Nice project. Thanks for posting. Note that the crimpers have two indications. Rear one for insulated connectors and the one forward for Non insulated. Use the rear INS for connectors that are insulated like the ones used here. The forward “notch” is for bare connectors.
Very well done and explained very well, even for beginners. I only have one objection... decades ago, electrical tape was disallowed for capping and splicing wires, according to National Electric Code. I know that it worked for apprx 100 years before it was banned, but enough electrical fires were caused due to poor taping, that the Code was changed. Wire Nuts and splices should be used wherever possible. Especially when dealing with voltage above 24v. 😁 It's just safer, especially for beginners.
Great idea, I did a version of this almost 20yrs ago, because I had a basement apartment and the windows were too small to accommodate a window air conditioner. It essentially sat outside my window under a small clear awning with the duct pushing air into the room. The power cable was on a surge protector and the controls were set to "high". I'd just flip the switch to the surge protector to turn it on when I wanted things cool. Very primitive, but it made a difference, especially when alternatives were not really an option for me. Now portable ac units are more affordable and available.
Window units take inside air, cool it and blow it back into the room. A closed system. The condenser is located outside and water removed from the air is also dumped outside. Portable units don't work as well because they exhaust indoor air to the outside. If you remove air from a room, you must replace it with new outside air (negative pressure that pulls in outside air in any crack it can find), reducing the efficiency by a lot and also bringing in additional humidity. Since the condenser is on the inside, the heat and water produced are also on the inside.
I was repairing a microwave 40 years ago and got hit with a capacitor charge. Trust me it’s a feeling you will never forget. Makes 120 volts just a tickle. Me arm was sore for a week!
I've had this idea for many years except mine included a plug-in box. I love how you incorporated the relay & transformer inside the unit for a clean look. Fast forward a few years and I now have my own place I plan to do this with until I can afford to install a mini-split system. Thanks for sharing! ;)
Looks like a fun project! I will say, though, that when you used the grinder I got a little nervous. Typically you want to run it so the sparks are shooting towards you, so that when (not if) the grinder catches and binds, it pulls itself away from your body, and not towards it. Stay safe out there!
Have to agree... because I've suffered the consequences. 30 years experience, and "I knew" I had it under control.. LOL! Emergency Room and 20+ stiches. VERY lucky I didn't cut tendons... "..Just a flesh wound.." to quote The Black Knight in Monty Python's "Holy Grail"
This may be the best way to explain how an air conditioner works. Or at least to get an understanding of the basic components of an AC. I was looking at doing something similar, but just sorta backwards. Putting the unit inside my garage and ducting the intake and exhaust outside.
i was considering building something similar for a tent aircon, but i'm going to be getting a camper shell for my pickup, so i might use a sheet of old plywood, make a blockoff and cut a hole for a window unit, still not a bad setup, and this reminds me of a project i had to do for Tech to get my HVAC certs, good times, stay safe out there
To determine the speed on the AC blower motor you can measure Resistance btw neutral and each wire. The lowest resistance mean higher speed. Higher resistance mean lower speed. Etc.
18:58 When you don't want to glue two parts together, but still have a seal, apply tape on one side. It also works with caulking. After the sealant is cured, the tape even can be removed, if more pressure can be applied to the seam, like with tightening a screw or such measure. Which type of tape you ask. It depends on the job. Some tapes stick a little more to the sealant, others are thin as a hair. Painters tape, is the easiest to remove. Sometimes cling film is enough🤗
Very respectable video and well explained. Being this is 2021 headed to 2022 fast, mini houses need 20seer heat pumps for excellent and aesthetic cooling/heat. I install 3/4 ton(9000btu) units for not very much and there’s no need for the re-engineering and sharp sheet metal work and bloody knuckles for minimal gains.
Nice project. Thanks. One bit of "Free" advice - I used to manage 16 apartments that had lots of window units. The cheap 5000 BTU units never seemed to last, so I moved up to better quality 6000 (Much more selection at the 6000 range) units. $50 bucks got me at least 2 or 3 times the lifespan.
Awesome! I'd use a bit of silicone caulk around all the electrical stuff, just as a precaution. Is also great to finish off seals wear the foam might flake off.
I dig it however 2 things I noticed. #1 an insulated boot will be better just for the fact of condensation. It'll probably help reduce the amount of heat dissapation, this is why the foam is inside the unit in the first place. This leads into #2 the foam will make a difference as well, some foams such as great stuff will hold up for awhile but it will definitely degrade quick. Find some closed cell expandable foam, that will insure it lasts as long as the unit as it holds up to water erosion. Otherwise a great idea for a hunting shack or a tiny home.
I'm building a teardrop camper. Got my trailer stripped down to just the frame. About to add the floor. I'm at beginning stages. I was watching this and thinking I should incorporate this into my build somehow.
@@NoBs48 I would make a video but know nothing about editing and my phone don't take quality videos. Id have to buy a cheap camera and don't know what kind of camera to get thats not expensive but is good enough
Put a sonoff relay set in there and be done with it. Controlled remotely, no wires running into the house. Because of the resistance (airflow) through the tube, I'd check the heat of the fan motor after it has been running for a couple of hours.
Exactly the problem I've been looking to solve. Tiny space, too loud, too cold AC. They used to make air conditioners that were much smaller, apparently they no longer do. I sense a springtime project in my future.
@@DavidDJenkins The way air conditioners work is the bottom part with all the aluminum fins is where the hot room air enters, and then the cold air is blown out the top vents. So you wouldn't have much luck drawing air from outside your room. It'd probably work, just not very well.
