Kansas City Air Conditioner

JimCoplien's beautiful take-off on patterns created for PatternsAreNotTheLesserOfTwoEvils. (kudos from AlistairCockburn)

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Kansas City Air Conditioner

Problem

Affordable air conditioning

Context

Low-income apartments in areas with hot, humid climes. The apartments have no casement windows.

Forces

It is an important condition of comfort - though not survival - to have an air conditioner in the hot, humid summer.

Tenants have neither the means nor the authority to install central air conditioning, and the landlord's economics don't support providing A/C.

Room air conditioners are expensive, too. The combined cost of air conditioning, and the requisite architectural changes so windows can accommodate the air conditioning, exceeds most incomes. The architectural costs can easily dwarf the cost of the air conditioner.

Architecturally correct windows provide optimum cooling (no leaks), but some cooling is better than none.

Solution

Purchase an air conditioner. Remove the entire window and prop the air conditioner on the ledge. Cover the rest of the window with a blanket, with black construction tarp, or other material that provides an air seal for the air conditioning unit.