I bought an old mobile home to get out of the shitty living conditions I was in before. I am worried about the Sacramento heat. This thing is basically a tin box with almost no insulation. There is a single 15000 btu wall unit which that I am reasonably certain will not keep up with >100F summers we have here. Short of installing a mini split heat pump, what else can a poorgay do to keep cool or augment the cooling of this wall unit.
have you thought of using a reflective or reduced sun heat roof coating?
use on roof and sides
look into which type would work best
>if you have an RV another waterproof roof layer is always good
https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/roofing/roof-coating/sealbest-reg-white-elastomeric-roof-coating/1531824/p-1444444994815-c-5822.htm
reflective window film, or shitty awnings. Hang blankets across open doorways etc so as to partition down to one smaller cool space where you can cope and sleep and use computer.
15,000 BTU will not keep a whole mobile home comfy in sacramento heat, but its more than adequate to keep a portion of the place comfy.
Also, grill/cook outside in the evenings if you can and if you have to use the oven, then open the windows and ventilate.
Also, consider getting another window unit if you don't plan to be in the place long enough for a mini split to be financially sensible
Since you are in a major city, I’d find one of your local Amazon liquidator auctions. I got some cheap AC units last summer.
https://www.bidrl.com/auction/big-general-auction-840-n-10th-street-sacramento-february-15-113813/item/portable-air-conditioner-15696968/
You want to preview the item before bidding. Or find a place that allows returns for non working items. Nows a good time to shop.
Find a spot with shade and defend it with your life. Godspeed anon.
Sorry, I’m moronic. I assumed an RV when you’re probably in a fixed location. Please disregard.
You got the right idea. Build a sunshade over you house with some tarps, rope, 2-4s, and some stakes. Will lower the temps considerably
Swamp cooler
You are in a very good part of the year to buy cheap window units. Don't pay retail price, find a used one or a liquidation sale
These are all excellent ideas. The awning idea might be overkill. The way the unit is positioned the noonday sun will not be hitting any window specifically. It pretty much goes directly up and over the unit. And the one window that does hit with direct sunlight already has an awning.
A reflective surface on the roof might not be a bad idea. I have considered adding some solar panels to augment my electrical system. Since the total roof square footage is not particularly large. Could that work as sort of a two pronged attack where the panels provide some shade to the roof as well as provide some electricity. Your thoughts?
What would be the ballpark cost for, let's say four panels, installed DIY Style, with the inverter, wires, storage batteries and any other junk necessary? While I am not a novice DIYer I know virtually nothing about solar power, the cost and any equipment needed for a project like this.
Most places make you do 10 panel minimum because shipping is expensive. I just got 10 panels and a 6kw inverter for $3k then you're talking a few hundred more for mounting and maybe couple hundred for wiring etc, and yes it could do what I was saying here
hmm, even running the AC 24/7 it would be a long time before I recuperated a $3k+ investment. Let me look into that foam top stuff.
Yeah solar is not a miracle tech like morons who love big government say it is. I'm still doing it because they doubled my electric bill and I bet they are going to do more. May set up even more soon.
You could maybe look into mounting a foamed corrugated pvc roof above your rv with an air gap so the sun isn't hitting it directly at least. Its super easy to work with and fairly cheap. The stuff I've used before is Suntop brand which funny enough is made in Israel.
I wonder whats better in this situation insulation or an awning. I mean obviously both is the best but which one works better. Just in and of itself, not per dollar.
>which one works better
You mean which one reduces solar heat load best? That's a hard question to answer since the sun is going to heat the ground and the air around the structure. Depends on how big the awning is, how thick the insulation is, what angle the sun is, etc. The way I see it, insulation is better all around since it blocks heat and cold and helps a little with sound too.
And when it gets cold outside...
Google "radiative cooling paint". It won't replace your AC, but it will decrease the load.