Anyone have experience with using Portable AC units for their tenants when the central AC is out of service? We had a lightening strike in a tree on one of our properties, which it seems ran through the ground and burned out multiple parts of the central AC (motors, contacts, air handler/fan motor, etc). Even though it's a name brand (Lennox), due to the issues with the supply chain, we can't get certain key parts, and it looks like we may have to do a full replacement. Either way, it will take some time (maybe weeks/months) to get the AC back up one way or the other.

Here in VA, we're running mid-90's now, and I don't think we can just leave the tenant without AC for weeks. My husband and I are having a running battle on what to do... I'm pushing for a couple of window units, but he says that will destroy the vinyl replacement windows. So we're considering portable AC units. Anyone have an opinion on how well those work?

Get them a couple fans, or just suggest they get their own fans.

Explain the supply chain problem (NOT your fault).

Tell them you are doing the best you can and that's all you can do.

People lived without a/c for thousands of years. Only in about the last 100 years has a/c even been around. They need to be more resilient, not soft marshmallows. They aren't going to die without central air.

If it were going to be several days, then I would ask them to use fans with the ceiling fans that are in the rental. If they balked at that then I would install a couple of small window fans or the portable.

Hisense. Model AP13HR1G

I have a portable AC unit that I let the tenants use when the central AC is out and we need a few days (or longer) for a part. At least one room will be cool.

90s? We need the heat when it gets that cold! It hasn't been below triple digits in weeks!!

Used one for my personal residence recently when my AC went out & I was impacted by the supply chain issues. Much better than a fan.

Not sure why your husband thinks a window shaker will damage the vinyl windows.

For what it's worth the "portable" air conditioners are not so portable (except they are on wheels). They still need to be vented out, typically through a window.

I use one in my own house (downstairs); Hisense; supposed to cover 400 square feet but does a good job in an area larger than this. I vent it out through a small door in my catio.

These are not inexpensive units. For what you pay for one you can probably purchase several 5000 BTU window units and place them in the tenants bedrooms for cooling at night.

For what it's worth, my local Lowes has these portable units that start at around $350 and can go up to $700 depending on size. Many have to be special ordered.

The 5000 BTU window units are running at $159. They are more readily available right now.

Places like Walmart might have them cheaper.

I use a window shaker in my own upstairs bedroom but I am living by myself now.

Good luck...

You MUST get a portable a/c with two vent hoses. One hose to bring in fresh air to cool the system and 1 hose to vent the air outside. This way you loose non of the inside cold air.

Portable units usually have a condensate tube which has to be vented into a sink or to the outside.

We have put a lot of these and as well as window units up here in conjunction with one of the New York State programs. We size the square footage of the area to be cooled and then proceed thusly generally speaking they run $350 to 450 for 6K btu.

Our portable AC units are installed using a wooden stand, like a long legged table. The stand is build at the height where the AC is not resting on the vinyl window tracks. There is no way for the AC to damage the vinyl window. The stand is tipped just very slightly so any condensation runs away from the house.

@Rosie

I cut a piece of plywood to fit around the window A/C, and wide enough o reach the Jack studs/ trimmers. I screw the A/C o the plywood, screw the plywood through the window casing to the studs. I store the A/C units in fall with the plywood attached.

No damage to the vinyl windows, yet very, very secure. I also use a tube of seasonal caulk to weatherstrip, and I put pink styrofoam insulation on the outside, though for your temporary situation, I wouldn’t.

Rosie.

On the drain. One model we have. The hose comes out high enough to fit in a 5 gallon bucket.

The other model is is lower. So we have a plastic tub for that one.

Need the container large, as tenants can still forget to empty. Or it overflow during the night.

And what Robert said. The 2 hose models cool so much better.

I do like Busy's idea for window models. I never could think of a way to use them with vinyl windows. We do have vinyl siding on most. So I may still need to build a simple pedestal on a stepping stone for the outside bracket.

I can't tell everyone how much I appreciate your comments, advice, and help with this situation. It seems like the lightening has blown/burned out most everything, all the way (and including) the air handler fan motor and board. (The air conditioning uses the same air handler as the natural gas furnace). None of our suppliers has the air handler fan motor and (especially) the board. One says they are contacting an internet supplier that MIGHT have the parts, but we haven't heard back yet. So things are NOT looking good for a reasonably quick fix.

