Recommendations for Cooling Bedroom (We Are Renting)

clownfish on 28/11/2017 - 09:31
Last edited 28/11/2017 - 10:48 by 1 other user

Wondering if anyone could offer any advice on the best way to cool down our 4x4m bedroom on days over 35?

-We are already using a large fan but it's just pushing the warm air around.

-We are renting and the windows don't open wide enough for a window unit.

-We don't require it to be overly cool just something that takes a few degrees off so we can sleep more easily.

-Willing to spend a bit more if it'll cost less on our electricity bill.

Anyone have experience with the dyson fans that also compress the air to cool?

Hoping to spend less than $500

Thanks in advance!

Home & Garden

Comments

  • stumo on 29/11/2017 - 19:48
    +2

    The monoblock portable units are loud and inefficient. You can make them less inefficient by rigging them up to work with a dual hose. Some even come with a dual hose option. There is nothing you can do about the noise though. I guess an inverter model should be quieter in theory, or at least constant noise. The problem I had with the was the compressor kicking in and out tends to wake you up, rather than the constant noise. I haven't ever seen an inverter model though. You could also wear earplugs I guess.

  • Toons on 29/11/2017 - 19:50
    +7

    There was a whole thread on this.

    the basics are if you're just pushing warm air around you need to find a way to let it escape.

    The more air changes per hour the cooler it will become, we did a lot of research on this at work and managed to get 45deg room down to 28 by using a single fan.

    without seeing the room layout the best we managed was using a a single 300mm axial fan running into the bottom corner of a closed room then diagonally opposite as high as possible even if it's running into the roof space we placed a small 100mm vent / extraction point this forced the cool air in low pushing the warmer air up and the 100mm extraction point was the path of least resistance for the heat. works surprisingly well the issue with trying this in a house bedroom is trying to keep the door closed but still pushing the air in low.

    The small vent duct can be easily patched / blue tack a flag over it is your worried about rent inspections.

    Using cool mist increased Humidity and made it worse

    Running the axial fan through a an Esky lengthways worked a treat if you couldn't bring the air into the room from a cool place without opening the door, with the reusable ice blocks stacked to form vanes for the air to pass through with holes in the other side of the esky to allow the air to flow through the ice packs. not pretty but worked.

    It can run all day even bottles of frozen water for the esky just replace them when they eventually melt

    • Droz on 01/12/2017 - 18:47

      link to the thread?

  • UNO on 29/11/2017 - 19:51
    +1

    What about this one www.kogan.com/au/buy/kogan-10000-btu-portable-air-conditione…?

    • mysterytal on 29/11/2017 - 21:37
      -1

      Something like that will add heat to the room.

      It will add 800W of heat into the room by the action of the compressor which it will do it's best to remove but the net effect is very little extra heat will be removed. Whatever is removed through the exhaust is replaced with warm air from outside.

      I would just get a fan which will add a little heat to the room via the fan motor too but much it'll add much less than a portable air conditioner. Most fan's I've seen are about 50W.

      • Cheaplikethebird on 30/11/2017 - 14:46

        I think your calculations might be off there mate. I had that exact unit in a 10x10m room and it kept things nice and icy during a Brisbane summer.

        • mysterytal on 30/11/2017 - 17:24

          The description says it can only cool rooms up to 20 square metres and you had a 100 square metre room. Amazing.

          The volume of air in a 100 square metre room at a ceiling height of 2.4 metres is 240 cubic metres and this unit can only output up to 350 cubic metres per hour. It doesn't have the ability to cool a room of that size. Maybe the fan effect moving the air was cooling the room.

          A 20 square metre room ceiling height of 2.4 metre has a volume of 48 cubic metres. At least the air will be changed every 8 minutes 15 seconds.

        • samwyze on 01/12/2017 - 11:12

          A 10000 BTU system is not going to properly cool a 10M x 10M room. Its not possible. It might knock a few degrees off but thats it.

        • Cheaplikethebird on 01/12/2017 - 11:41

          @samwyze: It did the trick for me. Full disclosure though it did die during it's second season.