Use wire nuts when making a stop termination. Or better insulation then electrical tape. It might bet rated for 600 Amps, but can it stand the outdoor condition of the rugged outdoors?
I'll be doing this on my workshop this fall once I find a cheap used window unit on Facebook market or Craigslist. However I think it would be far easier just to set the unit to high fan and max cool and then use a Rainbird temp controller. It completely eliminates all the rewiring and purchase of a relay and separate thermostat (well the rainbird is a thermostat but you don't have to wire it up yourself) so all you have left to is build the connection for the ducts to the unit, then connect them up through a window. It might be a bit more expensive than the relay but its far more plug and play, and that convenience extends to when the actual AC unit gives up the ghost all I would have to do is buy a new one plug it in and modify it to connect to the ducts, no rewiring needed.
Did this to ac unit that the analog thermostat was not working correctly. It has digital settings for high and low and plug and play. temperature controlled relay is popular for greenhouses.
By the very close definition yes. But a packaging is typically heating and cooling.. I saw no modifications to the cooling system to install uninstall a reversing valve is the reversing valve and I saw several overdone situations and more than several underdone situations, People please understand yes we can hack our way through and make things wmake things work but this is a pile of something.
Bahahahaha true that, he knows just enough to get someone electrocuted! U couldn't prove by me that he's ever done any sheet metal work, or electrical work, or operated a can of off the shelf foam insulation. 197k tweekers now can make they're 1 room AC much less efficient too!
Theoretically, you could make this work like a heat pump without opening the case. In AC mode, the cold air comes out the front evaporator into the room and warm air goes out the condenser to the outdoors. If you design a duct system where you can blow the warm air from the back condenser into the room and blow the cold air from the evaporator outdoors. The indoor thermostat can control a damper door to route the air properly (much like modern day cars).
Sounds great. However, without an expansion valve the extreme cold weather performance will suffer. It would be interesting to know just how well it would preform though..
This may pose an advantage over a window unit in a window, but in the massive effort to retrofit a window unit this way, just purchase a small Mr Cool mini split. It will work massively more efficiently and heat as well as cool
the whole point of this video was so that we avoid paying more than ~$200 for a mini split and it wouldnt be massively more efficient just slightly more depending on how well the cool side is insulated from the heat of the outdoors
There are a lot of bad reviews for Mr. Cool failing after only a few years. Not to mention the cost of an HVAC tech to diagnose any problems. You can get window units dirt cheap used.
24:19 Just attach tube to both sides and growers supply has you covered😏 No problem finding a used up active carbon filter in XXL, pull out the guts and have some fresh N99 felt applied. There you get the better inline fans too😎
The blowers are not designed to push air Through a duct. They just are not strong enough to do it. This is why the other unit is more expensive. You could use a squirrel fan to combat this issue.
How well did it work when u hooked it up IV been trying to something like this for my camper I'm thinking about trying it the way u did it cuz I want to hook it in to the heat ducts in my camper since I removed the furnace
Interesting conversion. I might try this for an old window unit in my garage. Note however that the EER for most window units will be MUCH lower than for a newer "package unit." Most newer window units are 10 to maybe 14. The mini split or "package unit" can be as high as 30. The window unit condenser coils are just too limited in area for efficiency. Be careful, newer units use refrigerants that require pressures approaching 400 psi. The Chinese, in many cases haven't learned to solder or braze the piping to handle this or the vibration involved. I have 2 units less than 4 years old that lost refrigerant from leaking connections.
I been brasing mine up & instead of 410a I use 134 from auto parts it works great. Look up the specs on the model #on compressor mines rated for 410 & 134, same oil, cap tube kinda small for 134 but it works great no change. That is the thinnest tubing I have ever seen got to be very careful with the heat. You can only fix them a couple of times before they get lots of pin holes. It seems to only be the evap coil that dies my condenser coils have never leaked.
@@rebus570 What??? The working pressure of 410a is over 400psi. That of 134 something around 250psi. It will probably work somewhat but you must be filling the condenser with liquid and the low side pressure must be approaching a vacuum because the liquid can't get through the cap tube fast enough. You are probably paying about twice as much to run and the comp may overheat from lack of cold gas on the input. Are you sure that's a good idea?
@@barnowl6807 Yeah you gotta use a little bit more 134, I charge just till the evap sweats all the way & call that it, suction press only 60 psi, with 90deg ambient, discharge air (evap) temp only 60deg with 76 return air not the best but it works for me, comp runs a little warm but amps in range, suction sweating back to comp case, might research getting correct cap tube size & length for 134, only a cheap 5000btu LG unit though couldnt just throw it away so soon we have to breathe the carbon footprint to manufacture it gonna get all I can out of it. Wish I could get a new coil for 35 bucks it would be better. Thanks for the observation.
Heard the phrase "and learn to build a solar system..." and my first thought was "why on earth would you need to learn to make a diorama of the sun and planets as an adult?" Then I realized what you meant. LOL
17:55 Not necessary. The foam will never let go, if both surfaces are primed with acetone. With the screw hole, you just had made a ingress point for rust. Just use magnets to hold the parts in position until the foam has cured.
Hopefully a unit Mfg. such as these, watches this video and just makes an off the shelf conversion kit… that would separate their company from the rest of the field! oh want to go back to a normal unit? just unscrew this and put the original back on! - now that would be awesome!
Um... not a big fan (ugh - pun alert!) of those foam mountains in the boot and near the fan. Here's why: they will lead to air turbulences, otherwise known as low-frequency noise (LFN) and that's something HVAC manufacturers learned to dread since the 70s. LFN will usually amplify in the ductwork and can't be filtered out through mufflers etc. LFN is long known as a factor that's subconsciously raising your stress level and also negatively impacts sleep quality. If you are building your own A/C, use the opportunity to also make it as silent as possible - across the whole audio spectrum...
