geekhack
geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: tp4tissue on Wed, 17 May 2023, 16:47:33
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Finally boughtz 1.
Coming in next week. /Xcite
(https://i.imgur.com/RSB9WCf.gif)
UPDATE: Midea U-shape 12,000 btu Review:
Had it for a bit now.
VERY quiet, stunningly so.... It's shocking how much sound the window blocks out. On low-fan, you barely notice it's on.
Capacity, can pretty much cool a whole first floor, with the help of a circulation fan somewhere on the far side.
Runs between 300-700 watts depending on compressor load, lower if compressor's off, variable speed compressor.
This thing saves an enormous amount of power compared to using the Central-air unit at 4 Kilowatt.
Cons:
Installation is extremely variable.
Tp4 is Xpurt-lvl handy, so no problems, nip-tuck here, a shim there.
For regular peeps, it would be very difficult to get a good window seal because the instructions are open-ended, all windows are different. Tp4's window was nothing like the instructions, and the foam would not have fit / worked at all without modifications/ cutting/ adjustments.
Foam is very difficult to cut perfectly, and an acoustic seal depends on it.
Some of the joinery edges are quite irregularly shaped and not easily sealed with the included foam-pads.
Wifi connection is 2.4ghz only, makes sense, but Tp4 doesn't have the 2.4 radio turned on, not a big deal though, there're not many reasons to internet this thing.
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Just metered the central-AC's impeller motor, 6 amps, wthhhhh...
That motor alone uses more power than this entire 12,000 btu window unit.
(https://i.imgur.com/T95NXT0.gif)
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That does not seem unusual, especially if the central unit is not new and energy efficient.
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It's also intended to cool the entire house, not just a small room.
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(https://i.imgur.com/zkdP3qz.gif)
UPDATE: Midea U-shape 12,000 btu Review:
Had it for a bit now.
VERY quiet, stunningly so.... It's shocking how much sound the window blocks out. On low-fan, you barely notice it's on.
Capacity, can pretty much cool a whole first floor, with the help of a circulation fan somewhere on the far side.
Runs between 300-700 watts depending on compressor load, lower if compressor's off, variable speed compressor.
This thing saves an enormous amount of power compared to using the Central-air unit, 4 Kilowatt.
Cons:
Installation is extremely variable.
Tp4 is Xpurt-lvl handy, so no problems, nip-tuck here, a shim there.
For regular peeps, it would be very difficult to get a good window seal because the instructions are open-ended, all windows are different. Tp4's window was nothing like the instructions, and the foam would not have fit / worked at all without modifications/ cutting/ adjustments.
Foam is very difficult to cut perfectly, and an acoustic seal depends on it.
Some of the joinery edges are quite irregularly shaped and not easily sealed with the included foam-pads.
Wifi connection is 2.4ghz only, makes sense, but Tp4 doesn't have the 2.4 radio turned on, not a big deal though, there're not many reasons to internet this thing.
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Finally got a properly hot day to test it out, the unit peak powered up to 960watts. Measured 55db spl at 1 meter.
It's rated at 52db at max setting in the brochure, +3db would be 2x sound energy no ? Hrrrmm...
But since they didn't specify distance, I'll let it slide for now.
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Just measured it from the outside. 65 db, so perceptually twice as loud, but it's 10x the sound energy.
So the "window" cuts out roughly 10db worth of noise. that's ALOT.
Overall, great isolation.
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Runs between 300-700 watts depending on compressor load, lower if compressor's off, variable speed compressor.
This thing saves an enormous amount of power compared to using the Central-air unit, 4 Kilowatt.
You're comparing operational load to startup load.
Start load is usually 2x the operational load (actually more in many cases*), your home AC is probably 1300-1500w in operation but 4k peak (peak rating isn't actual peak, just a rating of what it CAN pull).
You also need to consider how often it needs to come on and I'm willing to bet the window one comes on more often.
The whole house acts as a heat sink (or buffer) to retain cold for the home system (and absorb heat), in the room you only have a small room plus a person and computer heating it up. You have no buffer to absorb the heat so it cycles on and off constantly. And all of it on top of the home system keeping the house cool, don't be surprised if your power bill goes up, not down.
*They often have a capacitor to assist the start, this one of the most common failure on old systems (fan comes on but no cold). The motor ages and demands more and more from an aging cap. One of my last places ate one every 2 years.
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It seems, the outboard tray collects water condensate on purpose, the bottom of the hot side pipes are submerged in the water, there is an overflow hole, but it's not at the lowest point, it's in the middle right of the tray. .
It also has a little plastic well right behind the fan, where it actively pulls water into the blades and blows it against the hot-heat-exchanger.
Do all AC units do this now ?
The house's central, older condenser unit doesn't have this ability.
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The water tray is normal, no idea on the rest.
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Even Hotter day today,
Peak power rose to 1110 watts, 0.83 p.f. ~13amp 102volt. The voltage drop is pretty steep. Was using a 16 awg cable for monitoring, it got super hot, switched to a 12awg.
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Saw it go over 13amp today, 13.23amp, then stays around 12.4-12.8amps
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Update, If ne1 gon' put on 1st floor, make sure to add some screens to the intake, MUCHO buggos get inside. Now tp4 will has to disassemble the outer hull and clean.
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Understanding why these ACs have such large vents to begin with, it seems the netting which is just window screen replacement material tp4 used stops nearly all the bugs, but also catches some dry twigs/seeds/leaf litter, overtime if someone wasn't watchful, this could easily clog and stop airflow for the outside condenser.
So, yes it stops Buggos, but gotta sweep it here/ there.
It's catching alot of mosquitos and they're all dried out stuck to the side / bonus.