  • NeggerOfDeals on 29/11/2017 - 19:51
    +2

    I went the bogan way, bought a $50 box air con off Facebook and did a sh!!ty DIY window install…

    Worked wonders but looked like a drug house from the outside.

  • cob on 29/11/2017 - 20:48
    +1

    Make big ice blocks in the fridge by 2-3L sistema box, put them all into esky then fan blows on top
    While waiting for the room to cool down, chuck a zooper dooper (trust me, it works :D)

  • MessyG on 29/11/2017 - 20:54
    +5

    I've moved around through more rentals than I can count, all with varying levels of shit insulation, here's my two cents.

    Dyson Hot-Cool - tried this (thanks Amex Altitude rewards back when you were good): It's a fan. It's a very pretty fan, but it's still a fan.

    Vornado - it's a fan on crack, definitely worth a shot because it's so powerful. Shits all over the Dyson.

    Portable aircon - we had a Polocool. It was like having a noisy refrigerator in the bedroom but holy shit it made the room like a fridge. Easily the best cooler but so noisy. We would cool the place down with it then try and get through the night with varying degrees of success.

    Box aircon - have this currently, (although getting split systems installed next week!) - a bit better than the portable aircon and less noisy.

    Cold shower and fan on works for a bit too.

    Also if you're renting, ask the landlord if they'll install aircon. Some are absolutely happy to (others not), but you can only ask.

    • [Deactivated] on 29/11/2017 - 23:02

      That Vornado looks great!

  • Hardlyworkin on 29/11/2017 - 21:54
    +1

    Just ride it out until the weekend, you'll need your heater back on!

  • CheapSticks on 29/11/2017 - 22:00
    +1

    We have honeywell portable 4.1kw aircon - pretty good to cool and dehumidify as well.

    You can pickup used from gumtree for 500-600 bucks - go for 4.1kw as your room is good size and on high 30 days will be handy

  • bugger off on 29/11/2017 - 22:12

    Any reviews on this one?
    http://www.kmart.com.au/product/10l-evaporative-cooler-with-…

  • Skellysgirl on 29/11/2017 - 23:28

    http://dealizzle.com/home/277-sale-privacy-tent.html

    And point the fan in to it.

  • frostman on 30/11/2017 - 08:50

    I dont get how some of these Portable Aircons like the Kogan say 4.1KW

    However I had a Split System aircon that's 2.5KW and it's much cooler than the portable?

    • John Kimble on 30/11/2017 - 09:05

      Installed near the ceiling so they suck out hot air from the room and replace with cold immediately. More efficient.

  • [Deactivated] on 30/11/2017 - 08:58

    It was god damn hot last night and didn't drop below 30 well into the early hours of the morning. What helped me and my wife was 1 fan directed at each of us. It really was quite cool in the direct blast of the fan and I slept rather well.

    • frostman on 30/11/2017 - 09:21

      You must have ripped a number of farts throughout the night then as a result of constant wind your way

  • yoonibear on 30/11/2017 - 10:48
    +1

    Have you tried a Vornado? I'll be buying one on the weekend as the fan we have now is breaking down.

    • clownfish on 30/11/2017 - 12:21

      Let me know how it is :)

      • yoonibear on 05/12/2017 - 13:57
        +1

        Haha didn't end up buying it as Melbourne went through that cold weather change :)

    • WT on 26/12/2017 - 12:00

      we bought a 660 from costco for $150 a couple of days ago, works well. Compared to a cheap 30cm fan that needs to be directly pointed at us we can point this at the ceiling and feel it.

