Since we’re discussing window units, minisplits, etc....

We’re making serious progress on the old house on the property we purchased last year. One of the “must-haves” before we move in is some kind of A/C.

I’d be TOTALLY fine with window units, as I can’t imagine the house is over 1k square feet, BUT, they are the old “crank” windows.

Sadly, at some point, some one did an ugly hack & slash job on one of the windows and crammed a window unit in, but it actually does a decent job of keeping *most* of the house cool if interior doors are strategically closed and floor fans are strategically placed.

Portable units would (I think?) be the “easy button,” but after reading the thread on the subject, I’m a little leery. 

If drainage is the main issue with these, it may be a non-issue, as the house is on a crawl-space, and we’re about to rip up all the carpet, so perhaps I could just drain straight under the house?

Mini-splits sound awesome (or maybe even a single mini-split) but I’ve never dealt with them, and frankly have no clue how they work. Is the install a DIY in a day affair?

Thoughts?

You're in Georgia? I'd go with a mini split. Bite the bullet once. Yeah, portable will do the trick just fine, but do it right. 

My parents place is on Lake Michigan in northern Michigan. A portable is fine for there, because it is needed about 10 days out of the year; the rest of the time we can stow it in a closet. 

https://youtu.be/ozaw9QhxkQU

Our portable must evaporate the condensation out with the hot air, as there is never anything to drain. We vent it out the chimney. It's loud and not ideal from an efficiency or capacity standpoint, but it's enough to take the edge off. We also only use it a grand total of a few weeks at year at most, and don't want to block any of our evening window ventilation. We've talked about a mini split, but it's hard to justify anything else for our situation. However, I would certainly not recommend it as a long term solution for primary cooling in a hot/humid climate though. 

Someone makes a window ac for crank out windows. We had one at my grandmothers, it was more upright and had a filler for the rest of the opening.

Wally said:

Someone makes a window ac for crank out windows. We had one at my grandmothers, it was more upright and had a filler for the rest of the opening.

To clarify: Louvre style. Not casement.

i was picturing casements, I suppose a dozen tiny air conditioners for those windows would be tough to find. 

After my thread on window units vs portable units, I installed some appropriate sized window units last weekend. However, I do not that would be a solution for your situation. Judging from your post, it doesn't sound like a well-placed through the wall unit would be sufficient. The mini split might be the best option.

I would advise against draining under the home depending on how much water it puts out. I've had some claims where the condensation drain line breaks under the home and can cause mold / warped flooring from the moisture if it's bad enough. 

Gonna agree with Greg here. Dumping water under the house is a baaaad idea. 

I’m now thinking maybe replacing a couple of the louvre windows with standard windows + window units might be the hot ticket(?)

poopshovel again said:

I’m now thinking maybe replacing a couple of the louvre windows with standard windows + window units might be the hot ticket(?)

This may be the best bet, but compare the prices of a mini-split to a new window. Windows are berkeleying expensive.

In reply to mtn :

Time to hit up Habitat for Humanity thrift store & say a prayer!

Or...DUH!!! I just realized you can remove individual panels (which makes sense, should you need to replace the glass.) DURP!

poopshovel again said:

Or...DUH!!! I just realized you can remove individual panels (which makes sense, should you need to replace the glass.) DURP!

I was about to suggest this very thing, but then thought, "Nah...can't be that easy, could it?"