Hope this helps someone struggling to survive the heat

  • drathA
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    23 hours ago

    Beware that those things do not bring fresh air in, so if you close windows shut the Co2 levels would rise rather quickly and elevated co2 levels are linked to decreased cognitive abilities. I’d suggest running them with windows open if you can afford it.

    EDIT: Whoa, so many downvotes and arguing. Guys, get yourself a co2 meter. You will be surprised.

    • Bluewing@lemmy.world
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      20 hours ago

      If that’s how your home was designed to be that tight, it was poorly designed.

      Back in the 1980s or 90s, architects and engineers tried to design and build buildings as tight and efficient as possible. They quickly discovered that such buildings made people sick. They now design buildings to exchange a proscribed amount of air every hour to prevent what you are describing from happening.

      So, if your home is properly designed and built, then it’s going to “leak” enough air per hour to keep the air heathy for habitation.

      • drathA
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        23 hours ago

        It’s not, that’s why people dont suffocate indoors, you get tiny bit of fresh air in, a tiny bit of stale air out, so it has to stabilize eventually, but the level at which it’ll end up will definitely be in the impairment range. Brain fog, fatigue, heavy breathing, trouble concentrating, that kind of stuff.

          • BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world
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            21 hours ago

            Efficiency?

            I guess the raw materials that you put into your lungs come out mostly unchanged. When compared to say a fire I guess. Did that help?

            • drathA
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              21 hours ago

              I don’t see what it has to do with anything. I guess you’re implying that by merit of lungs being less efficient the composition of air doesn’t matter as much, but it very much does, you dont want any toxic gases nor components being too high or too low, just like you wouldn’t want piss in your gas tank regardless if it’s a new or old car.

              • JcbAzPx@lemmy.world
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                15 hours ago

                Buildup of co2 in a home comes from the people living in it. That blower unit is literally just moving the air around. It doesn’t add or take away anything but heat energy.

                • drathA
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                  15 hours ago

                  I’m not claiming that AC units emit Co2 (other than at power plants).The problem is with closing windows and doors. I guess people see thing on the wall blowing cold air and assume it’s coming from outside, which it is not, and skip on airing the room they’re in, which, while not immediately hazardous, has detrimental health effects.

    • chefdano3@lemmy.zip
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      1 day ago

      Oh yeah? Then what do you do in the winter? Your heater doesn’t bring in fresh air either. Do you keep the windows open and let all your heat out?

      Also what other air conditioners are you comparing against? Because window units also keep the air compressor outside the window with a barrier between the inside part, which takes in air from the room.

      All HVAC systems recirculate the inside air, without bringing in fresh air. So please elaborate on which cooling method you would use during these 30°C/100°F days we have to stay cool?

      • drathA
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        23 hours ago

        All HVAC systems recirculate the inside air, without bringing in fresh air.

        You’re wrong on that one. Ducted air conditioning systems do bring fresh air in, as well as positive inflow and heat recovery ventilation systems.

        • JcbAzPx@lemmy.world
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          15 hours ago

          Not all of them do. It’s mostly industrial units designed to bring in air to create a slightly positive indoor air pressure.

    • Burray_Mookchin@lemmy.ml
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      2 days ago

      I don’t understand your statement. I can have the windows closed all day with no AC and not worry about rising co2 levels. Why would it be different with this device running and circulating air? It’s not like it emits co2.

      This looks like a wall mounted monoblock so you would be right but if it’s a split device with an outside unit, it does actually bring in fresh air. This is wrong, split units dont bring in fresh air either. The only setup that consistently brings in outside air is a monoblock with 2 ducts. Either way, I’m pretty sure running an AC with the windows open is never good advice even if you can afford it.

      The only point of concern would be if you have a gas heater for water etc. in your apartment and run a monoblock AC with just one exhaust hose blowing hot air outside while sucking in new air from the inside. In that case, the negative pressure created by the AC can potentially pull gas that would usually go out the chimney into your apartment.

      • FG_3479@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        CO2 always builds up in the room with no airflow, and when jt gets above 1000 PPM it starts causing fatigue.