      If you want value for money though, the $10 ones from kmart x2 or 3 would be just as good

  • blonky on 30/11/2017 - 11:29
    +2

    Best: Window A/C (in terms of efficiency, noise, effectiveness). Consider $900 installed or $500 if you mount it yourself
    Ok: Portable A/C, but will be noisier and no where near as efficient. Look for dual vent and/or water to air cooling like the high end Delonghi's. $500-$800
    Avg: Evaporative cooler, but does not work when it's already humid and does not cool more than a couple of degrees. $100-$200

    Otherwise:
    1) Close the curtains when there's direct sunlight shining in, consider using a car window shade reflector during the day
    2) Open windows and doors in the house/unit to get a cross draught and get that hot air out in the evening
    3) Hang a damp towel in front of the window to prevent the sun heating the room
    4) Fans blowing in/out of the window (direction depends on if it's hotter inside or outside) and another in the doorway
    5) Stay hydrated

    • drillvoice on 01/12/2017 - 12:30

      THat window shade reflector idea is great!

  • baggyred on 30/11/2017 - 11:32
    +1

    Tell your partner she’s looking fat and unattractive

    The bedroom will get super frosty straight away!

  • treeman on 30/11/2017 - 12:03

    Cold face washer on forehead.
    Wet sheets
    Large industrial fan.
    Lots of water.
    Toughen it out.

  • inexpensive tastes on 30/11/2017 - 13:59
    +2

    If you're in Melbourne then it's mostly dry heat in the summer right? There are some smaller and more efficient devices that have been launched on kickstarter & indiegogo in the last few years. They have their limits and certainly won't cool as big of an area as the ones on wheels but if you're just looking to take the edge off it might be worth a look. They're a bit pricey for what they are but much quieter and certainly won't drive up your power bill that's for sure.

    https://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/evapolar/usb-persona…

    https://geizeer.com/products/

    Or like others mentioned if you're handy you could make one of the home jobs out of an esky (or a smaller version with a juice bottle)

    https://youtu.be/ITtlxjvLQis

    https://youtu.be/NYP3Z0Q8EBs

  • timbo13 on 30/11/2017 - 14:30
    +1

    This is a smart/quiet alternative to those inefficient portable AC's:
    https://www.closecomfort.com.au/

    Designed for sleeping/bedroom use. It's Australian too. Shame it's $649 (https://www.closecomfort.com.au/products/pc9-plus), so out of your budget. But it probably would save you money on energy costs in the long run and would be much more comfortable/quiet when sleeping.

    • clownfish on 04/12/2017 - 07:33

      Cheers I'll definitely look into reviews!

  • Kozhutki on 30/11/2017 - 15:13
    +1

    Portal aircons are alright, don't worry too much about the brand, it doesn't actually matter. They all (profanity) up eventually. I'd recommend not having it on 24/7 though because you're kill it way faster than a 3-5 hour a day use.

    • John Kimble on 30/11/2017 - 15:28
      +1

      Also costs a butt load in electricity!

      • Kozhutki on 30/11/2017 - 16:47
        +2

        That's true too, I'm happy to pay higher elec for a few months a year if it means I don't go insane with heat!

        • John Kimble on 30/11/2017 - 16:54
          +1

          I was agreeing with your 24/7 comment, but that would apply to anything I suppose!

    • inexpensive tastes on 01/12/2017 - 12:50
      +1

      A friend had one which he ran for long periods each day. One day it caught fire, luckily he was around to sort it out. Could have been a disaster though, made of plastic and the house was almost entirely made from timber in chalet style. If worse came to worse there was a huge fish tank in the room though, may have saved the day!

  • therooftop on 30/11/2017 - 16:58
    +1

    Have not tried it but a mate swears by the chilly pad
    https://www.chilitechnology.com/

  • crfnx on 30/11/2017 - 17:08
    +2

    I have had some luck hosing the wall that gets the afternoon sun. I lived in a house where the sun set on the bedroom wall, and it would stay warm for a long time. A lot of heat was transferred into the bedroom. Spraying water on it around sunset cooled it down enough to sleep better.

    • Switchblade88 on 30/11/2017 - 22:00
      +2

      You could go one step further, and cool your entire roof, like I do: Roof sprinklers mounted on split milk crates, and on a hose timer! Even with the (rather large) 4br roofline I am renting, I only needed two impact sprinklers. Mount them on the crates, hook the crates into the capping, turn on the tap… profit.

      The water cools the colorbond through conduction, then eventually through evaporation. And it's damned cheaper than the aircon!