I'm going to be pushing my husband for us to get a couple of window units or a portable unit + a window unit. I appreciate the advice about how to handle the install of the window units without messing up the vinyl windows (his big objection), and about the drain on the portable. I don't work full-time in the rental/construction business (I'm an accountant for my day job), so I don't have a lot of expertise in this stuff. You guys are an amazing resource for advice & info!

This covid supply-chain stuff is really changing the rules on how to manage these houses. We've always been able to be very responsive, and keep our properties (and customer service) a cut above. This is nuts!

Please keep the comments/advice coming!

I believe some people have missed the point that Richard and I were trying to make.

Obviously some people get very bent out of shape if they loose a luxury, that came to the home in 1929, for just a few days.

Yes, the tenants are paying for a home with A/C and in most cases HVAC. Sometimes things happen beyond our control. Like, having to order parts or wait on labor. The idea is to get the unit repaired ASAP, obviously, and with as low cost as possible, right?

What harm does it do to ask the tenants to use fans, which I would provide and the ceiling fans that I am already proving? They may say yes.

On the other hand, if that does not satisfy them, then I will go out and purchase a couple of small window A/C units as they are paying for a home with A/C or HVAC as the case may be.

The point is that no one is going to die going without A/C for just a few days. We are not suggesting go without it for weeks or months. Just be a little patient and work with me, geeeeeees! If it were my home that I live in I would use window fans and get the unit fixed ASAP. A much more efficient option. People should be more understanding and less whiney.

I will add one other thing. Had a handicap tenant once that could not empty the bucket when needed.

So we also used a condensate pump about 50 bucks. Like a Little Giant 554415 VCMA-15ULST

And used this to also pump the water out the window.

6x6, sorry, but I DO get what you are saying. It’s not up to business-owners to make value judgements for our customers. Persons with asthma, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases DO indeed die from heat/ humidity. And, yes, those persons would perish sooner if A/C wasn’t invented. The thing is, we, as landlords do not want to put ourselves in a position to be liable because we didn’t act when we had simple options available to remedy things.

Besides health concerns, we now have many people working remotely. Guess what? Computers don’t work so well when they get hot. So, not supplying A/C when we could otter a portable unit in place also can affect the tenant’s employment.

Point being, it’s probably not in a landlord’s best interest to make these choices for the tenants. AND, failing to provide some sort of remedy could lead to a tenant’s botched attempts at ‘self-help.’ Such as, the tenant might decide to get a window unit and screw it into the vinyl window, or get the kind of unit Plenty, RR78, and others mentioned, but then NOT drain it properly, ruining floors. I could see a Judge disallowing damages because the tenant was trying to remedy the situation. That’s not based on experience, just a hunch. (I could be wrong, but I don’t think so…it’s a jungle out there…lol!)

Probably what your husband is concerned with is that technically they are supposed to be screwed into the window sash to prevent them from falling out if someone forgets and opens the sash, allowing the ac to fall out of the window and drop onto the ground 2 floors below (no, no, I have never done something like that……..) I really like Busy’s idea as the plywood could be wide enough to sit against the frame preventing some dumb person from watching that ac fall out a second story window. (Yes, I really did do that)

The portable ones don't require any real installation. Just set them up and go. However, I remember some issue about dumping the tray of condensation created water every so often. It's possible someone might make one that automatically evaporates that water, not sure.

Of course the portable ones also are not as efficient. Tenant might notice increase in electric bill.

Still, when you get things back to normal, you just wheel them out and you're ready for the next emergency.

Wd don't have any AC so some tenants bought their own portables and they like them. And I never need to deal with fixing them.

I don't know what part of Virginia you're in, but here in the RVA area of central VA, you really can't go even one day in the summer without air conditioning. It could be a different story in the Virginia mountains, or in the upper Midwest where I grew up.

We keep two or three small window units on hand for events like this. It's easier to deal with a couple of small units instead of one larger one when we need to take them to a house that's awaiting repairs.

I had bought a used portable to cool my office. One tenant's unit went out, so knowing the part was on order, i loaned it.

I no sooner got it back, when a power outage fried a part on another tenants unit. I moved it over. I can say they were both very appreciative. Much easier to manage than window units. Whenever i install window units i screw it to the frame and then screw a wedge in the window frame so the window cannot be opened. this way i avoid any possibility of the unit falling or being stolen.

