apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Great question! I am looking for a portable AC unit but they seem to receive dismal reviews across the board. Does anyone have a model they recommend--I really just need it to cool a couple of hundred square feet, and I do have a window to dump the hot air.

there are swamp coolers (just google it) but they aren't so great for humid climates (they actually ADD humidity to the room, but it's coooool humidity).

maybe it's worth a shot, though? it's not an AC, it doesn't cool entire rooms, but you put water in it and the fan uses the water to cool the air. you can even put ice water in it to make it even cooler. hope that kinda sorta helps :)

You can only avoid venting the AC if you love moss and jungle plants. Also mold and mildew and perhaps a few spontaneous
fungi.

A few years ago on a blazing hot day, I went to Shop Rite to buy some sherbet and left the store with a very small AC, with a forgotten Japanese name, that tidily cooled two 17' x 17' rooms with 12' celings. I loved it and miss it--I left it behind when I moved. It was a window model, but it cost about $140, so a readily gave up the view, which was quite pleasant.

swamp cooler may be your only option. my office mates have one and it supplements the not so great a.c. that doesn't reach their area well. i dont think this system would work that well alone (i.e. without a little boost from a.c. in another room).

Please don't think I'm being mean here, but if there isn't a window, then its' not legally a bedroom. That people live in such rooms in NYC in the 21st century is a sad testimony to the state of the housing market here.

That said, you best bet is to find ways to get fresh (or airconditioned) air into your room.

If you want to pursure the portable air-conditioner -- they don't get great reviews, but they do provide relief -- is there any way you could run a longer version of the exhaust hose to a window or opening in another room/hallway?

I am seriously worried for you.. how can you live in a windowless room? What about a fire?

You don't have air conditioning or a window? How do you breathe?

I know that we used to vent our portable clothes dryer into this little kit that was basically a container of water. I wonder if you could do the same thing?

This post makes me grateful that I no longer live in NYC.

I recall seeing portable AC units sitting around in stores in Venice, Italy. These definitely did not use a window or vent source. (Although we're not sure how effective they were.) I'm not sure where to look on the net to see what these are, but something to keep in mind when you are searching.

i have one of the portable a/c units in my apt. i bought it because i thought it was my only option because i have bars on the window.

they are about 5x more expensive, and 3x less effective.

don't get one. there are a/c units that sit inside the window.

as for totally windowless, i have no idea.

In most railroad apartments, interior rooms only have a window that opens into another room with a window - and this is how you get around the "no windows" problem. Also, there are likely two doors, allowing for two different means of escape. If her room has no windows and only doors, I'm not really sure what the law is here... but I can tell you that not all interior rooms without windows to the OUTSIDE are in violation.

A swamp cooler ABSOLUTELY does not work when the humidity is greater than 50% -- which it always is in NY in the summer. They're technically known as "evaporative coolers" and rely on a principle of physics called the "latent energy of evaporation" or something similar. That's why they're only used in desert climates -- and they're even useless there on days when the humidity exceeds 50%.

Try cooling your whole railroad from the ends, and use fans to help the air circulate towards the inner rooms. The transom windows (if they're still operable) will help with that.

Clothes dryers vent water only, air conditioners vent both hot air and water. Usually the portable kind have an internal water tank that you will have to dump regularly, but the hot air remains a problem.

The hose does not actually need to vent into a window, I have heard of setups where it vents underneath a door into a building hallway. However, I'm assuming you are in a roommate situation and that they will not appreciate this!

Is the apartment air-conditioned at all? I am assuming that you have roommates if you are in the central room. My husband and I lived in a railroad apartment for awhile and installed one AC in the window facing the street and another in the window facing the back of the building and were able to keep the middle part of the apartment pleasantly cool.

Would it be feasible during the hot weather to share the air throughout the apartment? Perhaps by using fans? I understand that this means less privacy, but it's probably better than living in an oven.

That hose exhaust hot air. The heat needs to go somewhere...

These things do work but only if the hot air (and it is quite a lot) can go somewhere. If not the only way would be to prevent adding heat (leave no lights on, etc) and try to pull in as much fresh air as possible. There vents I suppose? Could a fan be added to at least get some cool air in?

If you don't have a window, an A/C won't work, as it needs venting. Try looking at these instead: http://www.air-n-water.com/swamp-coolers-evaporative.htm
Evap coolers don't work that well in humid climates, but a little goes a long way in the situation you're describing.
Personally, I'd move before it gets too hot this summer..........

"Please don't think I'm being mean here, but if there isn't a window, then its' not legally a bedroom. That people live in such rooms in NYC in the 21st century is a sad testimony to the state of the housing market here."

I just have to laugh a little bit. I'm sure there are plenty of suburbanites that would say the same thing about people living in 650sqft or less.

I think you're best bet might be to get a fan that would move cool air from other (hopefully conditioned) parts of the apartment to your bedroom.