However he was using non rigid ducting that is prone to muffling such resonance. Definitely agree that he needs to keep it clean though enhancing longevity and efficiency. Might even use the foil tape to smooth out some of the edges and improve flow.
Nice video! You seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject. I have a question if you would be so kind. I was inspecting my outdoor unit and didn’t pull the power, as I took of the cover it contacted one of the contractor wires? It now doesn’t work. It seems the contactor still works but it doesn’t turn on although I can hear a slight hum. What do you think I need to replace?
A couple different things 1. check or replace the fuses in the disconnect. 2. The power going to the disconnect comes either straight from your meter or from your electrical panel in the basement check those breakers.
Same here, but it would require the Freon to be discharged and then when connected/soldered back it would then also need a vaccum and recharge, i figured if i removed the actual fan inside that cools the condenser i could attach and wire in one of the 10" or 12" 12v radiator fans attach it to the back of the condenser and it would cool it perfectly, they're very slim fans only being a couple inches thick.
Curious if this unit is still working/cooling properly right now? I had a situation where I had to do this same thing years ago, so this video can be helpful to people. Mine worked for a summer than gave out/broke. Don't know why it broke quick, ductwork seemed large enough.
Such a complicated mod. I took an old timeclock can & put a 30 amp compressor contactor & 24volt transformer in it, got a 6' appliance extension cord, cut it & connected female end to load side of contactor & male end to line side, 24v trans to line side, fused 24v side & got a snap action manual thermostat on wall. I plug appliance xtension into outlet & plug A/C into box & it turns A/C on & off with wall thermostat no mod to A/C, no matter what unit you get just plug it in like normal & set fan speed with existing controls & go. In 14yrs its never failed me & its easy to change & use different units when they die, I have used 5000, 10,000 & 12,000btu units with it even digital control units work fine. I use as conventional window unit no duct work but you can duct it if need be.
So I have a question. I know about Automotive AC but some of that falls into atleast how this system works. What is going to cycle the compressor with this setup so the high side doesn't go to the moon?
The same thing that normally does. He only bypassed the thermostat (which if you set to the coldest setting is always connected anyway). And, he didn't even bypass it, rather, he sent the control down two wires to be controlled by a thermostat in the (tiny) house.
I scoured the internet to find a project like this, years ago. For one thing, I have seen window units are much more robust, efficient and lose refrigerant at a much slower rate as compared to the split ones. I don't mind the humming drone of the motor, its like white noise.
A window AC has a single motor - one shaft spinning both blades. Isn't that efficient enough for anyone? Why are window units on the decline, especially in Asia?
My hat off for the idea. I am always amaze how people are resorts full. I will do small modification . Instead of making mixing air conditioning I will go with displacement approach. So the air will be drown from outside and and blow to the floor of the room. The hot and stall air will be push to the top of the room and out the a vent. I am proposing that idea because of air quality in standard mixing method. Recently i both air quality meter and i am shock how bad air is when the window air conditioner work and all the windows are close. We actively poisoning our self with our conventional ACs. Any AC with heat/cold air recuperation is the best approach. Any DIY for recuperators?
Great job on constructing. Really clean. Likely it won’t last long because the back pressure on the fan is much greater than it is with an open vent. The blower will fail sooner, but you can always go buy another unit and swap body.
Back pressure on a fan causes less airflow, and thus less power. This isn't intuitive, but physics doesn't lie. Source: am air conditioning design engineer. So, no, restricting airflow won't burn out the fan. It could, however, cause the coil to freeze up if the restiction is too severe.
@@lawrencelile I agree, it isn’t intuitive but you are talking about inlet pressure. Put you hand on a vacuum cleaner hose and the engine races. No load. This is loaded on the outlet side, not the inlet side as you indicated. You are probably an hvac designer. Nonetheless it was a clean job. Most don’t do it this well. It’s common for these solutions to be used by aircraft mechanics to pump cool air into jets while working on the ventless interior. The home brew units fail quite quickly. As the guy said below. “Disposable”
18:23 It's not like a glue, it is a glue🤣 That's why i said earlier, the screws are not necessary. This will never come apart until the metal is rusted away.
the whole point of this is for if you dont want to deal with the noise of the compressor and fan of the ac if you dont mind it then this is all redundant just throw it in a hole in the wall like you did or a window
Nice informative video. I don't know if I missed it but what is the advantage of doing this vs. just installing it in a window or making a hole in the house and installing it there? Just trying to understand why doing this VS. just installing the window unit. Thank you.
To add to this, the compressor makes most of the vibration and noise. Moving it further away, especially with flexible ducting, will make it much more quiet. Also packaging. You make want to move air around a space, a ductless unit is very poor at circulating air in a room, it just sucks the air right back in.
Minisplit is a much better option. If that's too expensive or you not wanting to mount anything, a portable unit can be purchased for the same cost as the window ac + the materials shown. And it will still have the warrantee.
Portable units suck...outside air into the space you are trying to cool. Most of them use inside air to vent heat outside, thus creating negative pressure, and forcing outside air into the space you are trying to cool. Technology Connections has a great video on this.
portable units often pull large amount of outside air into the structure making them very inefficient and humid if in a wet climate. I do like mini-splits better. IF you can hit a sale and get one for $300 bucks its gold.
I paid 165$ at Home Depot for a portable ac that’s on wheels. An has a duct that goes to the outside. No mods needed. Also it’s 8,000 btu an looks modern an nice
AC is most efficient as a closed loop. It pulls air from the home, cools it, and returns to back to the home. The larger diameter duct attached to the front is pulling air from the home. The smaller duct on top is the cooled air being supplied to the home.
