looking for a small air conditoner for closet.

[VenomXt]

I just moved into my new apartment with my wonderful study and the study has a small closet with shelving wire racks in it. Me being a nerd like I am it quickly became my server closet. Im running a Athlon 2600 machine in it running Win2k3 server. It has 3 WD 320 gig drives. This all translates too being hot in a unventilated closet.

My CPU runs at around 35-43 C
My Case is usually around 35-43 C

The hardrives are between 35-43C

This is a bit hot in my opinon and im not running the hardrives in RAID 5 yet so if i lose a drive im out 300 gigs of data.

Id also like to add a Silicon Images Unix box in the closet that i have so its gona add some extra heat.

What im looking for its a very small air conditioner that could run in the closet. Drop the temp to around 70-80. Id rather not spend over 150 for this and im wondering if thats going to be possible.

Any Ideas?

 

[Admiral Michael]

You would need a portable A/C and I say that because you need a way to vent the hot air outside. I know Costco has a portable one that has two vent hoses that go to a window, normally the unit outside in a central air system handles this and in a window install, well half of the unit is outside.

They kind of look like this:

Maybe someone else has some better suggestions.

 

[Vanquished]

Yeah my friend has that, the unit itself is inside and the houses point outside through a window...
Id think you'd have to cut a hole in the door to make any ac work.

 

[VenomXt]

Hmm I will look at Costco’s site I love shopping there because of the return policy. I would rather not cut a whole in the door but if I had to I guess I could. I was kind of hoping on something I could just plug in and sit in there. Something small might be able to use recycled air to cool. I’m not sure.

 

[Vanquished]

i would assume any ac unit would do that it would just greatly reduce the amount it cools the room down...
On the ac unit previously shown the exhaust is through the tubes, i dont know if you could maybe crush them to fit under a door or leave the door slightly ajar.

 

[VenomXt]

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11126050&whse=&topnav=&browse=&s=1

I found this but It has to be vented outside. Maybe all of them need to be. But i really dont need a 9,000 BTU AC lol this thing cools 300 sq feet im talking about 10-15sq ft at the max. plus its 300 US

Any more ideas? i will keep looking.

 

[Admiral Michael]

For your application you have to have a vent for outside since its to vent the warm air outside.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/ac.htm

Hmm I will look at Costco’s site I love shopping there because of the return policy. I would rather not cut a whole in the door but if I had to I guess I could. I was kind of hoping on something I could just plug in and sit in there. Something small might be able to use recycled air to cool. I’m not sure.

I mentioned Costco cause I work there and I see the portable one all the time. And I love their return policy, one reason I like shoping there (Wanna buy my LCD TV there eventually ).

 

[VenomXt]

yah i took a ipod 4th gen back 6 months ago and they gave me the whole 325 when i first bought it. So there is nothing that can cool by just recycling air darn. What you guys think of those temps?

 

[Brad]

You have to have a way of getting the warm air outside, that is how they work

 

[Admiral Michael]

My desktop hovers abour 50C idle. I'd say the temps all depends on the weather you get, if it gets really hot in the summer then you may have a problem. As of now the temps are fine, its just later on I'd be worried about.

 

[VenomXt]

im building a smaller server, an open aired one. a 2600 XP 9700 pro and a 500 watt power supplie seems abit over kill lol for a file server So i have some older dell parts.

 

[X-Istence]

The easiest way i have found to get warm air out is to add some fans. Keep the door ajar enough to put a 80 MM fan in between, or bigger, and have the ones at the top take the warm air out, and at the bottom, take cold air from the floor in.

There are little portable air conditioners, to cool small rooms, I have one built into my bathroom, to vent and at the same time cool the room down.

 

[LeeJend]

Those temp's are fine. How big is the closet?

You can get a 5000 BTU window AC for $80 at walmart Sutherlands, HD, etc. but since you are in an apartment you can't cut a hole in the wall to vent it. Besides it is overkill for cooling a closet

Cutting a whole in the closet door will get you evicted and charged a couple hundred for repairs.

Solution -
Buy a new door the same size as the existing one.
--Get a bifold door. Easier to deal with. They are $30 HD, Lowe's, etc.
Put the old door in the closet for storage until you move.
Hang the new door on the existing hinges.
Cut openings in the panels for 120 MM fans.
--2 at the bottom blowing in cold air off the floor
--2 at the top blowing hot air out.
--Put louvers over them for esthetics and noise reduction.

Cost, less than $50. No hassles from the landlord.