And it's true - technically it's illegal to have a bedroom without a window to the outside (not to another interior space). This is for fire safety. Remember that fire in the Bronx recently? That's why it's important.

And the "windowless" AC's actually work fairly well. Light and air are both basic human needs, and some window mounted AC's can effectively block the light (depends totally on the window configuration).

the swamp cooler in an office i referred to above is in nyc, and it works i believe because window unit a.c.s are on in the space, reducing the humidity overall. its just that their cool air doesn't reach into the middle of the space.

so say, a.c. in the windows at either end of your railroad a swamp cooler may work. of course, fans blowing a.c. air into the middle room might work just as well. or hey, don't underestimate installing a basic ceiling fan.

i don't really understand the technology, but what about a dehumidifier? that's the nasty part of nyc summers anyway!

other than that option, just get a few fans and place them in such a way to move the air round the room...then have one dedicated to hitting you with cool air all night - because really, that's when it counts the most!

Is it really illegal to rent out a room without a window? Any other info on this?

As someone who grew up with swamp coolers, I'd have to disagree with all the votes for them. Where I grew up, it was a dry heat, and over 100 every day so a swamp cooler was better than nothing, but they never get the air truly comfortable. I can remember summers where even with the swamp cooler running full blast, about all we could stand to do was just kind of collapse in front of it and try not to move too much.

What you can do if you have a window - *any* window - is get a window AC unit. Go for as many BTUs as you can afford. Then get fans to suck the air out of the cool room and into the rest of the apartment.

I did that the last two years in a small apartment. It's not perfect, and you'll need at least a 20" fan to get the air really moving from the cool room to the rest of your place, plus another one or two smaller ones - but it'll be way better than a swamp cooler, trust me on that one.

If a bedroom has 2 doors, I'm pretty sure it doesn't need a window. It just needs 2 ways of egress and typically this is a door window, but I bet in could be 2 doors.

I'd offer to chip in for AC for those that have windows in order to tap into the cool air and blow it into your space with fans. Their ACs may lower the humidity enough to use a swamp cooler as well.

Kate~what floor are you on? I ask because if your on an upper or last floor you are going to experience a really awful and unbearable summer. I also have concern for your safety - air quality and also what if there is a fire as someone above mentioned.
I know it's N.Y. we're talking about here but it's not just N.Y. that will rent apartments like these. I hope that someone might suggest or maybe even give you some advice, tips, or suggestions on a more safe and affordable room/living space.

katem -- it's a difficult law to enforce in practice, but you cannot call a windowless room a bedroom -- you will often see layouts where such rooms are marked as "office".

There are a lot of weird layouts downtown in converted office buildings, and you see these "offices" on studios being rented to 2 or 3 young people. Are they all sleeping in the main, windowed room? Of course they are -- wink wink.

I moved to this place for the cheap rent and great neighborhood (Park Slope) but I feel like this is some dang good reasoning to break my lease because I don't feel exactly safe or excited about the summer to come. But I'm trying to find some real legal documents to show my landlord saying this is illegal. Anyone?

try calling 311 and ask for the dept. of buildings. they'll atleast be able to tell you who to call. also, maybe some housing law firms offer free consultation, just so you can find out if there is any legality issues. i imagine it's just nyc housing codes, so google-fu might work.

I'd like to know the answer to that too, Anne. I know that where I live in NJ, they can't call a windowless room a bedroom. At least that's what I've been told.

I meant Kate, of course! Sorry!

One of the craziest posts I have ever seen. Subsidizing a/c with a swamp cooler? Do the math, it would cost you a fortune in electricity.

Katem, get out of that mess. Lovely neighborhood and no windows? Ahem.

I had one of these portable a/c units. First of all, it's nearly impossible to get the tube vented out of a rental window -- you need to cut a hole in the glass or have a panel made that has a hole the size of the tube. Second (and possibly because I didn't have good insulation around the stupid tube), the thing condensed water like a m**********r at night, and the (2" deep at most) tray that catches the water overflowed, and water went all over the floor and leaked through the floor into the neighboring apartment, and warped the floorboards...

TOTAL. NIGHTMARE.

I wound up propping the thing on a chair with a bucket under the drainage tube, and would still wake in the night to empty it on a regular basis. I probably wasted a ton of energy, too. (wincing at memory).

Would you people stop freaking this poor soul out. There is no prohibition against using a windowless room as a bedroom. Landlords and apartment sellers are not allowed to call it a bedroom, just like in most places people cannot call rooms in a basement a bedroom. By they way, you also can't call a place where you cook a kitchen unless it is either less than 59 sq ft or has a window.

And to all of you self-rightous suburbanites that criticize this poor sole who has made sacrifices to live in the location of her chosing, grow up and stop reading websites about urban living if you despise it. My father shared a room in the YMCA in Harlem for 2 years when he moved to this country a little less than 50 years ago. No kitchen. No bathroom. Best decision he ever made.

