Sunrooms are wonderful spaces to sit and relax, read, sip a cool drink or just enjoy your container plants and flowers. Nevertheless, in our climate, things can get a bit toasty in a sunroom in the warmer months, and it may be necessary to cool off now and then.
Maybe all you need is a ceiling fan or a portable fan. Problem solved. But there may come times when you’d like the air to be a little chillier. Following are some sunroom HVAC solutions.
Portable or Window Air Conditioners
The beauty of portable or window air conditioners has always been that they are relatively inexpensive and don’t require ductwork. The downside has been that they were typically noisy and obtrusive. Air conditioner manufacturers have been working to overcome these negatives over recent years, so you can find models that not only cool effectively, but aren’t as noisy as those of yesteryear. Some newer window units are even being designed with a more attractive appearance that the older versions, so that you don’t necessarily mind having one of these anchored in your window.
So shop around. You may find just the right portable or window unit to cool your sunroom for the summer. Then, when you’re done with it, you can remove it from the window or park the portable in the garage till next year.
Ductless Mini Split
Ductless mini splits, which first appeared in Japan and Europe, are now making inroads with U.S. homeowners. They are a type of heat pump, but don’t need ducts to distribute conditioned air. The two components include an outdoor compressor/condenser and an indoor air handler, connected by a conduit with the refrigerator lines and the wiring. Mini splits are a good solution for cooling/heating small spaces so that you don’t have to extend ductwork. They are quiet and compact, and are easy to mount so that they’re not obtrusive.