Aircon struggling this hot weather.

[giddyup]

I keep all the curtains drawn in the bedroom to try and insulate as much as possible but the aircon is struggling to reduce the temp. by much. The aircon motor is getting full sun for a lot of the day, so would it help to put some kind of shade over it? It's a typical Thai built house, thin brick walls, so it heats up pretty easily.

 

 

 

[Denim]

You're not the only one. Worst hot season I have ever experienced. Car air con barely coping when driving and worse if stationary.

 

Our home is built of Q Con blocks and there is 6 inches of insulation on top of the ceiling . Even so, the air con in the bedroom is struggling a bit in the daytime and is on about 16 hours a day. Only off when we go out or early morning. 

Temperature is 40 in the shade on the balcony. 32.5 in the living room ( no air con ) and I'm keeping the bedroom at 27.

 

Everywhere I go , all the Thais I deal with ask me. " how do you like the weather ? "  They are suffering just as much.

Not a soi dog to be seen....all in hiding.

 

I wish Prayuth would do a rain dance or something.

[phetphet]

Have you had it checked out to make sure all is working OK? Might possibly need topping up with gas.

[1FinickyOne]

I am having the same issues w/both car and bedroom... 

[lhtp12]

1) All air cons in Th are undersized- Calculate BTU and double -

2) Condensors are all to far away from evaporator - need to be wihtin 2 m

3) Most here have leaks - They just add gas and never fix the leak

 

Solution - A new Daikan unit probably 18,000 BTU, professionally, installed and u are cool !

[Crossy]

Shading your outdoor unit will help, make sure you don't restrict its airflow.

 

Any shading you can give your walls will help too.

 

We've had to shade our water tank as the "cold" water got too hot to shower

 

[giddyup]

5 minutes ago, Denim said:

You're not the only one. Worst hot season I have ever experienced. Car air con barely coping when driving and worse if stationary.

 

Our home is built of Q Con blocks and there is 6 inches of insulation on top of the ceiling . Even so, the air con in the bedroom is struggling a bit in the daytime and is on about 16 hours a day. Only off when we go out or early morning. 

Temperature is 40 in the shade on the balcony. 32.5 in the living room ( no air con ) and I'm keeping the bedroom at 27.

 

Everywhere I go , all the Thais I deal with ask me. " how do you like the weather ? "  They are suffering just as much.

Not a soi dog to be seen....all in hiding.

 

I wish Prayuth would do a rain dance or something.

I have the aircon set at 27 but the clock that also shows temp is showing 33 in the bedroom. Have two fans running as well.

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, lhtp12 said:

1) All air cons in Th are undersized- Calculate BTU and double -

2) Condensors are all to far away from evaporator - need to be wihtin 2 m

3) Most here have leaks - They just add gas and never fix the leak

 

Solution - A new Daikan unit probably 18,000 BTU, professionally, installed and u are cool !

 

A lot of generalisations there. How did you calculate the 18,000 BTU size?

[OneMoreFarang]

Is your AC clean?

If the AC indoor unit in my bedroom is not cleaned every couple of months, then it doesn't get cold anymore.

After cleaning it, it feels like a new AC.

P.S.: I have pets, I am sure that is one of the reasons why it has to be cleaned.

[phetphet]

13 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

I am having the same issues w/both car and bedroom... 

Just had the car air con topped up this afternoon. 500THB and a world of difference, but pretty sure there is a leak. Have been told 10 - 15,000 to fix.

That can wait until after Songkran. I needed cooling now. Driving in this heat is horrible.

 

Sitting here in a cold room with the air con on and the curtains closed as I type this. Dreading my next electricity bill.

[Denim]

11 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I have the aircon set at 27 but the clock that also shows temp is showing 33 in the bedroom. Have two fans running as well.

I have put plastic whiteboards up behind the window plus curtain shut. I have even put some fake brick sheets up on one wall because they are foam backed and I thought might help the air conditioner a wee bit by keeping the cool air away from the wall.  Think the stuff is naff but this hot spell has a long way to go.

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, Denim said:

I have put plastic whiteboards up behind the window plus curtain shut. I have even put some fake brick sheets up on one wall because they are foam backed and I thought might help the air conditioner a wee bit by keeping the cool air away from the wall.  Think the stuff is naff but this hot spell has a long way to go.

I think those fake bricks look kinda cool.

[proton]

Take clothes off and put feet in buckets of ice

[Denim]

Just now, giddyup said:

I think those fake bricks look kinda cool.

Hope they help with keeping the cool air cool. I can put up with the looks.

[giddyup]

I'm dreading the possibility of a power cut because of overloads.

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, Denim said:

Hope they help with keeping the cool air cool. I can put up with the looks.

They look a lot better than that fake wood panelling.

[still kicking]

I could laugh about you guys complaining about the heat, where I live, we had 10 days over 40 and to follow with another 14 days in the high 30ths. And I don't have an aircon at all.

