Introduction: Focused Climate Control Using a Stand Alone Air Conditioner
Hey guys, renerodriguez83 here with another hack out of my everyday life. So I'm not a small guy by any means. And if your a large guy like me you probably have the same weakness as I. Oppressive heat. I live in the south which means its not only hot but humid.
I have the unique pleasure of living in a studio style apartment which actually started its life as a double car garage. Needless to say insulation was not a focus on this room when this home was built as it was never intended to be heated and cools as living space.
So in my vain effort to bring air conditioned space to this room, I purchased a 10,000 Btu HVAC unit. This poor unit is the little AC that couldn't. Theres just too much space to cool. Not to mention the gaming rig in the corner acting as a little heater when the GPU is wide open.
So in the summers I end up sweating buckets.... Until now.
For some of us, this will take you back to your childhood fort building days. And rightfully so, as was just as excited about the fort aspect as the cooling benefits I received. So onward we go to get the desperate cooling we are looking for... Now, wheres my flashlight and teddy bear...
Step 1: Requirements
This is a simple list. You will need the following:
A large flat sheet- queen or king
A stand up air conditioning unit
Some bulldog clips - optional
Step 2: Assembly
Lay your sheet flat across the bed and bring it over the AC. I toss when i sleep so you will notice that i use clips to secure my sheet to the unit. Also note that i do not block the inbound air port. The reason for this two fold. First is we want a balloon effect to happen, so we don't want to pump cold air into the sheet zone and also suck it right back into the AC. Also the temperature sensor is located in this area and we want it sucking hot air from outside so that it will continue to cool the sheer zoned area.
Once you have covered the sheet its time to get into your sheet igloo.
The idea here it to trap as much air as possible by closing all the holes. Reach down between the left and right side of the AC and find the corner of your flat sheet and pull them directly back. Then fold them across the front of the AC unit and throw a pillow down for good measure. Now go along both sides of the sheet and start making sure all holes are addressed. You should have a inflated sheet by this point. Your biggest concern will be the area by your feet. At night you will naturally kick around and create large holes for air to escape. I simply use a large quilt or pillows as a "air dam" of sorts
Step 3: Enjoy Your New Fort.... Ehhh Climate Zone.
Bam you've created your own climate controlled zone. Enjoy and watch out for frostbite :)
No... Really... Be careful it gets super cold.