Window AC or lose access to fresh air?

[BoomBoom]

Hi, Everyone. I was hoping to get your opinion on my current predicament.

One of the perks of living in my current apartment is that I could leave a huge living room window open when I'm away at work 8 to 5 with zero security issues. I love this because the flock has access to fresh air all the time. I always worry about in-home air-borne toxins and pollution. It also overlooks the courtyard with lots of huge trees, birds and neighborly activity. The problem is, this place has no built in AC. Said window is also crank / swing style so I am unable to use my portable AC on it. I've tried many window adapter products to no avail. My apartment management can install a window AC on this window but I will lose the ability to swing it open. Basically, they will replace it with a sealed in glass panel with the bottom half cut off for the AC.

I live in the West Coast, close to Bay area where the months of July to August average 85 F but lately heat waves have reached up to 93-97 F. I worry about the flock getting heat stroke. I leave 3 fans running in the room and access to baths and ice bottles in their cage but I don't think it will help at 97 F. I've been going home at lunch to mist and shower them but my schedule won't always permit. It's been a source of constant worry for me every summer.

I'd like your opinion: Do I get the AC installed and permanently lose access to fresh air from the only window pane in the living room that can open? There's another large window pane but it's sealed in place and management will not do it there. It's 2 months of cold comfort versus year round of fresh air for the birds. I can leave the door wide open when I'm home of course which I already do. Will this still be as beneficial as 9 hours of constant fresh air? Is limited fresh air just as bad as no fresh air at all?

PS. I can't move the flock to another room. I've asked and apartment management will not build the AC into the wall or the next window pane because this window pane is sealed in place and they don't want to remove the paneling around it for when I move, etc. As a single income household, I don't have yet the ability to purchase a home (expensive in south CA) but I'm working on it.

 

[BoomBoom]

PS. Boomer also likes to sun bathe on this window with it wide open for direct exposure. He can still sun bathe in another room though but it does cut down on sun exposure.

 

[Owlet]

you could always get a standing AC that's "mobile". the model I have has a thing you put in the window but it's easily removable if you rather have fresh air.

 

[Kiwibird]

Is it a casement window that swings open like below? If so, they make window A/Cs for them that are removable seasonally, though they cost 3-4X that of a regular window A/C:

I know because we had to get one of these units for our narrow sliding window as a standard A/C wouldn't fit ours either. But it is removable and we just duct-taped a panel above it to fill in the gap (I constructed one to look like a faux window, but even some cardboard would work) and take it down when we remove the A/C for the year.

 

[BoomBoom]

@Owlet, thank you. I'll look again but I haven't yet seen a portable AC that's adaptable for crank style (casement) windows. I will search again.

@Kiwi, yes just like a casement window in your picture. This looks like it would work but our apt. Management has a rule that only they can perform modifications like this, even if was temporary. Did yours require window brackets? Maybe if no brackets required, I can get away with it.

 

[lplummer52]

You’re very lucky they allow the bird’s. Tough it out for 2 months. The bird’s won’t mind.

 

[SailBoat]

Well, when the worst application in the World meets the worst management group restrictions there is a solution: Toshiba Split System. The good news is that they work. The bad news is that they are expensive and once installed they stay.

Toshiba air conditioners - residential and light commercial Toshiba ...

The reality is that a Wall opening installation is the correct application and with the heat you are experiencing they need to take a real serious look at their restrictions prior to someone dying.

 

[Kiwibird]

There is nothing that actually needs to be screwed in or permanently installed or would cause permanent damages of any kind. There is a bracket that holds on through tension, supporting the part that hangs out the window, but it doesn't require you make any holes or anything. We got ours off craigslist, but I think new ones even come with a special thing to plug the gap above the unit the just needs to be cut to size. They probably require management to do it because if an A/C is improperly installed, it could fall right out of the window and injure someone below or cause property damages. They probably don't want to pay for the proper kind for a casement window because they cost $400+ new.

 

[BoomBoom]

Thank you all. I will look into these suggestions thoroughly