# Air conditioner venting question.



## Masbustelo (Sep 21, 2017)

I am using a small room in my basement to store wine. I want to install a 5000 btu window air conditioner. I can either vent it into my basement or vent outside through a window that I can close up. My question is: Does the unit have to vent into the basement to avoid drainline freezing in the winter, or can I use the window. The complication is that to vent into the basement I need to open a hole in a brick wall. I am running at 70 degrees and 80% humidity currently.


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## vacuumpumpman (Sep 21, 2017)

Masbustelo said:


> I am using a small room in my basement to store wine. I want to install a 5000 btu window air conditioner. I can either vent it into my basement or vent outside through a window that I can close up. My question is: Does the unit have to vent into the basement to avoid drainline freezing in the winter, or can I use the window. The complication is that to vent into the basement I need to open a hole in a brick wall. I am running at 70 degrees and 80% humidity currently.



All the heat that is removed from the room will be pushed thru the exhaust - I would get rid of it thru the window (outside air )


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## Masbustelo (Sep 21, 2017)

I don't know very much technically about refrigeration and am wondering if the window unit will run properly in temperatures well below 32F. I'm in Northern Illinois. The room has exposed heating ducts and I think might run a little warm in the winter.


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## GreenEnvy22 (Sep 21, 2017)

Not sure on your specific model, but we have air conditioners at work that run 24/7, 365, to keep our servers cool. This is near Toronto, so it's well below 0 C here in winter.
Drain line is certainly something to plan. ours is an insulated tube that runs into a manhole.


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## vacuumpumpman (Sep 21, 2017)

Masbustelo said:


> I don't know very much technically about refrigeration and am wondering if the window unit will run properly in temperatures well below 32F. I'm in Northern Illinois. The room has exposed heating ducts and I think might run a little warm in the winter.



I also live in northern IL - No need for A/C below 32 F - open a window if necessary -

My temps in the basement stay between 65-68 F


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## Masbustelo (Sep 21, 2017)

Green Envy Are those standard residential window units?


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## Smok1 (Sep 21, 2017)

Im a refrig mechanic, unless you have a low ambient unit it will be very hard on the compressor running in the winter if its mounted in a window, no condenser fan control means very low head pressure in freezing tempatures which will mean low suction pressure, if you mechanicaly savy you can put a low ambient kit on it fairly cheap, its basically a bulb attached to the liquid line off the condenser, and hooked to a relay that controls the condenser fan, as the liquid line temp drops the relay opens the fan circuit allowing the compressor to run without the condenser fan until it gets up to temp, then relay closes and fan starts.

You shouldnt need to use the compressor to cool in the winter anyway, most window shaker units have a lever behind the inside cover that allows fresh air to be pulled in with the fan, if its 32f outside just open the outdoor vent and turn the fan on, use one of those plug and play inkbird controllers to control the power to the unit set at whatever temp u want


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## vacuumpumpman (Sep 21, 2017)

Smok1 said:


> Im a refrig mechanic, unless you have a low ambient unit it will be very hard on the compressor running in the winter if its mounted in a window, no condenser fan control means very low head pressure in freezing tempatures which will mean low suction pressure, if you mechanicaly savy you can put a low ambient kit on it fairly cheap, its basically a bulb attached to the liquid line off the condenser, and hooked to a relay that controls the condenser fan, as the liquid line temp drops the relay opens the fan circuit allowing the compressor to run without the condenser fan until it gets up to temp, then relay closes and fan starts.
> 
> You shouldnt need to use the compressor to cool in the winter anyway, most window shaker units have a lever behind the inside cover that allows fresh air to be pulled in with the fan, if its 32f outside just open the outdoor vent and turn the fan on, use one of those plug and play inkbird controllers to control the power to the unit set at whatever temp u want





^ YES I totally agree 

I have my AC certified license - best to follow directions above ^^^

I typically will take all my carboys out to the shed in the month of December with the airlocks full of vodka


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## Masbustelo (Sep 22, 2017)

Thanks guys. It will be a lot easier to frame in my window vs going through brick wall, cellulose insulation and dry wall. Would the fan run continuously or just when the Inkbird unit calls for it?


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## GreenEnvy22 (Sep 22, 2017)

Masbustelo said:


> Green Envy Are those standard residential window units?



Ours are the split style. But as others said, windows works fine too in winter 
I wanted to actually do the same for our servers, just have a fan sucking in outside air to keep them cool in winter, but humidity issues are even worse for servers than wine, so no go.


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## Arne (Sep 22, 2017)

Smok1 said:


> Im a refrig mechanic, unless you have a low ambient unit it will be very hard on the compressor running in the winter if its mounted in a window, no condenser fan control means very low head pressure in freezing tempatures which will mean low suction pressure, if you mechanicaly savy you can put a low ambient kit on it fairly cheap, its basically a bulb attached to the liquid line off the condenser, and hooked to a relay that controls the condenser fan, as the liquid line temp drops the relay opens the fan circuit allowing the compressor to run without the condenser fan until it gets up to temp, then relay closes and fan starts.
> 
> You shouldnt need to use the compressor to cool in the winter anyway, most window shaker units have a lever behind the inside cover that allows fresh air to be pulled in with the fan, if its 32f outside just open the outdoor vent and turn the fan on, use one of those plug and play inkbird controllers to control the power to the unit set at whatever temp u want



Most of the window units have a double shaft motor that runs the condensor fan and the evaporator fan. Makes it kinda hard to shut one off and not the other. Arne.


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## Smok1 (Sep 22, 2017)

Masbustelo said:


> Thanks guys. It will be a lot easier to frame in my window vs going through brick wall, cellulose insulation and dry wall. Would the fan run continuously or just when the Inkbird unit calls for it?


 It will just turn on when the inkbird controller calls
For it


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