      Next upgrade is an Arduino and relays for weather and temperature-based control… But in the meantime, 'turning the tap on when it's hot and sunny' does the job.

      • clownfish on 04/12/2017 - 07:31

        Wow, nice!
        Might be a bit expensive to set up for a rental only to pull it down in a year. Plus we have no tools and no ladder haha

  • fruxo on 30/11/2017 - 17:46
    +2

    Ask to have a ceiling fan installed. Doesn't hurt to ask. If you offer to pay for the fan if he takes care of the installation, that would certainly be enough for me (if I was the landlord) as it would make the place easier to rent. When we looked at rentals, we skipped units with neither aircon or ceiling fans.

    I think this is the one we have. It's $150 with integrated light, and you can probably find a similar one for $100 or so:
    https://www.lightingillusions.com.au/shop/ceiling-fans/white…

    Probably send a link to the fan you are suggesting in that case so there is no confusion (ie he picks an expensive fan for you to pay, or you pick an ugly fan he doesn't want etc).

    • clownfish on 04/12/2017 - 07:30

      Good idea thanks. I'll see what he says…

  • Kikkoman56 on 30/11/2017 - 17:49
    +1

    I'd recommend a cheap evaporative cooler from target or kmart, they go for around $100 and work decent enough (when below say, 80% relative humidity…).
    The important thing is the dew point really, Victoria has it pretty good for this - http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_086071_All.…
    The cooler won't be able to achieve 100% relative humidity to the air passing through but it will be noticeable enough.
    However from my experiences it doesn't cool the entire room but is still enough to let me sleep in the Brisbane summer.

    • clownfish on 04/12/2017 - 07:29

      Do you use these ones yourself? Thanks

      • Kikkoman56 on 04/12/2017 - 09:55
        +1

        Yeah I do, slept easy last night despite the heat and humidity here in Brisbane.
        I have it pretty much right next to my bed near my feet, angled so it goes over most of my body though. Whether or not it'd be enough for two people I'm not sure though haha

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 30/11/2017 - 19:53
    +1

    Arlec portable aircon from Bunnings. $299

  • thesteve on 01/12/2017 - 00:54
    +1

    Why cool the whole room. Maybe only try cooling yourselves.

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/732999278/blo-the-world…

    I'm not sure if you can sleep in it though!

  • GregMonarch on 01/12/2017 - 06:54
    +1

    I'd be asking if I could remove the glass from a window and fit a 'window rattler', as long I replace the glass when I leave. They might require a tradesman do the work. But sleeping comfortably is worth it. (As it moving address to achieve it.) And anyone can - ahem - 'remove' a window (and the aircon later on) to reduce the cost of a tradesman.

    • clownfish on 04/12/2017 - 07:29

      Hmmm I'm not exactly handy… I also have a feeling that our windows would break even if a professional did it :/

  • drillvoice on 01/12/2017 - 09:02
    +1

    Hey, I'm a renter too and I have similar problems. It sounds like there are some good solutions for you in this thread, I also wanted to let you know about a campaign to get minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties - it would mean that all rental properties would stay cooler on hot days and warmer on cool days. If you're in Victoria, you can check it out here: https://environmentvictoria.org.au/campaign/rental-standards…. I'm also working on a similar campaign in the ACT: https://www.facebook.com/comfyhomesalliance/

    • clownfish on 01/12/2017 - 13:42
      +1

      Thanks. Signed the Victorian petition :)
      Our rental is soo poorly insulated so I wish minimum standards did exist :(

      • drillvoice on 01/12/2017 - 20:26

        Yeah it's common to rental properties. Pretty horrendous. Good luck though - I reckon reflective car thinsg in the windows is a good idea.

  • mctubster on 01/12/2017 - 10:19
    +1

    This looks the go

    https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/connolly/air-conditioning-he…

    Not sure if you can buy new?

