Living in one of Chicago`s turn-of-the-century walkup buildings can mean having that quaint fireplace to keep you warm in winter, but it can also mean having only a humid breeze from an open window to cool you in summer.
Renters whose landlords don`t provide air conditioning use a variety of techniques to survive the heat. Those who live close to the lakefront cite the lake`s cooling effects. Others may opt for cool showers or rubdowns with ice cubes.
But most tenants living in an apartment where the heat from the previous day loiters like a house guest who has overstayed a welcome want more relief- and that usually comes from a window air conditioner.
”Some people can stand more heat than others,” said Victor Ulloa, assistant manager at the Fretters store at 6520 W. Fullerton Ave. ”When it gets hot, really hot, people want an air conditioner. They come in asking for something cheap and something cool.”
But if you want to get the most out of an air conditioner, you should really ask more.
Before you buy
You should ask about BTUs (British thermal units, the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree) and SEERs (seasonal energy efficiency ratio numbers, which measure cooling energy efficiency).
And you should also have some answers of your own. You should know if the electrical wiring in your apartment can support an air conditioner; the dimensions of the space you want to cool; the effect a more expensive summer electric bill will have on your household budget; and the practicality of having a carry-in or on-premise air conditioner warranty.
”Most people go in to buy an air conditioner when the heat has really gotten to them,” said Carolyn Verweyst, spokeswoman for Benton Harbor, Mich.- based Whirlpool Corp., one of the major makers of window air conditioners.
”They aren`t always practical and they may not know what to ask.”
Verweyst said the first thing consumers should think of is dimensions of the space they want to cool, because sizing an air conditioner is crucial.
If the air conditioner unit is too large for the space it`s meant to cool, then the unit cools but doesn`t dehumidify, and the room becomes clammy. ”A unit that is too big for an area may cool an area, but it will run a few minutes, kick off and then kick on again,” said Verweyst. ”The space you are trying to cool runs warm to cold and is never really comfortable.
”Consumers need to know how many square feet the unit will comfortably cool,” Verweyst said. ”Consumers should also know if the sun is going to beat down on the unit in the afternoon and know where the heat will come from in the apartment during the hot part of the day.”
Michael Kelly, a spokesman for Commonwealth Edison Co., said a general rule of thumb is that you`ll need 12,000 BTUs for an insulated, well-sealed living space of 600 to 800 square feet.
Room by room
Don Carlson, owner of Home Energy Conservationists, a professional energy savings firm in Chicago, suggested that tenants localize the cooling with window units in various rooms.
”Buy a unit that is adequate for the area that you are going to cool and compartmentalize your house,” said Carlson. ”You don`t have to always run every unit in the apartment.”
Ulloa, at Fretters, said most of the air conditioners have charts that list size suggestions depending on the size of a room. He said it`s best to use the formula suggested by air-conditioner manufacturers.
The apartment building`s wiring should also be considered.
Kelly said that the wiring in most older buildings that have been rehabbed has been upgraded to accommodate window air conditioners.
He said the circuit breaker or fuse box should be clearly labeled for 100 amps, which is recommended for safe wiring and for using large appliances such as window air conditioners.
If the circuit breaker or the fuse box is not rated, it will not be safe to add a large appliance, such as a window air conditioner.
”You`ll know the wiring is insufficient when the lights dim, the picture on the television shrinks, the air conditioner`s motor speeds change or when the fuses blow,” Kelly said. ”The signs of trouble are not subtle.”
”Buying an air conditioner shouldn`t mean you can`t run other appliances,” said Kelly. ”If that`s the case, then there are electrical problems that should be looked at.”
Live wires
Another sign is the electric outlets. A building whose electrical wiring has been updated has electric outlets that have three-pronged openings.
”If there are no three-pronged outlets in the apartment, that`s a good sign that the building does not have updated wiring,” said Kelly. ”Most kitchens have these outlets because modern refrigerators need them to operate, but other rooms of the apartment may not have been rewired. This is something to check for before buying an air-conditioner unit.”
