The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
First Aid For The Ailing Houses
The National Electrical Code requires that air conditioners be wired with no less than a No. 12 wire. This means that, since most houses are, wired with No. 14 wire, a special wire must be run to the machine. This is a point to consider in placing the unit. If it is too far from the fuse box or from an area where the wire may be run through attic or basement to the nearest wall, the cost of rewiring may be quite high. In any case, a professional should install the wiring for the conditioner.
Fuses are a problem with an air conditioner. At the moment of starting, an electric motor often draws as much as three times the current it uses normally. This tremendous, though short, drain may burn out an ordinary fuse before the motor settles down to a normal running load. To prevent this, a special time-delay fuse should be used in the circuit. This type of fuse, Fustat, Therm-a-Trip, or Temre, may be purchased at any hardware store. It will permit an overload for a certain specified time, which will be too short to allow the wires to get hot, but will permit the motor to settle down to a running load. If the increased demand persists, due to a short circuit or a malfunctioning motor, the fuse will burn out after the delay period and before the wires are dangerously heated.
Different types of window units are available for casement windows than are sold for double-hung windows. Before going out to buy a window conditioner, open the window and measure the opening. Some machines are larger than others, and one that will not fit the window will cause a great deal of inconvenience before it may be exchanged for the proper size.
Manufacturers supply a mounting kit with the window conditioner. This kit consists of the mounting angles and brackets if necessary, and has a mounting board which can be cut to fit the excess space between the window frame and the conditioner. There are also rubber channel strips to place around the conditioner to seal against drafts.
A window air conditioner may be made to cool more than one room in the house by closing all of the windows and doors except one at the opposite end of the house. In this window an exhaust fan should be placed, so that it will draw air from the house and exhaust it outside. The air conditioner should then be adjusted so it draws in outside air through the coil to mix with the recirculated room air. The average intake of this type of conditioner is only 300 cubic feet per minute, so the exhaust fan should be approximately 500 cubic feet per minute.
