As a benefit, if you have them both in the same room, you can set one 1-2F below the other one and you've ended up creating a 2-stage system, which normally costs $$$ when done with a central AC. The 2-stage setup will mean better humidity removal and a very stable temperature.

We have the something closer to the original "A/C" - proper home planning. A breezeway, placing the house to capture the prevailing winds, larger overhangs, established trees... These things make a big difference, but they are the last thing on the list for builders today. Gotta design your own, or go for an older home to find this usually.

"But thank you, thank you, thank you all for pushing A/C on me. Thats just what our power grid needs, more A/Cs. Personally, I'd rather use less power."

Some people don't mind the heat and humidity of summer. Kudos to you if you can stand it.
Personally, I sweat like a pig in the summer heat and don't like smelling like a bag of two day old sliced onions, so it's AC all the way for me!
Best of luck this summer.
I hope it's mild.

@FLConsumer:
@jeffislouie:
My casements don't slide, they tip out. I don't want them hanging wide open all the time, and I'm not too keen on taking them apart. Like I said, there not much of a choice. There are choices like portables (something else taking up floor space), or others, but they are just not that favorable. But thank you, thank you, thank you all for pushing A/C on me. Thats just what our power grid needs, more A/Cs. Personally, I'd rather use less power.

That chart's a bit off...at least it doesn't match up with the heat load calculations I did here. Granted, proper heat load calcs are designed to handle the absolute worst day of the year and actual conditions are far better than that most of the time.

Also, if you are considering a large unit verify what voltage it runs on. A typical household receptacle is in the 110v -120v range. Something like a 20,000BTU air conditioner will likely need 220v. Older air conditioners as low as 10,000BTU can also require 220v. You don't want to lug something like that home only to discover that you don't have a 220v receptacle and having an electrician install a new circuit for you will run $500.

.....To go without, and be even remotely comfortable, you need high ceilings and big open windows. Ideally, the the building should be shaded from afternoon sun by lots of trees, too.

.....We went without AC for about a week, two years ago. (Waiting on the installation of a new outdoor compressor unit.) With 9 foot ceilings and an attic fan, we were pretty miserable. Fortunately, the first part of that week, Hurricane Dennis blew by, and we had three days of clouds and rain, to keep the heat down.

not that there's much of a choice - this house has casement windows and no duct work. "

You actually do have some choices, btw...
They make casement air conditioners that will fit the windows and they also make portable ac's that you can move into rooms. As long as you have a window in the room for the AC to vent out hot air, they work pretty well....
Casement units and portable units are more expensive than regular ones though...

Wait, the article is about air conditioning?

not that there's much of a choice - this house has casement windows and no duct work.

On the hottest day of the summer you want that air conditioner to run continuously - if it's cycling on and off on that super-hot day, it's oversized.

Jus' hang loose, blood. She gonna catch ya up on da' rebound on da' med side.

What it is, big mama? My mama din' raise no dummies. I dug her rap!

Cut me some slack, Jack! Chump don' want no help, chump don't GET dick help...

any takers?

Jibes.
Jibes!
JIBES!

J-I-B-E-S!

*wink*

I'll adjust next time I post it, thanks!

For an 18 x 18, which equals 324 sq feet, it recommends a base of 8000. If you add 10% of sunny and round up, you're at 9000.

@thnkwhatyouthnk: Feet, sorry to say.

18x18x30+2000=11720 + 10%(sunny)=12892btu!