OT: Any A/C or electrical guys in the house?

[NicoleC]

I need to replace my ancient in-wall air conditioner. I need about an 8,000 BTU unit (large, single room), but I have dedicated 30amp service for the AC. I can't even find ANY 30 amp in-wall AC unit, even at a higher rating.

Now, assuming I change the plug and run a 15 or 20 amp appliance on the circuit, how do I tell if it's a 220v or a 110v circuit? I think it's a 220v outlet -- it has two flat, horizontal prongs on top and a round plug on the bottom -- am I right?

Can't look up stats on the existing unit -- I know it's a Kenmore, but there's no model number or serial number.

 

[SteveOhh]

It's a 30 amp 220 volt plug that you are describing. 220 volts has 2 "hot" wires & 1 "neutral" wire. The hot wires are usually black in color & the neutral is usually white in color. If you want to change to 110 volts, you need to eliminate one of the "hot" wires. Make sure who ever changes the circuit to 110 volts, disconnects the "hot" wire that is going to be eliminated from the breaker also. Don't just let him/her "cap" the wire in the wall.

I'd run at least a 20 amp outlet...............that way if you ever decide to upgrade to a bigger a/c unit, you don't have to upgrade the outlet & breaker again.

HTH!!

Steve

 

[NicoleC]

Thanks, Steve. I suspected it was 220v, and since many in-wall units are 220v anyway, I see no reason to bother with rewiring.

Hmmm... that one Kenmore says it uses a "tandem" plug -- isn't that another name for the ones with the vertical prongs? No need to swap the outlet, either. It's overkill for my unit, buy hey, I could cool the whole place and wouldn't need a chiller for the fish tank!

 

[cthetoy]

At least your new AC will be more energy efficient than your old one. SCE has a $50 rebate if you buy an Energy Star in-room AC.

 

[NicoleC]

Oh yeah. This unit is old enough to be a serious energy hog, early 1970's unit, I think. I rarely use it, mostly because it doesn't have a real thermostat on it, just a knob with arbitrary cooling numbers. If I could set a thermostat at 85F or so and leave it, I'd be super happy.

Unfortunately, the new units seems to be smaller, too, which means I have to do something with the bigger hole in the exterior wall I have. Joy.

I was talking to my neighbors that have installed heat pumps, and they say they spend less or equal elex on the heat pump than they did on the ancient gas furnaces we have. My gas furnace is going strong, but any day now I expect that it will just die, and major $$$ to replace, because I will probably have to redo the vents, too.

So I am looking at the GE in-wall heat pump. $650, which is pricey for a 11,600BTU AC, but at least it's the same width as the hole in my wall, plus it's Energy Star. Not the same height, so I still have to muck with the exterior wall. If my furnace gives out, I could use the heat portion of the heat pump as a temporary heat source. (And I'd be likely to stick a Kill-A-Watt meter on it for a couple of days and then compare to my gas furnace to see which is more efficient.)

And yes, it qualifies for the $50 SCE rebate, since it is more than 10% over the Energy Star rating requirement. Thanks for the heads up, Mike.

Where are those 20% off Home Depot employee friends and family coupons when you need one? I doubt they ever go on sale.