He explained that in the beginning. He didn't want a wall unit. He wanted that type of unit but they're expensive so he made it himself. Most diy-ers don't mind voiding warranty when they're saving so much making instead of buying. Besides, if a product like this doesn't break down within the next few weeks you probably won't ever need to take advantage of a warranty, and the day that you do will be the day after the warranty ends.
Noise, by removing the ac unit to the outside and just running the ducts you can reduce the noise of the compressor and fan to almost nothing. This would be ideal for something like a teardrop camper where the overall interior volume is very small and even the noise of a small 5000btu a/c unit could be intolerably loud.
The host is very good at explaining and instructing, but, Clearly, my brain isn't wired to understand this, I was with him for 7 minutes before my eyes started twilling. Anything with math, I have never 'connected' but, I'm still curious and envious of those with the talent to Get-r-Done
So if your getting the cold air from the top of the unit, what was the purpose of putting the extra piece on the front? After watching 5 times, I still do not understand that.
I like the idea and concept but wouldn't it be better to hook or use a ceiling fan & Light remote control to it! there for by passing the need for the 24V box!
Cool. You got me thinking the entire rip it apart to bypass internal thermostat and select fan speed is redundant if you just set it on high and leave the existing thermostat maxed. You could still build an external relay-thermostat unit but you'd never have to mess with the guts inside that unit which would put some people off. #hobomessiah
Had an electronics tech teacher inadvertently discharge a can out of a heart defibrillator as he was warning us against doing the very thing that he did.
That would require a way to defrost the outside coil and slowing the air flow down as you get it off the back end. So, yes.. But no. Not sure it would be efficient. The coil is way to small to effectively adsorb heat from cold weather.
I don't see why you have to do anything but the top part, and you should be able to run it like your going to. like if I want to set it on a stand and run the tube into a tent. and just turn it on before you go inside. so I just need to cut the top and go home depot and buy the spray foam, metal, and tube. and it'll be good. thanks, I'm going to do this, I going to get myself a tent to work on my engine on in, and take an old ac and do that so I won't be sweating while I work on the engine on the engine stand. :P
so... you want to try cooling hot outside air just once, and send it in, to leak out... somehow... recirculating pre-cooled inside air... less heat... makes the process more efficient, and you'll stay cooler using less energy, and save money (and pollution)! even cars recirculate most of the cool air, even when the vent is open. otherwise you'd bake, the car wouldn't cool enough on a really hot sunny day.
Nice project. Thanks for posting. Note that the crimpers have two indications. Rear one for insulated connectors and the one forward for Non insulated. Use the rear INS for connectors that are insulated like the ones used here. The forward “notch” is for bare connectors.
Very well done and explained very well, even for beginners. I only have one objection... decades ago, electrical tape was disallowed for capping and splicing wires, according to National Electric Code. I know that it worked for apprx 100 years before it was banned, but enough electrical fires were caused due to poor taping, that the Code was changed. Wire Nuts and splices should be used wherever possible. Especially when dealing with voltage above 24v. 😁 It's just safer, especially for beginners.
Great idea, I did a version of this almost 20yrs ago, because I had a basement apartment and the windows were too small to accommodate a window air conditioner. It essentially sat outside my window under a small clear awning with the duct pushing air into the room. The power cable was on a surge protector and the controls were set to "high". I'd just flip the switch to the surge protector to turn it on when I wanted things cool. Very primitive, but it made a difference, especially when alternatives were not really an option for me. Now portable ac units are more affordable and available.
Window units take inside air, cool it and blow it back into the room. A closed system. The condenser is located outside and water removed from the air is also dumped outside.
Portable units don't work as well because they exhaust indoor air to the outside. If you remove air from a room, you must replace it with new outside air (negative pressure that pulls in outside air in any crack it can find), reducing the efficiency by a lot and also bringing in additional humidity. Since the condenser is on the inside, the heat and water produced are also on the inside.
@@rummy98bro there has dual hoses for years now. You sound like you’ve been living under a rock.
@@whydontyouaskmebut most of them are single hose units
I was repairing a microwave 40 years ago and got hit with a capacitor charge. Trust me it’s a feeling you will never forget. Makes 120 volts just a tickle. Me arm was sore for a week!
That happened to me with a CRT television when I was about 14. Mistakes I will never make again.
I remember the first time i got hit with the magneto on my plane.. holy crap, i flew with a twitch that day
Ha been there! I was working on a machine that tests solar panels and it held 70v dc and unbenounced to me it wasnt discharged. Ouch lol
We used to charge them up & toss them to the helper & say "here catch", they learn real fast not too.
@@rebus570 hot potato lmao
I've had this idea for many years except mine included a plug-in box. I love how you incorporated the relay & transformer inside the unit for a clean look. Fast forward a few years and I now have my own place I plan to do this with until I can afford to install a mini-split system. Thanks for sharing! ;)
Very well done, I'm impressed with the level of detail that you indicated in your video. Again well done my brother well done!
Looks like a fun project! I will say, though, that when you used the grinder I got a little nervous. Typically you want to run it so the sparks are shooting towards you, so that when (not if) the grinder catches and binds, it pulls itself away from your body, and not towards it.
Stay safe out there!