        • Burray_Mookchin@lemmy.ml
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          2 days ago

          And how exactly does an AC intensify this issue? Because lets be real it’s not really a problem people usually face in their daily lives. Some people leave their windows closed for days during the winter (Which is also bad because of mold etc. but thats another story). Most places are not nearly well insulated enough for it to be a problem. And if it was a problem, having an AC device or fan that circulates the air and evens out the co2 levels across the house would actually help alleviate it somewhat

          • FG_3479@lemmy.world
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            1 day ago

            It doesn’t. They said “if you close the windows”, although leaving the doors open and opening one window slightly will get CO2 down significantly.

            • plyth@feddit.org
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              1 day ago

              one window slightl

              Bad solution. Like in winter, open the windows fully and exchange all the air when needed. A slightly open window is very inefficient.

      • drathA
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        2 days ago

        I can have the windows closed all day with no AC and not worry about rising co2 levels

        That’s the thing about co2, you don’t really notice it unless at extreme levels, but it definitely affects you, at pretty much all levels.

        split device with an outside unit, it does actually bring in fresh air

        That’s the common misconception. The lines running between minisplit units are for refrigirant, not air. It’s essentially a fridge without a box, with the room where theyre mounted becoming the box instead.

        Why would it be different with this device running and circulating air? It’s not like it emits co2.

        It doesn’t. It’s just that people who run AC’s usually shut everything closed and then exhale all that co2, which in an ordinary room with just 1 person in takes <1hr to reach noticeable impairment levels. AC or not, ventilation is important.

        The only point of concern would be if you have a gas heater for water etc

        You’re probably thinking about carbon monooxide, not carbon dioxide?

        • Burray_Mookchin@lemmy.ml
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          2 days ago

          That’s the common misconception. The lines running between minisplit units are for refrigirant, not air. It’s essentially a fridge without a box, with the room where theyre mounted becoming the box instead.

          You’re right I was wrong about that, sorry lol.

          It doesn’t. It’s just that people who run AC’s usually shut everything closed and then exhale all that co2, which in an ordinary room with just 1 person in takes <1hr to reach noticeable impairment levels. AC or not, ventilation is important.

          You might be right but I am certainly not opening my windows once an hour during winter, if that’s the standard then we’re all screwed by the time we go to bed with the windows closed. I don’t think this problem is significant enough to justify running an Air Conditioner with the windows open…

          You’re probably thinking about carbon monooxide, not carbon dioxide?

          Yes, I am. As that is the only “real” concern I see with AC’s and gas buildup. As I said co2 is just not a big enough issue to justify not getting an AC or letting it run out the window. Regularly airing out should be common sense, but I think once or twice a day is regular enough for the average apartment

          • drathA
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            1 day ago

            You might be right but I am certainly not opening my windows once an hour during winter, if that’s the standard then we’re all screwed by the time we go to bed with the windows closed. I don’t think this problem is significant enough to justify running an Air Conditioner with the windows open…

            Just to be clear, I dont mean wide open, just a litte slit to let some air in, which should be totally enough to keep levels below 1000ppm. If you’re just airing twice a day you get to 450-ish briefly but it jumps back in an hour or two and you spend the rest of the time somewhere in the 1500-3000ppm range. And I feel that about winter, yeah, it’s either warmth or fresh air, gotta choose one. Not even heaters can spare one from annoying cold breeze. But in summer it’s at least avoidable. Whole point is, even right now where I am, whenever I go anywhere, I see AC’s set to some stupid low settings, like 18C or lower, so the places are colder than they are during winter, but the air is so stale I feel like I could swim in it, which is arguably even more wasteful than running AC straight out the window. But it’s so hard to get the point across to people, especially the oxygen-deprived ones inside those places…

    • plyth@feddit.org
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      2 days ago

      I’d suggest running them with windows open if you can afford it.

      With that attitude you can also justify private jets. It’s obscene to intensify global warming unnecessarily by wasting energy like this to escape global warming.