Air Conditioning

[TomAtAlki]

Okay. I give up. It's time to install air conditioning in my apartment!!

Any suggestions on where to find a consultant, designer, installer……someone to help me do it right, someone who knows air conditioning.

Thanks, Tom

 

[Matiasba]

It is ALWAYS cheaper if you buy it on the internet. At least in Garbarino, Fravega, those places, you just have to click and then go and pick it up. Mercado Libre is another choice. Installation cant be more than 1000 pesos, but you can call some electrician guy, or a portero or some 'arregla tutti' that understands this and he will charge you less. Mine charged us 900 a 3 hour job. And the AC cost: 4000 (3 weeks ago).

 

[Hybrid Ambassador]

Okay. I give up. It's time to install air conditioning in my apartment!!

Any suggestions on where to find a consultant, designer, installer……someone to help me do it right, someone who knows air conditioning.

Thanks, Tom

Hello TomAtAlki-san, are you going for the full blown _Central air/heat conditioning system_? Or just the over the windows hanging out type?

 

[Hybrid Ambassador]

It is ALWAYS cheaper if you buy it on the internet. At least in Garbarino, Fravega, those places, you just have to click and then go and pick it up. Mercado Libre is another choice. Installation cant be more than 1000 pesos, but you can call some electrician guy, or a portero or some 'arregla tutti' that understands this and he will charge you less. Mine charged us 900 a 3 hour job. And the AC cost: 4000 (3 weeks ago).

'arregla tutti' is this the equivalent of much used by me the "handy men" here in the states? If is, surely they are way cheaper than the specialised ones !

 

[Davidglen77]

With the typical "split" units that are sold here there are several factors to be taken into consideration. First is the size of the room / rooms to be cooled. Here cooling power is measured in "frigorías" not in BTU like in North America or some other countries. Also take into account which direction your rooms face, high or low floor, if you only want cooling or cooling & heating in the same unit. Installation can get expensive especially if you live in a building that has difficult access to the facade and if there is a long distance between the outdoor and the indoor unit. Split units use copper piping and each meter costs about $200 pesos these days. You also need sufficient electrical service and a separate outlet to plug it in that is fairly close to the unit. Also make sure you have an adequate place to drain the unit's condensation, the city government of Buenos Aires has been giving fines to many apartments and offices here in the center to people that have air conditioners that drip onto the street. My neighbor got a $500 peso fine last week. Just as a guideline for a typical 4 x 4 meter room with 3 meter high ceiling a 3000 frigorías unit will cool very nicely and efficiently.

 

[Hybrid Ambassador]

With the typical "split" units that are sold here there are several factors to be taken into consideration. First is the size of the room / rooms to be cooled. Here cooling power is measured in "frigorías" not in BTU like in North America or some other countries. Also take into account which direction your rooms face, high or low floor, if you only want cooling or cooling & heating in the same unit. Installation can get expensive especially if you live in a building that has difficult access to the facade and if there is a long distance between the outdoor and the indoor unit. Split units use copper piping and each meter costs about $200 pesos these days. You also need sufficient electrical service and a separate outlet to plug it in that is fairly close to the unit. Also make sure you have an adequate place to drain the unit's condensation, the city government of Buenos Aires has been giving fines to many apartments and offices here in the center to people that have air conditioners that drip onto the street. My neighbor got a $500 peso fine last week. Just as a guideline for a typical 4 x 4 meter room with 3 meter high ceiling a 3000 frigorías unit will cool very nicely and efficiently.

Well, by the measurement of high humidity I hear there in BS As, the drip drip must look like open free running faucet then the fines understood.

 

[Matiasba]

'arregla tutti' is this the equivalent of much used by me the "handy men" here in the states? If is, surely they are way cheaper than the specialised ones !

Yes it is, in BsAs is usually a portero, or a porteros friend. Those guys can do it cheaper than the ones the store offers.

 

[Hybrid Ambassador]

Yes it is, in BsAs is usually a portero, or a porteros friend. Those guys can do it cheaper than the ones the store offers.

Matiasba-san, wait a minute here. A 'portero' as the door man at aparto buildings, the one that greets you in and out everytime you exit or enter your condo housing buildings? The A/C unit that I visualise are those hanging out units from Manhattans apartments windows. They are heavy and you really should know of what the hell you doing while installing one. I have seen units mal-installed and had fallen down right into side curbs down below but luckily had missed the passer bys! Really dangerous job ! Can a portero has the needed skill to safely install one ? Just thinking of tragedy happening in the future put me to real cold shiver!! Then the bankrupting me law suits...Bajo_cero -san, are you reading this?

 

[Matiasba]

Matiasba-san, wait a minute here. A 'portero' as the door man at aparto buildings, the one that greets you in and out everytime you exit or enter your condo housing buildings? The A/C unit that I visualise are those hanging out units from Manhattans apartments windows. They are heavy and you really should know of what the hell you doing while installing one. I have seen units mal-installed and had fallen down right into side curbs down below but luckily had missed the passer bys! Really dangerous job ! Can a portero has the needed skill to safely install one ? Just thinking of tragedy happening in the future put me to real cold shiver!! Then the bankrupting me law suits...Bajo_cero -san, are you reading this?

Porteros are very handy men. Lots of them, Id say the majority, has an extra job, we call it "changa", most of them have changas, inside & outside the building. The one we used to have in BsAs was "gasista matriculado" and also a plumber. They know a lot of things, they can mantain the building, they can paint, fix problems with radiators, etc. Im not saying all of them but lots. They have a lot of spare time in the afternoon. Mine got up at 6 am, in the front door til 12, then he had to be at the door again at 7 pm. Lots of them take a nap but others prefer to work. If they cant, they sure know of somebody (other portero of the block with whom he speaks every morning) who can.

 

[ghost]

Okay. I give up. It's time to install air conditioning in my apartment!!

Any suggestions on where to find a consultant, designer, installer……someone to help me do it right, someone who knows air conditioning.

Thanks, Tom

Do you own the apartment? How many rooms do want to air condition. There are units called Multi-Split which are composed of 1 outside unit and several inside units. I would suggest that you find a real dealer and have them spec it and install it with a warantee. AC is no joke. If the job is done by hacks and speced by hacks then you have just wasted a ton of money and the machine will work overtime to cool nothing. There are complex formulas for the ratio of air to be moved and conditioned VS size and volume of room/space/ house. Remember the big bonus here is dehumidification. Study the SEER ratings. The lower they are the more efficient the unit.