Have to agree... because I've suffered the consequences. 30 years experience, and "I knew" I had it under control.. LOL! Emergency Room and 20+ stiches. VERY lucky I didn't cut tendons... "..Just a flesh wound.." to quote The Black Knight in Monty Python's "Holy Grail"
@@johnlshilling1446tis but
So cool that people can learn this type of thing on RUclips! 👍
This may be the best way to explain how an air conditioner works. Or at least to get an understanding of the basic components of an AC. I was looking at doing something similar, but just sorta backwards. Putting the unit inside my garage and ducting the intake and exhaust outside.
i was considering building something similar for a tent aircon, but i'm going to be getting a camper shell for my pickup, so i might use a sheet of old plywood, make a blockoff and cut a hole for a window unit, still not a bad setup, and this reminds me of a project i had to do for Tech to get my HVAC certs, good times, stay safe out there
To determine the speed on the AC blower motor you can measure Resistance btw neutral and each wire. The lowest resistance mean higher speed. Higher resistance mean lower speed. Etc.
He also could have used that same multimeter to just see what wire had voltage based off speed setting.
18:58 When you don't want to glue two parts together, but still have a seal, apply tape on one side. It also works with caulking. After the sealant is cured, the tape even can be removed, if more pressure can be applied to the seam, like with tightening a screw or such measure.
Which type of tape you ask. It depends on the job. Some tapes stick a little more to the sealant, others are thin as a hair. Painters tape, is the easiest to remove. Sometimes cling film is enough🤗
Very respectable video and well explained.
Being this is 2021 headed to 2022 fast, mini houses need 20seer heat pumps for excellent and aesthetic cooling/heat.
I install 3/4 ton(9000btu) units for not very much and there’s no need for the re-engineering and sharp sheet metal work and bloody knuckles for minimal gains.
Nice project. Thanks. One bit of "Free" advice - I used to manage 16 apartments that had lots of window units. The cheap 5000 BTU units never seemed to last, so I moved up to better quality 6000 (Much more selection at the 6000 range) units. $50 bucks got me at least 2 or 3 times the lifespan.
That's good to know. For a few bucks its a throw away for sure. I would never pay the summer time price for them
Thank u so much for sharing your project! This is amazing!!!!
Awesome! I'd use a bit of silicone caulk around all the electrical stuff, just as a precaution. Is also great to finish off seals wear the foam might flake off.
What an amazing idea. We need more
Interesting project! Thanks
Your welcome
Very nice, smart built!
Phenomenal! Fantastic! Thank you so much!!
Been looking for something like this, thank you!
Glad I could help!
I dig it however 2 things I noticed. #1 an insulated boot will be better just for the fact of condensation. It'll probably help reduce the amount of heat dissapation, this is why the foam is inside the unit in the first place. This leads into #2 the foam will make a difference as well, some foams such as great stuff will hold up for awhile but it will definitely degrade quick. Find some closed cell expandable foam, that will insure it lasts as long as the unit as it holds up to water erosion. Otherwise a great idea for a hunting shack or a tiny home.
Great job on a very useful idea!! Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome! I'm faced with a similar project fitting an AC into a teardrop trailer. This gives me some ideas!
I'm building a teardrop camper. Got my trailer stripped down to just the frame. About to add the floor. I'm at beginning stages. I was watching this and thinking I should incorporate this into my build somehow.
Are you going to make a video ?
@@NoBs48 I would make a video but know nothing about editing and my phone don't take quality videos. Id have to buy a cheap camera and don't know what kind of camera to get thats not expensive but is good enough
Good job explaining the project, other guys would make it a little bit confused
Its funny that you mention the window units are noisy and rattle, thats exactly why I always call the window ratlers
We used to call them "window shakers" when my dad had an A/C business (1952 to 1965).
Very interesting I love this kinda stuff
Put a sonoff relay set in there and be done with it. Controlled remotely, no wires running into the house.
Because of the resistance (airflow) through the tube, I'd check the heat of the fan motor after it has been running for a couple of hours.
RUclips needs more of this brave/hacking type of HowTo's💯
Smart stuff. Good stuff.
I know I am a little late but, thank you. I have been looking for this type of info
Exactly the problem I've been looking to solve. Tiny space, too loud, too cold AC. They used to make air conditioners that were much smaller, apparently they no longer do. I sense a springtime project in my future.
Exactly
When doing this. Does the return need to be connected to the inside of the room you are cooling? Or can it just pull in air from where it's sitting?
@@DavidDJenkins The way air conditioners work is the bottom part with all the aluminum fins is where the hot room air enters, and then the cold air is blown out the top vents. So you wouldn't have much luck drawing air from outside your room. It'd probably work, just not very well.
Awesome great job!
This is great..would be great for a camper.
Use wire nuts when making a stop termination. Or better insulation then electrical tape. It might bet rated for 600 Amps, but can it stand the outdoor condition of the rugged outdoors?
If hank iff king of the hill was real 😅 good video
Very clever idea
do you run the air supply and return lines to the same room?
You the man.. I was about to do this and found your vid thx
your welcome! Thanks for stopping by
I'll be doing this on my workshop this fall once I find a cheap used window unit on Facebook market or Craigslist. However I think it would be far easier just to set the unit to high fan and max cool and then use a Rainbird temp controller. It completely eliminates all the rewiring and purchase of a relay and separate thermostat (well the rainbird is a thermostat but you don't have to wire it up yourself) so all you have left to is build the connection for the ducts to the unit, then connect them up through a window. It might be a bit more expensive than the relay but its far more plug and play, and that convenience extends to when the actual AC unit gives up the ghost all I would have to do is buy a new one plug it in and modify it to connect to the ducts, no rewiring needed.
Are you talking about an irrigation controller?
Did this to ac unit that the analog thermostat was not working correctly. It has digital settings for high and low and plug and play. temperature controlled relay is popular for greenhouses.
