Newbie-Confused Even where to post this-Some simple general questions

[ChickClick]

Hi, I'm new here here and I don't know anything about HVAC but I have some questions. I'm only asking general questions and ballpark questions. I won't ask anything specific nor will I give you me exact location because I'm trying to abide by this Forums Rule's as best as I can.
OK Here I go:
I'm a fairly young disabled women whose health has took a turn for the worst. Since March I've been in a wheelchair and on Oxygen, bla bla This is not a sob story.

However, I've lived in government subsidized housing for the past 9 years and I was the first tenant in this newly built building. I know let the hardworking taxpayer's hate me and can flame me now.

the deal with this building is that the first 5 floors are commercial and the other 49 floors are residential with the 80/20 program-80% of the apts. are charged the full rate for this major city and 20% are for low income- most of which are just people with low paying jobs like I was at first.

So, some of the parts of the apartments look commercial or like hotel like attributes, so I didn't know if this should be in the homeowners section since it's not a house that I own nor is completely commercial.

Anyways, it's a studio and I'll even over estimate and say it's 25x15. I have a since HVAC for both heat and AC and 3 windows that slide open to the side 3inches with window stoppers which you're not to remove even though no children ever have nor ever will enter my apt.

So basically if you're in the apt. 3-4 months out of the year the AC must be on, plus now that I'm completely homebound and on oxygen most of the time which I hope and pray will only last less than a year. The heat is included and I believe it's gas, but the AC is electric which I pay for. In non-summer months I pay less than $75 for electric a month. In the hot weather it runs From $300- $500 in the past and that wasn't even home all the time like I need now. I've been home for 2 weeks and I just got a bill for $287
(I was in the care of family for a few months after a couple of months in the hospital and the apt. was vacant with a $52 electric bill for each month)
So, now I'm really dreading the next few bills as my credit cards are maxed out paying for my utilities for the past few years. I've had the HVAC unit in my apt. replaced well over a dozen times in my nine years for everything from it just stopped working, but mostly because many of them have leaked so bad that I turned it on to sleep with and when I woke up there was a flood so bad that not only were all my mandatory area rugs ruined, but they had to replace 1/4 of the wooden floorboards had to be replaced because they buckled and started to rot. Supposedly this is 6,000 btu unit (if I'm understanding the maintenance man's English correctly) which has 2 dials. On the left is temperature control of how hot or cold you want it. That dial has never worked an ANY unit I've ever received. On the right it says off, vent, high cool, low cool, and heat. I always keep it on low cool and run regular plain old fans but it is always in the high 70's inside here in the summer. I don't notice much of a difference in temperature when the dial has been on High, but it sure shows that it's been used on my electric bill lol.

The maintenance men have told me that these units are older than the building and just keep being refurbished by a company that is cheap for the company that owns the building, but that never work properly anyways.

Now for my questions-Just give me a ball park figure is 6,000 btu in the hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy a new one. I know you're not supposed to ask price but I'm not looking to but just looking for a vague idea

Since my windows only open 3in wide and are 6ft tall (yep there that big), I'm pretty sure I can't put in a portable unit I could buy. Is that correct?

I've contact various places for people with disabilities and such but my little problem of going bankrupt because of air conditioning ranks very low on anyone's list. I would move but I'm not likely to find an apt. anywhere for less that $550 a month, let alone in a city near all the doctors I need.

So, I was just double checking that there is nothing I can do. Especially since I'm guessing I couldn't buy a new one of these units that works properly anyways. (but would it be more energy efficient if I could?)


Thanks for listening, but please don't bash me for wasting the government's money on one single life when they could have saved 10 by now with my medical bills. Plus I've already put a DNR order in my living will. 32 is a much longer stretch than most get. Any ideas are always appreciated.

[dan wong]

Check the price at Home depot or your locale craigslist. here is an example in Phoenix, Arizona http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/for/3199408821.html

[ChickClick]

Check the price at Home depot or your locale craigslist. here is an example in Phoenix, Arizona http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/for/3199408821.html

Huh???
Did you read my whole post or did you just send the wrong Link? My 6ft tall windows only open 3inch because window guards required by law are installed. If I could install any old window air conditioner, my problem would have been solved about 2 hours after I received my fir AC electric bill.

Oh so what exactly the cube shaped air conditioner officially called anyways?

[dan wong]

I was thinking; pull the old 6000 btu unit out and replace it with a newer unit. I didn't know you are trying to fit that in a 3" opening.

[jpsmith1cm]

Moved thread to AOP Residential

[ChickClick]

Hey Dan, do the HVAC units really due cost the same as the regular AC window units or do they cost hundreds or thousands more? I'm not asking for anything specific I read the rules But I know silver plated jewelry is junk comped to solid platinum. What do you know? And if this unit was repaired by a proper professional, would it become more energy efficient or still be a piece of junk?

I find it hard to believe that the rich people paying 3-5k a month in rent would stand for even half the kind of electric bills I get. There must be some answer?

[martyinlincoln]

Google PTAC and see if that's what you have.