Strategic AC Installation
I discovered last year that my Central Air Conditioning in my apartment is ridiculously expensive. So, since last summer I have not run it at all. Wow, my electricity bill dropped to 20% of its peak!!! I have relied exclusively on many fans as the weather has warmed. It's become quite clear that the insulation in my apt is abysmal!
But... summertime is threatening!! And I can't handle the hotter temps, no not at all! I've always been very, very heat-sensitive. Several weeks ago we had a mini heat wave and I actually got hot enough to feel mild dizzyness. Dangerously unacceptable.
Chosen solution: Separate unit to point AC-cooled air ON ME DIRECTLY, and not even to (necessarily) cool my entire bedroom. Intended to be more efficient than the Central Air 'cause it's about cooling me, not my whole aparatment or even one whole room. I plan to run it Only When Medically Necessary, to save electricity $$$¢¢.
So, I recently got a nice new portable Air Conditioner, the fabulous Royal Sovereign ARP-1003E, with its Monster Bendy Straw ducting (in the back) that attaches to its included almost-big-enough adjustable Window Spacer. I needed a unit that I could adjust to my sideways-slider window. I wanted a unit I could position right next to my bed and pour the cool air DIRECTLY ON ME. (Thanks to hitchhiker for help!)
However, the height of this fabulous AC means that its vent only barely peeked over the left edge of my bed. So I wanted to make a riser/shelf/thingy to lift the AC by 9-12".
I came up with a simple design, and jusdisguy did nearly all the work (plus finding appropriate scrap wood) to make this lovely riser:
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AC Riser - Top View
The riser has a top shelf of ~¾" particle board, four 9" long legs of 4x4" wood attached by long screws with washers , plus big caster cups (to be) screwed in place on top. jusdisguy neatly countersunk the four screw/washer combos that ended up beneath the caster cups.
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AC Riser - Underside
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AC on Riser - view from the side
Interestingly, the AC is actually nearly as close to the wall as it can be. The wide vent duct on the back (wall-side) of the AC that sends hot air (and moisture) out the window (I call it the Monster Bendy Straw) means the AC unit has a minimum distance from the wall. It also has its intake vent on the back of the unit, so it couldn't be snugged up to the wall anyway. There is a "window spacer" in the window that is (now) the full height of the window, and just a bit wider than the bendy straw. I had to special order an extra piece from the manufacturer to make the spacer the full window height, but now it's great. I also weatherstripped the edge that's against the sliding window, with extra weatherstripping filling a side gap in the spacer.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
AC on Riser - view from the front, peeking over bed edge
This pic shows the end result of all this effort. The entire point of the riser is to have the vent of the AC be high enough over the left edge of my bed so that the cooled air will hit me nicely on the right side of my bed. It's lifted ~10", and it works!!! :)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And today, in the annoying too-much-for-me heat, I tried it out. YUMMY!!! Just the thing to get me through the worst most dangerous part of the day! :D
But... summertime is threatening!! And I can't handle the hotter temps, no not at all! I've always been very, very heat-sensitive. Several weeks ago we had a mini heat wave and I actually got hot enough to feel mild dizzyness. Dangerously unacceptable.
Chosen solution: Separate unit to point AC-cooled air ON ME DIRECTLY, and not even to (necessarily) cool my entire bedroom. Intended to be more efficient than the Central Air 'cause it's about cooling me, not my whole aparatment or even one whole room. I plan to run it Only When Medically Necessary, to save electricity $$$¢¢.
So, I recently got a nice new portable Air Conditioner, the fabulous Royal Sovereign ARP-1003E, with its Monster Bendy Straw ducting (in the back) that attaches to its included almost-big-enough adjustable Window Spacer. I needed a unit that I could adjust to my sideways-slider window. I wanted a unit I could position right next to my bed and pour the cool air DIRECTLY ON ME. (Thanks to hitchhiker for help!)
However, the height of this fabulous AC means that its vent only barely peeked over the left edge of my bed. So I wanted to make a riser/shelf/thingy to lift the AC by 9-12".
I came up with a simple design, and jusdisguy did nearly all the work (plus finding appropriate scrap wood) to make this lovely riser:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
AC Riser - Top View
The riser has a top shelf of ~¾" particle board, four 9" long legs of 4x4" wood attached by long screws with washers , plus big caster cups (to be) screwed in place on top. jusdisguy neatly countersunk the four screw/washer combos that ended up beneath the caster cups.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
AC Riser - Underside
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
AC on Riser - view from the side
Interestingly, the AC is actually nearly as close to the wall as it can be. The wide vent duct on the back (wall-side) of the AC that sends hot air (and moisture) out the window (I call it the Monster Bendy Straw) means the AC unit has a minimum distance from the wall. It also has its intake vent on the back of the unit, so it couldn't be snugged up to the wall anyway. There is a "window spacer" in the window that is (now) the full height of the window, and just a bit wider than the bendy straw. I had to special order an extra piece from the manufacturer to make the spacer the full window height, but now it's great. I also weatherstripped the edge that's against the sliding window, with extra weatherstripping filling a side gap in the spacer.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
AC on Riser - view from the front, peeking over bed edge
This pic shows the end result of all this effort. The entire point of the riser is to have the vent of the AC be high enough over the left edge of my bed so that the cooled air will hit me nicely on the right side of my bed. It's lifted ~10", and it works!!! :)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And today, in the annoying too-much-for-me heat, I tried it out. YUMMY!!! Just the thing to get me through the worst most dangerous part of the day! :D