All air-conditioner units have three-pronged electric plugs. The third prong, the grounding prong, is essential to drawing the large flow of electricity that the air conditioner needs to operate.
Kelly warned consumers not to meddle with the third prong.
”Don`t try to saw it off. Don`t use extension cords with three-pronged outlets in an effort to make your air-conditioner unit work in an outdated electric (wall) outlet,” he said.
Kelly said extension cords should be avoided when using air conditioners, or any large appliances, because large appliances draw a greater amount of electricity and not all extension cords can handle it. Some heavy-duty extension cords may be used, but it`s safer to move the air conditioner to a location in the apartment where it can can be plugged directly into the outlet, Kelly said.
Come summertime, living in an old walkup building may not be all bad, said Carlson of Home Energy Conservations.
Made in the shade
”Many of the older walkup buildings are in areas where there are trees, and a large shade tree can have a natural cooling effect on your apartment,” Carlson said.
”A big, old shade tree and a large fan in a window can be just as good as air conditioning,” said Carlson. ”In summer, when people get too hot they often think that the only way to stay cool is with an air conditioner, but shade trees have been doing the job for years.”
Carlson conceded that the hot, humid days of summer are worse for those tenants who live on the top floor of older buildings, if attics are not prepared for proper ventilation.
Carlson said the landlord can improve the situation by adding roof vents or attic fans to cool an area.
”A properly ventilated attic also helps in the cooling of an apartment with window air conditioners,” he said. ”You won`t need as much energy to cool the apartment. It will be more energy efficient for you.”
And, energy efficiency translates into savings on your electric bill.
Commonwealth Edison`s Kelly said summer electric rates for customers using more than 400 kilowatt hours per month would be higher than in non-summer months. Overall, if you use more than 400 kilowatts and use air conditioning it`s going to show up in your bill. If you use less than 400 kilowatt hours there`s little difference in electric rates.
Paying the piper
The cost of operating an air conditioner depends on the number of hours it is used.
For example, Kelly said, a typical air conditioner (10,000 to 12,000 BTUs)uses 1 kilowatt an hour for an average operating cost of 10.7 cents an hour.
Kelly said most small one- or two-bedroom apartments in older walkup buildings use less than 400 kilowatt hours a month. He said they are often closer to 200 kilowatt hours a month with a window air conditioner, depending on the need and the use of the air conditioner.
Frank Hartman, a spokesman for Carrier Corp., said energy efficiency should also be part of your air conditioner buying decision. The higher the SEER, or seasonal energy efficiency ratio, number on a unit, the less electricity the unit uses. Carrier makes units whose numbers range from 8.0 to 16.0.
In 1978, the federal government mandated that a SEER number appear on all air-conditioning units. Utility companies consider models with SEER numbers of 10 or above as high-efficiency.
Kelly said Commonwealth Edison recommends consumers purchase air-conditioning units that have a rating of at least 10.
”A typical homeowner can save 12 to 15 percent per year on cooling costs by purchasing a unit with a SEER of 10 as opposed to an 8,” Carrier`s Hartman said.
If it breaks down
Once you get your air-conditioner model mounted in your bedroom window, you don`t want to think about moving it, so the kind of warranty that comes with the unit is also important.
If it has a ”carry-in” warranty, the air conditioner must be taken out of the window and brought in to be repaired. With an ”on-premise” warranty, a technician will come to the owner`s home to repair the unit.
The type of warranty that comes with your air conditioner varies with air conditioner manufacturers.
While the temperature may be right, the sound of the air conditioner has to be right, too.
”Over the years, the sound of an air conditioner has become a big concern,” said Whirlpool`s Verweyst. ”Consumers are not willing to put up with noise anymore for the sake of a cool room. Some models are more quiet than others and consumers have to test them out in the stores to see with which one they`d be most comfortable.”
