Cheap Portable Air Conditioner for a Small Sun Facing Room

AustriaBargain on 08/12/2023 - 00:26

My old Mistral MYPN-15C portable AC has stopped working. Compressor doesn't cool the air for whatever reason. My tiny bedroom faces the setting sun and the terribly designed house gets hotter inside than out. This portable AC was my only respite from the heat, even on the hottest day it'd lower the temp in the little room to around 24 degrees, and on a day where it gets to 29 inside it'd lower it down to 18 degrees.

So I guess I'd better buy another one. Can't install a split system or a window unit, has to be portable. This is much discussed on Australian forums, but we don't have two hose Portable ACs in Australia due to regulation or whatever only recently allowing them for sale but no one sells them, not cheaply anyway.

Ideally I'd pay like only $300 because when I move I probably won't have a use for it. There's solar here so at least in the day it's free to run.

Find Me A Bargain Air Conditioner

Comments

  • jv on 08/12/2023 - 00:57
    +1

    Good guys commercial often have good prices on these.

  • bargaino on 08/12/2023 - 00:57

    $300? try gumtree or FB marketplace, I guess. Bunnings sell cheap ones, but half the power of your old one. Have a look at Kogan.

    Even a small aircon reduces humidity though, so combines well with a fan.

  • foxmulder on 08/12/2023 - 01:10

    Have you tried air circulator the likes Vornado? Much less power usage and it works great.

    • AustriaBargain on 08/12/2023 - 01:18
      +1

      I’ve got the vornado dc 633 or whatever. It’s good, but doesn’t help when it gets over 27 degrees inside.

      • foxmulder on 08/12/2023 - 11:06
        +1

        When it's hot out there, do you open your window? Closing your window with air circulator turned on should help with the heat. Probably open slightly your room door to have heat escaped.

  • bargaino on 08/12/2023 - 01:17
    +2

    Is there some reason you cannot shade the window? e.g. hang shade cloth in front.

    Perhaps window film?
    https://www.bunnings.com.au/pillar-0-9-x-2m-mirror-tinted-ad…

    • AustriaBargain on 08/12/2023 - 01:19

      That would help. But won’t stop the room heating up on a hot day.

      • Protractor on 08/12/2023 - 09:25
        +1

        If the sun is kept off the offending wall, and the room still heats up, then it’s coming from the roof. You need to prevent the problem 1st, reduce it second, treat it last.Your expectations are too high for the solution you have in mind. Your old AC died of heat exhaustion.
        Hang the shade cloth further away from the window, and make sure it covers as much of the west side of the house as possible.
        Trellis? Trees? Move?

        Double brick walls have a lag on the daily heat build up, so it's worse hours after the sun goes down

        • AustriaBargain on 10/12/2023 - 07:45
          +1

          It’s definitely the roof and the wall. This place was made by a masochist in the 70s.

          • Protractor on 10/12/2023 - 09:26
            +1

            @AustriaBargain: Prevention is better than cure. Beat the masochist with smarts.

            • AustriaBargain on 10/12/2023 - 10:00

              @Protractor: A whirly bird on the roof might help. But the house isn’t mine and the owner is itching to demolish it and sell the land.

              • Protractor on 10/12/2023 - 10:19

                @AustriaBargain: On a hot day, with a poorly designed roof, on a poorly designed house a whirly is to removing heat in any meaningful way,of the same efficiency as baling out the Pacific Ocean with a chopstick

  • jv on 08/12/2023 - 01:27

    $239 for 2.0kW
    $329 for 2.6kW
    $429 for 3.5kW

    https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/kogan-smarterhome-26kw-portable…

    • AustriaBargain on 08/12/2023 - 01:53

      Hmm that 2.0kW might do it. Reviews suggest it’s very loud. But it’s better than me being very hot.

      • OMGJL on 08/12/2023 - 04:20
        +1

        Kogan crap always massage their spec numbers, so divide their spec number half when you consider their stuff.

