A few random images today from the Harbour as a backdrop to my description of yesterday’s addition to my knowledge-base. I’m certain that most (if not all of you) already knew what I am about to share, but as usual I didn’t. In fact, I will freely admit that there are giant gaps in my understanding of much of the world – which is to be expected – and that I only learn many of the things I need to know when that information is necessary.
Today’s subject concerns that air conditioner I got last year. I know it seems like an odd thing to be discussing when the temperature is just barely above freezing during the day and the snow hasn’t even melted yet – but I’ve been thinking about it periodically ever since I unplugged the thing at the end of the summer.
The unit I purchased was supposed to be installed in a window but wouldn’t work in mine (casement) and so I bit the mythical bullet and cut a hole in my wall and gave it a perfectly comfortable home that way. One of the few things I understand about air conditioning is that the cold air works best when it falls down from a height high enough to catch all that rising hot air.
The downside to having a cottage with all these windows that that there isn’t a lot of usable wall space. In fact, the only way to fit the unit was under a window – this is not ideal. What makes it even less ideal is that the manufacturers obviously thought the new owner would put it in a really high window and only included the ability to direct the airflow to the left or right. There is no way to aim it up. It shoots straight out. Hot knees are not a problem.
I had a lot of projects going on last year so I didn’t have time to fuss with this thing. I did construct (with boxes and stuff) a ski-jump sort of sculpture in front of it which shot the cold air high enough to allow it to settle back down in an approximation of the way it should have worked in a standard installation. It was enough. As a side note – the cats really liked the jump. Unfortunately they kept playing in it and I had to rebuild the damn thing every day.
However, I was determined that this coming summer would be different. I already have a hole in my wall – the beast was going back in the same place. This time though I would, somehow, have a better way to direct the cold air. The ski-jump option was off the table.
I have been thinking about this problem on and off for months and, in my mind, I could imagine the solution. The biggest issue I could see was not the “what’ but the “how”. I’ve never been crafty and my hands are bad enough that I don’t even try. There are people on the Island who could do what I wanted but I’d need to be very specific. So, yesterday I started some online searches. You already know what I found, right?
For those few, like me, who don’t know it turns out that Air Diverters or Air Deflectors are a real thing! In fact, when I looked at the ones on Amazon they were exactly what I wanted to create. You can get them for air conditioners, floor vents, wall vents, and ceiling vents. You can pay from $4 to $550. Note: I won’t be paying $550. I will stop worrying about this now and later in the year will be buying one for my A/C. That’s one problem solved. Well, apart from a conversation I’ll have to have with the cats. 🙂
This Fundy Migrant's Tale 