    Hopefully you are ground floor only

    • timbo13 on 05/12/2017 - 09:54
      +1

      These portable "split" systems (condenser outside) are much better than the portable "window exhaust" systems which suck the inside, cool, air-conditioned air outside and fresh, hot air from outside is passively drawn-in from gaps around windows and doors. The "window exhaust" systems are generally only good for spot cooling (blowing cool air directly on you). They only minimally cool the surrounding room and a lot of energy is wasted, since cool air is sucked out and hot air drawn-in. There are some twin exhaust (in and out) systems that suck outside air in and then blow it back outside again which are slightly better.

      Portable splits perform like a professionally installed split system except they go through a gap in a window/sliding door rather than a wall. They do not suck any air outside or inside, they only recirculate. If you seal all your windows and doors, it will keep all the cool air inside.

      They stopped making and selling them here several years ago. I think it was because regulations changed and the flexible refrigerant pipe was banned because the refrigerant can leak if it becomes worn/broken. Now split systems must use fixed copper piping for refrigerant and portable units must all be internal.

      Your only chance is to find a second hand unit (like on gumtree). We were lucky to get a second hand Mistral unit about 5 years ago from gumtree and it's still going. We will be moving into our own home early next year so hopefully this will be the last summer we need it. It has worked well for us on 40+ days, keeping our small kitchen, dining and living areas a comfortable 25-26 degrees. The indoor unit is still noisy when the compressor is running. We wouldn't be able to sleep with it in a bedroom.

  • Hunry on 01/12/2017 - 11:49
    +1

    There's a kickstarter called Evapolar, I haven't read up too much about it but I think it's worth a look.

    https://evapolar.com/

    • clownfish on 04/12/2017 - 07:25
      +1

      Thanks, I checked them out but there are mixed reviews and we would need two

    • GregMonarch on 01/12/2017 - 15:52
      +1

      If it blows air over ice you'd get sick of constantly tending to it real quick, and it's inviting mould like evaporative 'coolers'. It might be different though if the block of ice sat on top of a sealed metal box that was the inlet and outlet - so the air doesn't get saturated with moisture on the way through. But it's still a poor cry from real air conditioning.

    • clownfish on 04/12/2017 - 07:24

      Cheers! Have you got this one?

  • Sassenach on 01/12/2017 - 23:02
    +2

    You could make a zero electricity Bangladeshi window cooler out of recycled plastic bottles? https://inhabitat.com/this-amazing-bangladeshi-air-cooler-is…

    • clownfish on 04/12/2017 - 07:24

      We actually live next-door to our landlord who is a real sticky beak so he mightn't appreciate our street-facing windows being modified ha

  • [Deactivated] on 02/12/2017 - 02:50
    +1

    Tell me more about the configuration - what type of windows, where are they, and how much do they open. Maybe a photo would be good.

    Also what's outside the bedroom. Sounds like a hallway. Is there a window somewhere just outside your bedroom.

    I know how to deal with this but give me the format first. A picture would be nice.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/12/2017 - 22:33

      Nothin - glad i didn't waste my time…

      • clownfish on 04/12/2017 - 07:22

        Sorry that was really rude of me!
        Your comment somehow got lost when I was reading replies. I'll take a photo and layout tonight. Understandable if you're no longer willing to take a look though.

  • LisaNeedsBraces on 02/12/2017 - 08:44
    +1

    Same situation here (renting, hot apartment). We ended up purchasing a used deLonghi portable aircon for under $150 off Gumtree and ran the exhaust pipe out the sliding door.

    photo: https://puu.sh/yxu7h/e9b3332a86.jpg

    Just make shroud is removable so that it can fit through your window since you're limited in terms of space.

  • Yaren24 on 03/12/2017 - 19:54

    Overheating is a common concern in the bedrooms, I am in similar boat as OP, just curious if anyone here has purchased this portable air con?

    https://www.dicksmith.com.au/da/buy/vostok-12000-btu-portabl…

    Any reviews? It said "Low noise operation" not sure how noisy it is, and how is the efficiency?

    Thanks

  • clownfish on 04/12/2017 - 07:35

    Wow. Thank you everyone. I've been given so many options to research :D
    It's going to be cold all week in Melbourne too haha

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