Is this a $77 substitute for getting my AC fixed and recharged?
-------------------- Clip -------------------------
Sounds like another Chinese way to fleece Americans.
I think PepBoys has something similar for about $270.00 but operates on
120v.

Stan Wilder
Engine Ceramics
214-352-4931
www.engineceramics.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Cardo" <rrecardo@WEBTV.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 5:25 AM
Subject: Re: Portable Air Conditioner aka hybrid electric vehicle continued

> <<Now the real question. If I have one of these mini window AC rigs, and
> a good inverter, what happens if I set the damn thing on the floor, plug
> it in, and take off down the highway? Is this a $77 substitute for
> getting my AC fixed and recharged? Will it do the job on the road?>>
>
> This is good question.
> And one might think that this would work.
> Sounds good to me.
> However, what happens to all the hot air and condensation that the AC
> unit is pushing out the back side through the condenser?
>
> It will be blowing right back inside the Van as fast as the cold air is
> blowing out the front of it.
>
> This would be the merry go round theory and would be self defeating.
> The inside of the Van would be like the rain forest in moisture,  off
> the coils and the AC unit could never recover from all the hot air it
> will be blowing out the back of it.
>
> You must exhaust the warm moist air that's coming out the back of the
> unit  outside of the Van.
>
> The newer AC units also use the collected condensation to cool the
> condenser down.
> The fan picks up the water that the unit makes , and it just gets
> splashed around onto the coils to make it more efficient.
> They don't just depend on the air being blow through the coils to cool
> the freon down.
>
> You'll have a pool of water on the floor of the vehicle that the unit
> will be making as fast as it tries to cool the interior down.
>
> So in short;
> It won't work as planned ( even though it's a good idea, the AC unit
> will be fighting itself to get the job done )
>
> Now, with this all in mind, how do the portable room units work then?
>
> They suck in the room air on one end, exhaust the hot air out the back,
> but seem to work pretty good.
> The condensation is either collected in a drain pan ( which has to be
> dumped every so often ) or is run out a tube to the outside somehow.
>
> I wonder how they seem to work pretty good with re-using the hot air
> that is being blown out the back?
> Where does it go?
>
> This is confusing.
>
> But I do know that a window unit won't work the same way as the portable
> floor unit.