        I have bought the Kogan 3.5kw one last year, it's sounds like a quieter version of power drill on a wall. it does make my 9~10 sqr meter bedroom properly cool (even cold) but does absolutely nothing for living room which is 2-3 times the size of my bedroom.

        I do like how it comes with Tuya integration so I can do some scripting with it to shut it off at night and turn itself up when room is become hot again during night.

        meh, loud and cool is better than sweat to my death.

      • jv on 08/12/2023 - 09:04
        +1

        Reviews suggest it’s very loud.

        Good opportunity to test those Noise Cancelling headphones you bought in the Black Friday sales…

        • AustriaBargain on 08/12/2023 - 16:48
          +2

          I did use my AIrPod with noise cancelling when I started using the old Mistral, until I realised turning the fan speed form high to low reduces the noise a lot. It's still quite loud but I got used to it. What I didn't like is the loud thumping sound when the compressor turned on or off when it reached the set temperature.

  • jv on 08/12/2023 - 01:28

    Good guys commercial have this one for $470

    https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/dimplex-26kw-portable-air-con…

  • Richardc on 08/12/2023 - 01:31
    +3

    why not get an outdoor blind first.

    • AustriaBargain on 08/12/2023 - 01:42

      I actually do have a blind I could install. My window is weirdly recessed, I don’t think it can fit it.

    • geekcohen on 08/12/2023 - 06:06
      +1

      This. Look at getting a roller shutter. I did this for my Office which gets the morning eastern sun and it has helped a lot for summer days. Once it was warmed up, it wouldn't cool down.

      About $900 installed for a manual shutter. then I just use the roof fan and a vertical fan to keep myself cool throughout the day. I am going to put a split system in eventually to help keep it cooler in the summer (I WFH full time) and also use it for heating which will be cheaper than heating the whole house. But the shutter has helped a lot!

  • shaybisc on 08/12/2023 - 08:21
    +1

    I would go shade cloth and window film first. Both cheap partial fixes and will make whatever air con you get more effective.

    One thing I noticed when looking at all the specs of the ones CHOICE have tested - the less noisy ones don't cool well. I mean all portable air cons are noisy but compared to other portables.

  • orangetrain on 08/12/2023 - 10:29

    If you want to spend some time instead of money, you could try taking it apart to unblock it?

    Your specific product apparently blocks easily and someone wrote some suggestions: https://www.productreview.com.au/questions/0651f4ed-2732-3ad…

    • AustriaBargain on 08/12/2023 - 11:02

      There was a bit of dust on the filters when it stopped working. If i tried to unclog it I’m worried this would be me:

      Removing the cover was a true PIA. … This unit now heads to the tip….in pieces.

      But it did work fine and is now exhausting cool air, so maybe a clog in the water part is the fault and it could be fixed myself…

    • AustriaBargain on 08/12/2023 - 21:04
      +1

      Aight, I pulled it apart. Did everything the guy suggested, water seems to flow through the left right hole fine, it goes through the right tray fine, and falls to the lower tray fine. Letting it run with the cover off, even started pouring litres of water through it and drain it straight into my shower just in case. Noticed a lot of foamy water. But it still doesn't seem to rumble like it used to when the compressor kicks in. So I think the problem isn't clogged holes after all. The top coils are meant to be cold and the bottom coils meant to be hot, but both are room temp, so compressor just isn't running. The fans in it will still move air, still creates negative pressure in the room. So if it's cooler outside than inside I would be better off putting the AC outside, running the exhaust into my room, and turning it on to pump cool outside air inside.

      Covered in sweat, cuts on my hands, what a waste of time that was.

  • mrkorrupt on 08/12/2023 - 10:30

    it is better to spend more and get a oversized one then an under sized one, i bought one from bunnings a few years ago, and had instant regret and it wouldnt cool down a small 3x3 metre room.