Brakes172 - You mentioned you used a portable unit for your office. How do you handle the drain/condensate water? I dropped by Home Depot to see what they had in stock, which were several Toshiba units. Way, way down in the small print they mention that the portable is designed to be drained into a BASEMENT floor drain! Since I need something for the living room/bedroom, I'm not sure how I'd handle this other than put the unit up on a table or stand and get a 5 gal bucket to catch the water.

Rosie,

the pump I listed before is perfect for this. Pump it anywhere you want to. Easy to just go out the window. Drill a hole in the blank cover part to stick the hose thru.

Drain line goes into this small pump. Then a another line goes out. Plug into the wall and all automatic, turns on when needed.

Rosie,

the pump I listed before is perfect for this. Pump it anywhere you want to. Easy to just go out the window. Drill a hole in the blank cover part to stick the hose thru.

Drain line goes into this small pump. Then a another line goes out. Plug into the wall and all automatic, turns on when needed.

We tried the portable ones. They are not so portable as someone said. They are very heavy but do have wheels. They do have the water running out into a bucket that needs dumped. I just went to small window units. Much lighter and easier to install and remove. I gave my portable away, that's how much I wanted to mess with it again.

I can remember slaughtering our own hogs, going barefoot all summer, and no AC. But I'm not going back to any of that voluntarily.

If any of our ACs fail, I provide window or free standing AC units. I'd do it for my house, so I do it for my tenants.

A 5000 or 6000 btu unit will cool a bedroom and the models today are light. Will not damage the window. You can buy them for about $125 each, and they only pull about 5 amps.

Put them at least in the bedrooms so they can sleep well, and they can hang out there.

I always have portable window units on hand for a weekend part delay etc.

I personally like the ones that stand up in the room and vented outside. It doesn't tear up vinyl window frames and you do not have to remove the screen to install. We have never had to deal with this, but they are supposed to need drained of the condensation in the unit.

I always have portable window units on hand for a weekend part delay etc.

I personally like the ones that stand up in the room and vented outside. It doesn't tear up vinyl window frames and you do not have to remove the screen to install. We have never had to deal with this, but they are supposed to need drained of the condensation in the unit.

I always have portable window units on hand for a weekend part delay etc.

I personally like the ones that stand up in the room and vented outside. It doesn't tear up vinyl window frames and you do not have to remove the screen to install. We have never had to deal with this, but they are supposed to need drained of the condensation in the unit.

I always have portable window units on hand for a weekend part delay etc.

I personally like the ones that stand up in the room and vented outside. It doesn't tear up vinyl window frames and you do not have to remove the screen to install. We have never had to deal with this, but they are supposed to need drained of the condensation in the unit.

I always have portable window units on hand for a weekend part delay etc.

I personally like the ones that stand up in the room and vented outside. It doesn't tear up vinyl window frames and you do not have to remove the screen to install. We have never had to deal with this, but they are supposed to need drained of the condensation in the unit.

I always have portable window units on hand for a weekend part delay etc.

I personally like the ones that stand up in the room and vented outside. It doesn't tear up vinyl window frames and you do not have to remove the screen to install. We have never had to deal with this, but they are supposed to need drained of the condensation in the unit.

For those of you who might be interested in how this saga ends.....

Tenants decided they'd prefer small window units in 2 of their bedrooms, so that's what we did. (I think I may buy a portable one too to keep for future situations, along with the pump that RR78 suggested).

My (wonderful!) HVAC guy kept trying to find the Lennox air handler motor & board all over the country, and also did a lot of research to see if there was any other work-around. (the Lennox part MIGHT be available by the end of September -- if production started back up). He eventually had a Lennox HVAC supplier tell him about a possible retrofit kit that might allow us to use a more generic/standard board and motor. We kept our fingers crossed and ordered that kit. Low and behold, it worked! He was able to use the generic board/motor. (Oh, also had to replace the thermostat & wiring because the lightening took that out too!).

Anyway, tenants are happy, I'm happy and very relieved! I can't tell ALL you guys in this Brain Trust how much I appreciate every bit of advice, opinion and encouragement. It would be very hard to be in this business without having resources like you all. And Jeffrey, thank you for providing this forum!