@@AudioAmbiant no, a thermostat, but they are made by thr same company, Rainbird.
Window units are package units...
By the very close definition yes.
But a packaging is typically heating and cooling.. I saw no modifications to the cooling system to install uninstall a reversing valve is the reversing valve and I saw several overdone situations and more than several underdone situations, People please understand yes we can hack our way through and make things wmake things work but this is a pile of something.
Window units are package units without ductwork or a remote thermostat. This was a great conversion!
Bahahahaha true that, he knows just enough to get someone electrocuted! U couldn't prove by me that he's ever done any sheet metal work, or electrical work, or operated a can of off the shelf foam insulation. 197k tweekers now can make they're 1 room AC much less efficient too!
Theoretically, you could make this work like a heat pump without opening the case. In AC mode, the cold air comes out the front evaporator into the room and warm air goes out the condenser to the outdoors. If you design a duct system where you can blow the warm air from the back condenser into the room and blow the cold air from the evaporator outdoors. The indoor thermostat can control a damper door to route the air properly (much like modern day cars).
Sounds great. However, without an expansion valve the extreme cold weather performance will suffer. It would be interesting to know just how well it would preform though..
@@Justnn add in thawing coils and it'll be fine
@@TinyGiantLifeStyle All AC units have an expansion valve. It's always located in the high pressure gas line just before the evaporator.
This may pose an advantage over a window unit in a window, but in the massive effort to retrofit a window unit this way, just purchase a small Mr Cool mini split. It will work massively more efficiently and heat as well as cool
Yeah for a grand bro
the whole point of this video was so that we avoid paying more than ~$200 for a mini split and it wouldnt be massively more efficient just slightly more depending on how well the cool side is insulated from the heat of the outdoors
There are a lot of bad reviews for Mr. Cool failing after only a few years. Not to mention the cost of an HVAC tech to diagnose any problems. You can get window units dirt cheap used.
24:19 Just attach tube to both sides and growers supply has you covered😏
No problem finding a used up active carbon filter in XXL, pull out the guts and have some fresh N99 felt applied. There you get the better inline fans too😎
The blowers are not designed to push air Through a duct. They just are not strong enough to do it. This is why the other unit is more expensive. You could use a squirrel fan to combat this issue.
They make 4 inch 6 inch 8 inch inline air boosters. Cheap on Amazon!
How well did it work when u hooked it up IV been trying to something like this for my camper I'm thinking about trying it the way u did it cuz I want to hook it in to the heat ducts in my camper since I removed the furnace
It works well to this day. Just get the duct size correct and use vinyl duct for sun exposure
Interesting conversion. I might try this for an old window unit in my garage. Note however that the EER for most window units will be MUCH lower than for a newer "package unit." Most newer window units are 10 to maybe 14. The mini split or "package unit" can be as high as 30. The window unit condenser coils are just too limited in area for efficiency.
Be careful, newer units use refrigerants that require pressures approaching 400 psi. The Chinese, in many cases haven't learned to solder or braze the piping to handle this or the vibration involved. I have 2 units less than 4 years old that lost refrigerant from leaking connections.
I been brasing mine up & instead of 410a I use 134 from auto parts it works great. Look up the specs on the model #on compressor mines rated for 410 & 134, same oil, cap tube kinda small for 134 but it works great no change. That is the thinnest tubing I have ever seen got to be very careful with the heat. You can only fix them a couple of times before they get lots of pin holes. It seems to only be the evap coil that dies my condenser coils have never leaked.
@@rebus570 What??? The working pressure of 410a is over 400psi. That of 134 something around 250psi. It will probably work somewhat but you must be filling the condenser with liquid and the low side pressure must be approaching a vacuum because the liquid can't get through the cap tube fast enough. You are probably paying about twice as much to run and the comp may overheat from lack of cold gas on the input. Are you sure that's a good idea?
@@barnowl6807 Yeah you gotta use a little bit more 134, I charge just till the evap sweats all the way & call that it, suction press only 60 psi, with 90deg ambient, discharge air (evap) temp only 60deg with 76 return air not the best but it works for me, comp runs a little warm but amps in range, suction sweating back to comp case, might research getting correct cap tube size & length for 134, only a cheap 5000btu LG unit though couldnt just throw it away so soon we have to breathe the carbon footprint to manufacture it gonna get all I can out of it. Wish I could get a new coil for 35 bucks it would be better. Thanks for the observation.
@@rebus570 One of my failed units looks just like yours. LG 5K btu. I may try that on mine. Thanks for the info.
Heard the phrase "and learn to build a solar system..." and my first thought was "why on earth would you need to learn to make a diorama of the sun and planets as an adult?" Then I realized what you meant. LOL
Perfect for a grow room thank you for showing...
17:55 Not necessary. The foam will never let go, if both surfaces are primed with acetone. With the screw hole, you just had made a ingress point for rust. Just use magnets to hold the parts in position until the foam has cured.
Cool!!
Hopefully a unit Mfg. such as these, watches this video and just makes an off the shelf conversion kit… that would separate their company from the rest of the field! oh want to go back to a normal unit? just unscrew this and put the original back on! - now that would be awesome!
Um... not a big fan (ugh - pun alert!) of those foam mountains in the boot and near the fan. Here's why: they will lead to air turbulences, otherwise known as low-frequency noise (LFN) and that's something HVAC manufacturers learned to dread since the 70s. LFN will usually amplify in the ductwork and can't be filtered out through mufflers etc. LFN is long known as a factor that's subconsciously raising your stress level and also negatively impacts sleep quality. If you are building your own A/C, use the opportunity to also make it as silent as possible - across the whole audio spectrum...
