Air conditioner?

[fraserhutch]

Hi all.

I did too good a job insulating my control room. Now I need a way to air condition it.

Any recommendations on good, quiet air conditioners that can keep a 120 sf control room nice and cool?


Thanks!

[fraserhutch]

*bump*

Anyone?

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Post-build HVAC installations usually will compromise what you tried so hard to eliminate in the first place. Since you've obviously already drywalled the room, exactly what did you have in mind to do? Keep in mind, there is no such thing as a "quiet" air conditioner. Thats why studio designers go to great lengths to decouple all registers, ducting, fan units, compressors etc, and design the ducting for multiple bends to eliminate flanking paths for environmental noise intrusion and transmission of source sound between studio and control room, not to mention sizing the duct and fan units for low velocity yet high volume air delivery .
fitZ

[frederic]

The best way to have a SILENT air conditioning system is to use a mini-split system.

The compressor and condenser go outside, and the room cooling unit goes inside. Some have fans, some do not and use convection to cool the room.

This is what I'll be installing in my studio, and my house, more than likely. This way the bedrooms (and studio) are cooler for summer sleeping, and the noisy bits go outside somewhere.

Problem for me is, I have nowhere outside against the house to put the outside unit, unless I hack down some wife-loved shrubbery. I may have to do this while she's out

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

unless I hack down some wife-loved shrubbery. I may have to do this while she's out

Carefull frederic, your steppin on dangerous territory there.
Hey frederic, once the room is done, how do you access the backside of walls to install decoupled grills, ducting etc etc. I've never seen these minisplit units and am not familiar with the hardware. Of course, where "I" live, I don't even need soundproofing, so air conditioning isn't a requisite. Seldom gets over 85 degrees here.
fitZ

[frederic]

If you were to take a window air conditioner, and bandsaw off the front 2", you have a mini-split system.

The part that mounts in the room is about 2" thick, surface mounts, and requires three things - plumbing (in and out), 120V from a junction box, and control cable which is the same stuff as furnace control cable. Three small holes in the wall rather than a huge vent/duct hole.

The condensor/compressor unit is much like central air conditioning systems, is a big round thing with vents, and mounts outside on a concrete pad. If sized correctly, you can support multiple room units. Generally, you mount the room units above the windows in the room so the cold air comes out across the ceiling and starts an airflow cycle that way.

Since each room unit has it's own control cable, and it's own thermostat (and some have timers, etc), you can program the ones in your bedroom to kick on an hour before you go to bed, the ones in the living spaces to be on during the day, etc, to different temperatures if you like. The ones I was looking at have all that plus a TV-remote shaped remote for controlling from across the room. No need to stand on a short stool to adjust the temperature This also allows me to keep the studio at a constant temperature, and the rest of the house can be adjusted individually based on whoever is in which room. I prefer rooms a little cooler, whereas my wife doesn't mind blistering heat and humidity. Ack!

They can be ordered with fans, or without, and the without fans obviously are dead quiet but take a little longer to cool a room. I've heard the fan-based units before and they aren't all that loud, probably no louder than a PC buried under your console table with stuff in front of it - you barely notice it - this is because the compressor part is outside somewhere, like i said above. The compressor and the electric motor to drive it, is what makes all the noise and vibration.

The other advantage I see is it is by far easier to bury plumbing in outside walls, whereas ductwork would take up all the space between studs, not allowing for insulation to be put back in. This way in the winter the wall is warmer. Plumbing is far easier to snake around tight spaces especially in older construction, and I don't have to give up attic space with large 4"x8" ducts or those big 12" flexiducts being draped all over.

Since its not forced air, the filters are easier to replace, though each unit has its own filter. Units you run a lot you replace the filters more often, the units that you rarely use you can ignore longer. They are maintanence free and use the same refrigerant as commercial and home central air systems - nothing special and any AC service company can recharge the system and service the compressor/condensor as its like every other central air system on that end.

The plastic shells of the wall mount parts can be lightly sanded, painted with automotive primer, followed with automotive paint. Its the same type of plastic used in automobiles, probably to resist cracking due to temperature changes. So you can make them any color you want if White, Beige, Gray isn't acceptable to your decor.

I like these systems a lot, and will be installing such in my house eventually.

[bigdaddyd]

Ive wired many of these and if I had the cash, would have put one in my studio.

In washington it costs about $3000 to have the condenser unit put outside, and two of the register units located at either end of the building.

The set up reminds me of a hotel, where you turn up or down the temp, and you get a volume of air movement, but not compressor noice, just a quiet wind noise (with a quiet fan mixed in)

I would guess in a perfect recording situation, this may still be too noisy, but percection comes at a cost few can obtain (including me) so I just opt to turn off my wall unit or record when there is no heat or ac needed.

D

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

I just opt to turn off my wall unit or record when there is no heat or ac needed.

In my case, I just open the sliding glass door. Oregon coastal weather is a wonderful air conditioner in the summer The open door makes for a fantastic "bass trap" too!!
fitZ

[fraserhutch]

Originally Posted by RICK FITZPATRICK

Post-build HVAC installations usually will compromise what you tried so hard to eliminate in the first place. Since you've obviously already drywalled the room, exactly what did you have in mind to do?

Well, that's what I am asking for advice for.

Keep in mind, there is no such thing as a "quiet" air conditioner. Thats why studio designers go to great lengths to decouple all registers, ducting, fan units, compressors etc, and design the ducting for multiple bends to eliminate flanking paths for environmental noise intrusion and transmission of source sound between studio and control room, not to mention sizing the duct and fan units for low velocity yet high volume air delivery .
fitZ

This was not an option for me. This is just a project studio. It is a 12x16' room. I don't need it running all the time, and I am looking for the quietest I can add after the fact.

[fraserhutch]

Originally Posted by frederic

If you were to take a window air conditioner, and bandsaw off the front 2", you have a mini-split system.

If I can figure out how this would work, I think I could do that But it's gonna take me a while to digest this ... thanks!

[frederic]

Well, ask all the questions you want.

Essentially, there are two pieces.

The noisy compressor/condenser (the big thing outside for central air, I'm sure you've seen them)

And the quiet wall-mount "thing" that cools the room. Pipes and electrical between the two.

That's it, in its simplest form!