    I suggest spend the 450$ and get something oversized

  • AustriaBargain on 10/12/2023 - 07:44

    I ended up getting this one https://www.bunnings.com.au/arlec-smart-grid-connect-4-68kw-…

    I know “Arlec” is just a generic Chinese product but it says 4.68kw so it’ll be as cold as my old Mistral, it also does heat so won’t be useless in winter, and presumably is more energy efficient for heating than a standard electric heater despite just having one hose.

    $750 is a lot but I can’t install a real split system or window unit and i’m not going to sweat this summer, not in my bedroom anyway, not again. Need one luxury in life.

    • Protractor on 10/12/2023 - 10:59

      Your predicament is a snapshot of the real life effects of climate change.(Here and everywhere) Not everyone will be able to 'fix' the issue as you have, so we should spare a thought for those people doing it tough, and with no respite.

      • AustriaBargain on 10/12/2023 - 11:15

        Yeah, I'm fair broke ass, but there's people out there that wouldn't be able to drop $750 on a portable AC because they don't or can't work. Hard to imagine anyone having less money than me but I know there must be millions of people in Australia who probably see this little unit as a luxury.

        I didn't want to buy a used one because my Mistral was used and compressor broke. Mistral is just the brand Bunnings used to slap on their generic Chinese products, now they use Arlec instead. Probably there's people here who would never dream of buying a no name appliance and would only get the $1500 Delonghi or whatever….

        • Protractor on 10/12/2023 - 12:22

          If you get some more spare cash, maybe snaffle some shade cloth (doent't even need to be new) and some fold back clips from stationer and hang a full wall length shade cloth (from gutter to close to or on the ground. It's a nasty summer, so the LL should forgive a bit of temporary 'ugly' if it gives some relief from the heat. Western sun is the enemy in Australian summers. Low angled and still ferocious.The more you can stop,deflect,reduce it the better. If your roof is tiled double whammy , but diluting the west effect will help a lot.
          Go a mid to darker coloured > 80% shade cloth if you can.

          • AustriaBargain on 10/12/2023 - 12:27

            @Protractor: I'd just drill into the wall. The owner really doesn't care anymore. The whole place is falling apart, he started some renovations a decade ago tearing tiles off bathroom wall and there's still boxes of new tiles he never got around to putting up. As far as he is concerned the house is already a pile of rubble. I get the setting sun at the back of the house so it wouldn't bother neighbours. Neighbours are more bothered about me having the worst looking garden on the street, probably the whole block. Maybe the whole suburb. I'l cut it, but that's where I draw the line.

            The roof is tiled yeah. The house is actually well insulated in a way. Even on a 40 degree day if it was cool the night before the back rooms will stay cool until about 2pm when the sun starts hitting it. Then it gets hotter and hotter and stays hot until the next morning. If it cools down the same night it'll stay hot inside. Could be 20 outside and 32 inside at night. Owner doesn't want to pay for fly screens and I had mosquitos and spiders so I don't leave the window open for too long. I've got it sealed up for the AC hose to dangle out with anyway, though I can unzip the seal to let the bugs in.

            • Protractor on 10/12/2023 - 12:34

              @AustriaBargain: Try to have as big space between the shade cloth and surfaces you are shading, nothing less than 200mm.
              Don't just put it directly onto the wall, you'll lose the benefits

              B.O.L

              • AustriaBargain on 10/12/2023 - 12:41

                @Protractor: I considered sticking aluminum foil to the window but I read that it can cause the glass to crack from the heat.

                From what I remember last summer on a 40+ degree day, the 4.5kw/1500 BTU Mistral would bring the room down to about 25 degrees, which actually wasn't too bad. For such a tiny room though it must have been working very hard, it was definitely very loud. If the room was much bigger it wouldn't cope. 1500 BTU is rated for a room far bigger than mine, so probably lucky that old unit was so powerful.

                • Protractor on 10/12/2023 - 12:47

                  @AustriaBargain: The thermal mass is the issue ( and lag ,thereof) not just the transfer. through windows. You could just use polystyrene sheet on the glass and it will help with that issue, but you'd be surprised how after a few days of shade cover on the entire western wall how much the peak temps and times change.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join