I suspect your landlord like many violated the rules when renting this room by calling it a bedroom, but that does not make it illegal for you to sleep there. May let you out of the place if you want to, but that is a different story.

Nor does having a window or not necessarily make it any less or more safe. You can call a room a bedroom even it its window looks out on an alley or is 100 floors in the air -- that does not mean a fire truck will get there any easier or you will get out and easier. How many of you work in an office with no windows? And, if you stay at a five star hotel, often you will find a windowed sitting room abutting a windowless (i.e., dark) sleeping room.

That does not make Kate's predicament any better or acceptable. The "windowless" a/c units stink even if you could use it. The other suggestions here about cooling the area make sense. I would do the simplest: Ask your neighbors what they have done.

I second the ceiling fan suggestion -- I installed one in my bedroom over the weekend and spent less than $50 for the whole thing. Totally worth it for air circulation (summer or winter).

an old trick is to put a block of ice in a tub and set up a fan over it. doing this every night, i predict, will be an enormous pain.

if you can afford it, move. you're going to be miserable.

I'm an architect. Don't listen to Lightenup's post.

There is indeed a law against using a windowless room as a bedroom. It's called the Light and Air regulations in the New York City Building Code. And it is meant to protect the well-being of dwelling unit occupants. Calculate the area of your bedroom. Say it's 10x12, so that's 120 sq. ft. Multiply that by 10% and that gives you the amount of window you need, so 12 sq. ft. Now divide that in half, 6 sq. ft. That gives you the amount of ventilation that you require in that room.

If you have a windowless room, legally this can only be considered a den, study, home office, and it must also be supplied with a manual way to exhaust/exchange the air via ductwork to the outside. If I were you, I would stop paying your rent, especially if you have a lease, because the landlord is renting you an illegal apartment. It will take the landlord many, many months to try to get you evicted, meanwhile you'll be living for free, with plenty of time to find a new apartment. The lease will not hold any water in court. You should try to get your money back from the landlord in small claims court also.

And by the way, a kitchen that is less than 59 sq. ft. has a technical term, it's called a Kitchenette.

Kate-Contact me if you need any help getting the information you need.

Here's a link for Life's good. I use to have a window one and was happy with it, they often have energy star ratings - I think? http://us.lge.com/products/model/detail/home%20appliances_air%20conditioners_portable%20air%20conditioners_LP1200DXR.jhtml
they also have "art cool" which are nice looking but I imagine are very expensive - again?
http://us.lge.com/products/model/detail/home%20appliances_air%20conditioners_art%20cool%202006_LA121CNM.jhtml
ceiling fans can help a lot!

I read the post after submitting a comment so please ignore the above posting. It was careless of me, sorry.

katem, move out. I live in a breadbox studio with three windows in the mainroom, and one each on the kitchen/bath leading to the airshaft. It's miserable in summer. Just going out to the hall is about 10 degrees cooler.

Don't do this to yourself.

if it helps you feel better i can say that i have made it thru summers in brooklyn sleeping in a windowless room. and a railroad apt in park slope. not comfortably, but you do what you have to.

in the railroad apt i had with ceiling fans they really did make quite a noticeable difference. and trust me, make sure you leave some air circulation on even when you are not in, just to keep it aired out. those places can be hell to get un-stuffy.

i also assume you have roommates. or you wouldn't be sleeping in one of the middle rooms. but if you want further advice on legalities etc., try poking around the park slope forums on www.brooklynian.com

You guys are awesome, thanks for all the info, I had no idea I'd get such a response!

back to the original subject of AC. It's better to think of an AC as a heat pump. It pumps heat from one area to another. Most ACs pump heat from the inside to the outside making it cool inside. Putting unit that is not pumping the heat somewhere else will actually heat the area. Some people erronously think that opening a fridge door will cool the kitchen. This is not true because the fridge is pumping warm air around in the kitchen and at the same time wasting energy and creating more heat.

Well this is much past the fact of this post, but I feel like Kate moved into my previous apt.! :D So I'll give my 2 cents.

I had the exact same apartment situation in Prospect Heights Brooklyn. I couldn't put an AC in the window because there were bars there. However, I managed to prop up a very shallow small AC unit on a table against the window with the drip area sticking just enough out the window. I was on the street level. I also considered a portable AC but they were expensive!

I was a bit annoyed because this apartment had fixed bars on ALL the windows and what if I were trapped in a fire? I mentioned this to the landlady and she said well, there are 2 exits outside the apt. door. Yeah great, so long as I get out that one door. I don't know.. feels like there would be legal reasons against this.

Suffice it to say, I moved out after 2 yrs. Lovely apartment in renovation, but I will never live on a ground floor apartment again (no light and curtains always drawn). I decided to pay towards my own mortgage rather than pay hers.

Funny enough, after I moved out, she contacted me to see what AC i used for the apt. because the new tenant (I'm guessing) had encountered the same problem.