Not wanting to hijack the Generator thread I will start a new one here.
I went looking around this morning to try and find a small 5k BTU AC myself. I saw a 5200 BTU unit at Targets on clearance for like $27 but it was only a 9.7 EER unit.
I also looked at Lowes and Home Depot. I didn't wander the entire store in both places, I just looked around where the AC's were usually placed. But in both places they were already converted over to fireplace stuff. On my way out of HD I did see a 20K BTU up front of the store, but that was a bit larger than what I wanted.
Poking around online I see a Kenmore 5700 BTU at Sears for $190 with an 11.2 EER. Home Depot lists a Maytag 5200 BTU for $119 with a 10.7 EER.
I'll try hitting Sears and Best Buy tomorrow morning to see if they have anything instore that might be on clearance.
TPA said:For those looking at the Kipor or Honda generators, here's a video I found on the 'net. Check out how quiet these inverter-based generators really are:
http://www.jsapr.com/campsmith/3500ti.AVI
From what I've read, the Hondas still have an edge on the quietness...and I've yet to see anyone hook up an oscilloscope to the output of the Kipor generators. I'm still a "you get what you pay for" person, so I'll be sticking with the Hondas. The price difference between the Honda & Kipor clone isn't worth the risk to my equipment. 'Though, since my EU2000i generator has less than an hour on it, I'm thinking it might be another 5-10 years before I'd even need to think about replacing it. More watts would be nice...but at $3.09/gallon, I'm not sure I want to feed anything with more watts, not to mention the scarcity of fuel after a disaster.
Also, for those looking at window AC's, be sure to check the EER (efficnency) ratings. Normally this doesn't amount to much, but when you're paying ~$0.50/kWh, it adds up quick. The el-cheapo 5,000 BTU ACs have an EER of 9.7 or less. 5000 / 9.7 = 530 watts. A better 5,000 BTU AC with an EER of 11.7 would use 5000 / 11.7 = 427 watts. 100 watts/hr is quite a bit when you're running a smaller genset. ~8-10 CFL lamps' worth.
Does anyone know when Lowe's is putting their window ACs on sale/clearance for the season? They seem to have quite a few of the higher EER window ACs, but with prices to match...and for something that I'm buying & may never use, I'd hate to pay full price.
I went looking around this morning to try and find a small 5k BTU AC myself. I saw a 5200 BTU unit at Targets on clearance for like $27 but it was only a 9.7 EER unit.
I also looked at Lowes and Home Depot. I didn't wander the entire store in both places, I just looked around where the AC's were usually placed. But in both places they were already converted over to fireplace stuff. On my way out of HD I did see a 20K BTU up front of the store, but that was a bit larger than what I wanted.
Poking around online I see a Kenmore 5700 BTU at Sears for $190 with an 11.2 EER. Home Depot lists a Maytag 5200 BTU for $119 with a 10.7 EER.
I'll try hitting Sears and Best Buy tomorrow morning to see if they have anything instore that might be on clearance.