However he was using non rigid ducting that is prone to muffling such resonance. Definitely agree that he needs to keep it clean though enhancing longevity and efficiency. Might even use the foil tape to smooth out some of the edges and improve flow.
@@thefirstmissinglink Yup. Agree. Flexible ducting will prevent the forming of standing waves. Good point!
Sleep like a baby. Still going strong
You can get rubber grommets to protect wires that pass through sheet metal.
Nice video! You seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject. I have a question if you would be so kind. I was inspecting my outdoor unit and didn’t pull the power, as I took of the cover it contacted one of the contractor wires? It now doesn’t work. It seems the contactor still works but it doesn’t turn on although I can hear a slight hum. What do you think I need to replace?
A couple different things
1. check or replace the fuses in the disconnect.
2. The power going to the disconnect comes either straight from your meter or from your electrical panel in the basement check those breakers.
post a video/picture
Genius 👍😃👍
What about separating the parts and make it into a small coil and separate condenser? Something I have thought of trying many times
Same here, but it would require the Freon to be discharged and then when connected/soldered back it would then also need a vaccum and recharge, i figured if i removed the actual fan inside that cools the condenser i could attach and wire in one of the 10" or 12" 12v radiator fans attach it to the back of the condenser and it would cool it perfectly, they're very slim fans only being a couple inches thick.
Now solder in a four way switching valve and you also have a heater
A good idea
Curious if this unit is still working/cooling properly right now? I had a situation where I had to do this same thing years ago, so this video can be helpful to people. Mine worked for a summer than gave out/broke. Don't know why it broke quick, ductwork seemed large enough.
Yes it working today
Such a complicated mod. I took an old timeclock can & put a 30 amp compressor contactor & 24volt transformer in it, got a 6' appliance extension cord, cut it & connected female end to load side of contactor & male end to line side, 24v trans to line side, fused 24v side & got a snap action manual thermostat on wall. I plug appliance xtension into outlet & plug A/C into box & it turns A/C on & off with wall thermostat no mod to A/C, no matter what unit you get just plug it in like normal & set fan speed with existing controls & go. In 14yrs its never failed me & its easy to change & use different units when they die, I have used 5000, 10,000 & 12,000btu units with it even digital control units work fine. I use as conventional window unit no duct work but you can duct it if need be.
Much simpler 😌
Send a picture! Thanks!
The first thing that has to go in such a unit, is the fan😉
Great video! You explained everything so that anyone could replicate your build. We’ll done!
What’s the static pressure on that supply duct now? I’m curious if the blower motor will make it with static it wasn’t designed for.
I was thinking the same thing. Would probably be a good idea to put an inline booster fan
Still working. Didn't measure the pressure though the ductilator would give the answer
So I have a question. I know about Automotive AC but some of that falls into atleast how this system works. What is going to cycle the compressor with this setup so the high side doesn't go to the moon?
The same thing that normally does. He only bypassed the thermostat (which if you set to the coldest setting is always connected anyway). And, he didn't even bypass it, rather, he sent the control down two wires to be controlled by a thermostat in the (tiny) house.
Indoor digital thermostat
I scoured the internet to find a project like this, years ago. For one thing, I have seen window units are much more robust, efficient and lose refrigerant at a much slower rate as compared to the split ones. I don't mind the humming drone of the motor, its like white noise.
A window AC has a single motor - one shaft spinning both blades. Isn't that efficient enough for anyone? Why are window units on the decline, especially in Asia?
My hat off for the idea. I am always amaze how people are resorts full. I will do small modification . Instead of making mixing air conditioning I will go with displacement approach. So the air will be drown from outside and and blow to the floor of the room. The hot and stall air will be push to the top of the room and out the a vent.
I am proposing that idea because of air quality in standard mixing method. Recently i both air quality meter and i am shock how bad air is when the window air conditioner work and all the windows are close. We actively poisoning our self with our conventional ACs. Any AC with heat/cold air recuperation is the best approach. Any DIY for recuperators?
You can refer on the circuit diagram to determine the wires where it goes and what its connection for
yes, exactly
Great job on constructing. Really clean. Likely it won’t last long because the back pressure on the fan is much greater than it is with an open vent. The blower will fail sooner, but you can always go buy another unit and swap body.
Back pressure on a fan causes less airflow, and thus less power. This isn't intuitive, but physics doesn't lie. Source: am air conditioning design engineer. So, no, restricting airflow won't burn out the fan. It could, however, cause the coil to freeze up if the restiction is too severe.
It will last as long as the compressor on these cheap throw away units
@@lawrencelile I agree, it isn’t intuitive but you are talking about inlet pressure. Put you hand on a vacuum cleaner hose and the engine races. No load. This is loaded on the outlet side, not the inlet side as you indicated. You are probably an hvac designer. Nonetheless it was a clean job. Most don’t do it this well. It’s common for these solutions to be used by aircraft mechanics to pump cool air into jets while working on the ventless interior. The home brew units fail quite quickly. As the guy said below. “Disposable”
I am an HVAC guy and I did the same thing to my RV lmfao except I had to put a delay switch on the compressor because it was tripping breakers
The thermostat I used has a short cycle delay time that can be programmed. Good point though.
A small in duck booster fan on that supply would help with the additional static pressure that your blower Lacks
duct, quack quack
Yes very good
18:23 It's not like a glue, it is a glue🤣 That's why i said earlier, the screws are not necessary. This will never come apart until the metal is rusted away.
