Converting from window units to central AC in small multi family

[Kurt Jones]

Hello everyone, I have recently started to transition out of single-family and into multifamily investing. One of the buildings I have acquired is an eight unit old-school apartment complex. In starting to bring it up to speed, I am considering replacing the old window units with central AC. These units are small one bedroom approximately 600 ft.² units so it would not require huge AC units to cool them. Does anyone in this forum have any experience in similar projects? I'd love to hear of any pitfalls or lessons learned from others on the board. Thanks! Kujo

[Andrew Cushman]

@Kurt Jones, I own property in FL that has some smaller units.  We're in the panhandle, so there are a few nights where heat is nice.  There's a variety of setups, but as @Jaysen Medhurst mentioned these are great:

http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/wbu/?utm_source=g...

For a bedroom around the corner, we've found three effective solutions:

1.  Oversize the main unit, and install ceiling fans to circulate the air around the unit.

2.  Install two smaller units, one on the main living area and one in the bedroom.

3.  Install a big enough unit in the main living area in a location that lets you install a short duct through the wall into the bedroom and direct some of the cold air that way.

Option 1 is the cheapest but least effective.  We usually go with Option 3.

Good luck!

Andrew