588 posts, read 1,404,581 times 639 posts, read 2,161,093 times 2,102 posts, read 6,016,614 times Originally Posted by uconn99 Mine was about $5000 back in 1997/1998. 43,618 posts, read 27,207,821 times 2,646 posts, read 7,508,534 times 1,541 posts, read 4,088,926 times Thanks for the advice! Some detail I left - 2200 sq ft, 2 stories. Oh, and my wife doesn't want to lose a chunk of the closets, so we'd want to have some of the equipment separated - cool the 2nd floor with ducts from the attic, and the 1st floor with ducts from the basement. I don't necessarily need the heating element - just cooling. We're hoping to stay for a long time, but with this economy and the cost of living up here, we might be forced to leave the NE... but thats a whole separate story. Seems like the best option would be to pick up a few window units, see how the summer turns out with costs, and if we're still around next year then maybe look into it then.

19,358 posts, read 30,718,496 times 2 posts, read 8,207 timesReduce your Electric Bill with a Window Air ConditionerPosted on Jul 29, 2008 by Paul WhiteIntroductionOur house is newer ( built in 2005 ).  So of course you would think that maybe it would have newer stuff.  Wiring, Appliances, and most of all a newer AC unit.  Well it turns out that with most newer homes one of the things builders skimp out on is a high efficiency AC unit.  After reading the sticker on ours I found that it was a 10 SEER unit.  The year after our house was build the lowest that could be installed in a new home was raised to 12 SEER by federal law.  Our Utility costs are about 15 cents / KWH.  Last month we went through over 2000 KWH.  I am not sure if Global warming is to blame but one thing I did notice was the average temperature for the month of June was 94 degrees,  compared to 88 degrees last year.  We used 600 KWH more this June than last.  What is a KWH?For those of you who don't have a concept of what a KWH is here is an explanation. 

Its basically how many 1000 watts you consume in 1 hour.  Lets say you have a 60 watt light bulb. how to change fuse on ac unitAnd you leave it on 24 hours a day.  car a/c repair denverThis bulb consumers .06 KWH.  my ac unit frozeThis times how many hours you leave it on will give you your KWH usage. Utility companies charge per KWH.  This rate can vary from 4 cents up to over 25 cents / KWH.  Here in Texas we pay about 15 cents / KWH.  The ProblemBy far the biggest consumer of electricty is your home's Central Air Conditioner.  After doing some research I figured that this was the cause of our high electric bills.  Unlike many, both me and my wife work out of the home.  Since we both work out of the home we don't have the luxury of turning down the AC during the day. 

But then the problem is not so much that we have home offices, but it is that I like it to stay around 72 and my wife is comfortable at 75.  My office is towards the front of the house, while hers is at the back.  Now the question is why should I keep 2000 SQFT of house 72 degrees when I only need about 150 SQFT ( my office ) to be comfortable during the day.  After talking with some people, I realized that we could benefit from upgrading our home's Air Conditioning unit, but this would cost around 8K-12K.  This would cut our electric bill in half, but it would take several years to make up the difference.  I also looked at installing solar panels, and or a wind Turbine to make up the difference. But each of these options were more expensive than just upgrading our home's AC unit.The SolutionThe conclusion I came to was that the only solution was to install a dedicated window air conditioner in my office.  I had browsed some stores online to get a feel of the cost.  I found the perfect little unit at Sams Club. 

It was a GE 6000 BTU Window unit that cost about $148.  The unit came with a digital display, remote control, and all installation hardware.  The installation was easy.  The unit has a special energy saving mode, to help keep energy usage to a minimum.  It also has more than enough cooling power for my little office.How much Power does it use?One of the biggest concerns I had was how much power would it consume?  I used my Kilawatt meter to see.  When the fan is going it uses 50-60 watts.  When the compressor is on it uses 500-650 watts.  I have the meter running on it to track what its total usage is within 24 hours.  This will help me guage how much it will cost me to operate this for the month.  Of course by using this instead of Central Air Conditioning, should save me a bundle.  I estimate this window unit will pay for itself in 1 month.UpdateAfter tracking the usage for 24 hours. ( 14 hours  on ).  and with my thermostat set to 72, the unit consumed 4.46 KWH.If we multiple this by 30 days in a month we get 133.8 KWH. 

Times my utility rate of 15 cents / KWH = $20.07.So on average to run this unit in my office 14 hours / day it should cost me about $20 / month.Yesterday I was at Lowes. and I noticed they have a window AC unit for under $100.  It didn't have any of the cool features like energy saver, or digital display or a remote control, but it might get the job done.  If you have a membership at Sams Club, you can't go wrong with the GE brand window air conditioners. Categories associated with Reduce your Electric Bill with a Window Air ConditionerHome OwnershipSaving Energy Needed to confirm comment, but not made public. Email me when someone comments on this blogHeating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems form the foundations of temperature control within residential and commercial premises. The Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning system cost has to be a major consideration whenever you contemplate installing something like this.You will gain a greater understanding of how these systems work, along with the total HVAC system cost, based on the latest estimates from quality providers.

It would be impossible to provide you with an exact figure for a total HVAC system cost. There are a number of factors at play here. This is why we can’t underline enough how crucial it is to have a professional contractor come to your home.First of all, it depends on the system you purchase. Better systems mean you can expect to pay more in costs. This is why the provider you decide to go with is integral to the results you get. You also have to consider the size of your home and any unforeseen challenges.For example, a home that has an awkward layout will command higher prices. The only way to get an accurate HVAC system cost is to receive a personalized inspection of the premises.To understand the HVAC system cost, you need to understand exactly what you’re getting for your money. The parts of the system in a nutshell include:Furnace – The furnace supplies heat and may operate on either oil or natural gas. Within the furnace is a heat exchanger, which is what actually warms the air.

Air Conditioner – The air conditioning unit is placed outside of the home and uses electricity to operate. A compressor and coolant liquid inside extracts heat from the air. Any hot air is sent outside, whilst cooled air is kept inside.Ductwork – The ventilation ductwork is the transit system for hot and cold air. This is responsible for moving cold and warm air around your home and connects the entire system together.Thermostat – This is the heart of the HVAC system. You can turn it on and off from this part of the HVAC system.There are other aspects of the system, but these differ from system to system and don’t form the core components. It’s possible to pay up to $50,000 for the latest model and all the advanced features, if that’s what you want.While it’s impossible to provide an accurate HVAC system cost for your specific building, you can use average costing as an indicator of what you can expect to pay.As you can see, these average costs are quite generalized. This is because there are so many variations that can impact the average cost.

Generally, you can expect to pay much less if you already have the ductwork in place, as is quite common with newer homes.Tips to Save Money on a New HVAC SystemThe cost of an HVAC system is significant, and that’s something we can’t deny. However, there are ways to save money. It’s not as expensive if you take advantage of some of these money-saving tips.Saving money on a new HVAC system is about timing and research. Remember, you don’t have to have the full system installed.If you live in a part of the country that’s nearly always hot, there’s little use in having a furnace installed. If you are on the Pacific Coast of California, why would you ever need a furnace?The total cost of a HVAC system can differ wildly. Before you part with any cash, have an expert visit your home and perform a full assessment. The floor space, the layout, and even where you live can have a significant impact on how much you pay.Do your research and make sure you don’t lose out when it comes to your next HVAC system.