such a room, given that it is a rental property? I have looked at evaporative coolers and portable air conditioners but have been advised against both given our climate. It also appears somewhat difficult to use a portable A/C given the fixed security screen and the need for an external vent — can it me reversibly modified somehow? I find no other appropriate option and am a bit of a deadlock. Advice?
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:24 am
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December 2nd, 2008 at 3:59 am
As you know, there’s no such thing as making cold, only removing heat. So what’s required is exhausting the hot air to the outside. You might try a window AC unit if your landlord will allow it. You install them in your window by replacing some of the glass. If you have a way to route a line to the outside (like a hole in the wall maybe 5 - 8 cm wide), and you have ready access to a sewage drain from that room, then you can get a mini split AC that works just like your main AC.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:44 pm
A few years ago now (in Spring Hill fwiw), my mate Nik took his window out, and put the aircon unit in normally. He even cheaped out and just used balsa to fit it to the window. It’s just a window, the worst possible outcome is you ruin it and you’re out a couple of hundred bucks to replace it when you move out. More likely though you’ll be able to take the window out in a way that’s reasonably easy to replace it later.
Of cours first, just ask the landlord to put in some aircon in return for slightly higher p/w rent. They might go for it.