[Denim]

1 minute ago, giddyup said:

I'm dreading the possibility of a power cut because of overloads.

We had a 4 hour power cut a few nights back !!. There was a little rain and the fast bend that enters the village was oily from sugar cane trucks doing a U turn there. That made the bend slippery and a speeding macho man in his pick up lost control and took out an electric post.

 

Got solar lights in the house but couldn't sit inside.....just too hot.

[spidermike007]

Always keep your air con clean. Clean the filters at least once every two weeks, and have the entire unit broken down and deep cleaned every six months, and have them check the coolant every time. 

 

Also, always buy a bigger unit than the room needs. Keeps the rooms cooler with less power. 

 

And lastly, get some ceiling insulation and ceiling exhaust fans, if practical. Both make a big difference. 

[spidermike007]

4 minutes ago, still kicking said:

I could laugh about you guys complaining about the heat, where I live, we had 10 days over 40 and to follow with another 14 days in the high 30ths. And I don't have an aircon at all.

Why? Who would want to suffer like that, if you have a choice? I am no martyr. I don't like pain and suffering. 

[Lacessit]

9 minutes ago, proton said:

Take clothes off and put feet in buckets of ice

Please, not while I am eating dinner.

[Madgee]

3 minutes ago, still kicking said:

I could laugh about you guys complaining about the heat, where I live, we had 10 days over 40 and to follow with another 14 days in the high 30ths. And I don't have an aircon at all.

WOW .... You hero! 

 

[GinBoy2]

 Lot of the problem is how most Thai houses are built

 

A single brick wall, so no insulated gap.

 

On a brutal heat day I can feel my interior walls radiating heat, so AC is always going to struggle.

 

I can contrast that to our US house where either brutally cold or brutally hot the AC or the heat isn't fighting the external walls

[worgeordie]

I don't use A/c ,don't like them, been British was never brought up with them,

house or car, but I do own about 20 of them in rental premises ,and they

are a pain in the @rse , 

The house I live in has plenty trees , bushes , water features around it ,which

does keep it cooler, sleep at night with windows open and most of the time

only a single fan , during the day just potter about the house and garden

only wearing a sarong , 

 

One particular tenant is always complaining about A/C not working , when

I go around to check it , he has it set at 17 degrees , and the thing is frozen

up,  for me you can keep your A/c , I don't need it , been American its mandatory.

or in a Condo you would really need one.

 

regards Worgeorde

 

 

 

 

[Lucky Bones]

48 minutes ago, Denim said:

You're not the only one. Worst hot season I have ever experienced. Car air con barely coping when driving and worse if stationary.

 

Our home is built of Q Con blocks and there is 6 inches of insulation on top of the ceiling . Even so, the air con in the bedroom is struggling a bit in the daytime and is on about 16 hours a day. Only off when we go out or early morning. 

Temperature is 40 in the shade on the balcony. 32.5 in the living room ( no air con ) and I'm keeping the bedroom at 27.

 

Everywhere I go , all the Thais I deal with ask me. " how do you like the weather ? "  They are suffering just as much.

Not a soi dog to be seen....all in hiding.

 

I wish Prayuth would do a rain dance or something.

"Not a soi dog to be seen". Correct.

But walk out the front gate to go to Mom & Pop store and they soon round me up. Day or night.

Time to stop walking.

PVC pipe essential.????????

[NONG CHOK]

I go for a 90 minutes walk every morning. I leave my house around 5-45 am. The weather is cool and perfect for exercising. Just after 7am it starts heating up and gets rather uncomfortable. Its really humid with no breeze and If I don't carry a small bottle of water I feel very drained when I finish.

[Pink Mist]

1 minute ago, NONG CHOK said:

I go for a 90 minutes walk every morning. I leave my house around 5-45 am. The weather is cool and perfect for exercising. Just after 7am it starts heating up and gets rather uncomfortable. Its really humid with no breeze and If I don't carry a small bottle of water I feel very drained when I finish.

Stay hydrated is the key. Now that the hot weather is here we carry our water packs with us when we go out.  They start out as frozen, but by the time we need water it is just cool water.....33c now feels like 44c....ugh.

 

[John Drake]

25 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I'm dreading the possibility of a power cut because of overloads.

Which is why it is important to acclimate as much as possible. I go without a/c until around 10 pm. But I can't survive without fans during the afternoon and early evening.

[bkk6060]

My experience it is all about keeping it clean.  In a place like Chiang Mai now, you should probably have it professionally cleaned every month.  Add, if your unit is not sufficiently sized for the space, performance will seem poor.   So, have a size plus for the space and keep it cleaned should be no problems.

[giddyup]

Just now, John Drake said:

Which is why it is important to acclimate as much as possible. I go without a/c until around 10 pm. But I can't survive without fans during the afternoon and early evening.

Fans don't work without electric either.