A few years ago I put AC in my workshop/ shed. It looked easier to do what I did and just cut a hole in the wall and frame it in
the whole point of this is for if you dont want to deal with the noise of the compressor and fan of the ac if you dont mind it then this is all redundant just throw it in a hole in the wall like you did or a window
Please provide schematic diagram before and after for verification. Thank. You
Nice informative video. I don't know if I missed it but what is the advantage of doing this vs. just installing it in a window or making a hole in the house and installing it there? Just trying to understand why doing this VS. just installing the window unit. Thank you.
Noise
To add to this, the compressor makes most of the vibration and noise. Moving it further away, especially with flexible ducting, will make it much more quiet. Also packaging. You make want to move air around a space, a ductless unit is very poor at circulating air in a room, it just sucks the air right back in.
low noise and a small hole through the building.
The American Way 😎💪🏽
Wow!!
I've been wanting to add an external thermostat.
Go for it!
Minisplit is a much better option. If that's too expensive or you not wanting to mount anything, a portable unit can be purchased for the same cost as the window ac + the materials shown. And it will still have the warrantee.
Portable units suck...outside air into the space you are trying to cool. Most of them use inside air to vent heat outside, thus creating negative pressure, and forcing outside air into the space you are trying to cool. Technology Connections has a great video on this.
portable units often pull large amount of outside air into the structure making them very inefficient and humid if in a wet climate. I do like mini-splits better. IF you can hit a sale and get one for $300 bucks its gold.
I paid 165$ at Home Depot for a portable ac that’s on wheels. An has a duct that goes to the outside. No mods needed. Also it’s 8,000 btu an looks modern an nice
Here's why portable ACs suck (pun intended): ruclips.net/video/_-mBeYC2KGc/видео.html
Nice, almost a 50% savings doing this. Your could have 2 5000BTU ac units for the price of one off the shelf unit.
Can you tell me why you need that piece in the front
AC is most efficient as a closed loop. It pulls air from the home, cools it, and returns to back to the home. The larger diameter duct attached to the front is pulling air from the home. The smaller duct on top is the cooled air being supplied to the home.
Why not just put it through a wall? They are made for that. Wont void the warranty...You can make a pink foam winterizing box
He explained that in the beginning. He didn't want a wall unit. He wanted that type of unit but they're expensive so he made it himself. Most diy-ers don't mind voiding warranty when they're saving so much making instead of buying. Besides, if a product like this doesn't break down within the next few weeks you probably won't ever need to take advantage of a warranty, and the day that you do will be the day after the warranty ends.
Noise, by removing the ac unit to the outside and just running the ducts you can reduce the noise of the compressor and fan to almost nothing. This would be ideal for something like a teardrop camper where the overall interior volume is very small and even the noise of a small 5000btu a/c unit could be intolerably loud.
Quiet Sound, Small easy penetrations ect ect. No large hole in building that will not fit next years model.
And the AC will run more efficiently.
I thought you were going to split it apart and leave the outside parts outside and the interior parts inside.
The host is very good at explaining and instructing, but, Clearly, my brain isn't wired to understand this, I was with him for 7 minutes before my eyes started twilling. Anything with math, I have never 'connected' but, I'm still curious and envious of those with the talent to Get-r-Done
Old bread knife is your friend for foam.
So if your getting the cold air from the top of the unit, what was the purpose of putting the extra piece on the front? After watching 5 times, I still do not understand that.
Return of indoor air. Otherwise you waste energy sucking in hot outside air
This is a great idea but you can find a 110-unit like this that also has a heater on it it's about $350 on eBay
Two relays of the same kind would allow you to leave the fan on independent of the compressor
We talking about a/c and a/c accessories?
Have you ever wondered why your neighbors might pray for your ruination?
Maybe for a 10,000btu unit. Not smaller. Might be usable for a skoolie or a revamped camper
Did you use class 2 low voltage wire in a 120 volt circuit? Danger Will Robinson.
The $549 package unit provides heat as well though, no?
Sure
I like the idea and concept but wouldn't it be better to hook or use a ceiling fan & Light remote control to it! there for by passing the need for the 24V box!
Cool. You got me thinking the entire rip it apart to bypass internal thermostat and select fan speed is redundant if you just set it on high and leave the existing thermostat maxed. You could still build an external relay-thermostat unit but you'd never have to mess with the guts inside that unit which would put some people off. #hobomessiah
He sets it up this way so you can use a standard house thermostat to set and forget the temperature.it’s basically central air for a tiny house.
Had an electronics tech teacher inadvertently discharge a can out of a heart defibrillator as he was warning us against doing the very thing that he did.
Next, find a portable ac unit, use it as a heat pump.
Any way you can reverse it to heat?
That would require a way to defrost the outside coil and slowing the air flow down as you get it off the back end. So, yes.. But no. Not sure it would be efficient. The coil is way to small to effectively adsorb heat from cold weather.
literally flip the ac around, back blows out heat, front blows out cold
@@phoenixrecordzz that is right
I don't see why you have to do anything but the top part, and you should be able to run it like your going to. like if I want to set it on a stand and run the tube into a tent. and just turn it on before you go inside. so I just need to cut the top and go home depot and buy the spray foam, metal, and tube. and it'll be good. thanks, I'm going to do this, I going to get myself a tent to work on my engine on in, and take an old ac and do that so I won't be sweating while I work on the engine on the engine stand. :P
so... you want to try cooling hot outside air just once, and send it in, to leak out... somehow... recirculating pre-cooled inside air... less heat... makes the process more efficient, and you'll stay cooler using less energy, and save money (and pollution)! even cars recirculate most of the cool air, even when the vent is open. otherwise you'd bake, the car wouldn't cool enough on a really hot sunny day.
@@rickdworsky6457 well you answered my question then, thanks