Help with Wording for New AirCon

It’s so hot here, I have a very well insulated but very old home, but I’ve bitten the bullet and bought an evaporative aircon. Life’s too short to die in the heat at my age. I’m planning to put it in the guest room when I have guests but want to ensure they are not tool bags and abuse the privilege so was thinking something like:

Home doesn’t really get too hold or cold as it’s well insulted but we have a portable evaporative air conditioner provided in your room for a pleasurable stay. Please keep in mind, the rest of the home and rooms don’t have this luxury and all we ask is you use responsibly and conserve energy: Use the lowest setting necessary, keep blinds down and windows closed when in use and don’t leave it on when you’re out. Not complying with this rule will unfortunately result in air conditioner being removed from your room.

Any suggestions much appreciated!!!

Could you try putting it on a timer?

1 Like

I thought about that but there is already a 7.5 hour auto shut off on it and the weather here is very famous for unpredictability ‘4 seasons in one day’. So it might actually be freezing during the day and hot at night etc. how we are the ‘most livesble City in the world’ is truly beyond my comprehension

Can you charge more for your room with aircon or is it worth dropping a bit in profit for the increase in bookings aircon should bring in.
Whats its power consumption, If its 1kw an hour and on for 7.5hrs, in the uk that would cost me just over £1 and I would include it in my daily rate. My listing would say “FREE AIRCON” or something similar to bring the punters in.

1 Like

A bit of terminology here… What you appear to have purchased is an Evaporative Cooler, not an Air Conditioner. Both work to cool the air, but evaporative coolers only work in hot/dry climates because they add moisture to the air; an air conditioner works even in hot/moist environments like I live in, because it removes moisture from the air to chill it. Evaporative coolers can go “bad” if the wet surface gets moldy, so be sure to follow maintenance/cleaning instructions.

I do like your wording Emily.

Consider, if possible, setting the unit at the power/cool level you want and removing all the dials/buttons except ON/OFF.

4 Likes

I think the wording was good until this point. I think people would be turned off by the threat of going into their room & taking it.For us, we don’t try to restrict air conditioner or heat use but that’s up to each host.

1 Like

Quit insulting your house, you meanie. :laughing:

“insulated”

2 Likes

I stayed ina BnB where a strip heater was hard-wired in and you had to push a button on the wall every half hour or so to keep it on. Some people may find that ‘nickel and diming’ But i thought it was a good reminder to conserve energy and it meant you never fell asleep with it on.

1 Like

Good luck. I think your wording is okay but don’t make threats you can’t carry out. I don’t see the going in and removing the unit during their stay to be a good experience for anyone and would probably result in a bad review. I have a refrigerated window AC in my guest room and I’ve heard it running when guests were out. I’ve heard it running during the night when temps were, in my opinion, cool enough to not need it. I just add a few dollars to my price in summer and bite my tongue. It evens out as some people don’t use it.

2 Likes

I would also add…

Put in caps…PLEASE TURN OFF WHEN LEAVING THE ROOM.

Host reserves the right to unhappily enter your room to turn it off if you leave for the day and forget.

You could also put a sign on the door leaving as well. The hotel in the desert where I just stayed had this, and I complied.

2 Likes

You should test it first and really see what’s the overall behavior. Maybe only 1 out of 10 wouldn’t turn it off so it’s ok. Try it first before getting worried. Still, a basic wording such as yours helps.

1 Like

Yes I am going to increase my price about 20% as air con is not common here but highly valued and usually only in ‘new’ homes, I only have a couple of small gaps til mid Feb when it cools down and I have a 3 month booking starting. I was thinking max extra cost would be around 5%. I want to highlight it in the advert and I have been asked (before I did instant book) and people only wanted rooms with air con. I’ll check on the energy efficiency, I bought online from Kmart it was super cheap but I couldn’t find much detail.

It arrives in 2 Days. I agree I would be annoyed with someone entering the room, perhaps I will not give them the remote and keep it for myself to turn off from outside the room and see if this works. It will also give me the option of turning it up and down all night if the guests are shirting me :joy:

1 Like

What does that mean? Yet another down under slang I have missed.

Thanks for the heads up- I have checked yes it’s an ‘evaporative cooler ‘ sold in the air con section! So would it be wrong to advertise it as portable air con unit (evaporative cooler)!, I just want to give it the best plug, especially for fools like me who clearly don’t understand what an evaporative cooler is :joy:

‘Shirting me’ slightly polite way of saying ‘:poop: ing me’

1 Like

Here is the item, maybe it will be useless but for the price I figured it was worth a go…

http://www.kmart.com.au/product/10l-evaporative-cooler-with-remote-controller/1549822

You’re going to have to go in every day and add water so you may as well turn it off while you’re in there.

1 Like

Unless there is a water source connected to the unit, an evaporative cooler needs to be manually filled. Like filling a humidifier, it will soon become drudgery having to fill and carry a gallon jug of water 2 or 3 times each time.

Also, a door or window needs to be open to draw the air through the room or the room will quickly become muggy and uncomfortable – and muggy = mold.

I have a wall-mounted evaporative cooler in the garage for the hot summers. It has its own water line and comes with a remote but one of the side doors of the garage always needs to be cracked open a couple of inches to draw the air through. The other alternative is to open the door to the house and also a door at the far end of the house to have an exit for the the air stream.

It’s never used anymore because the A/C is far more efficient and effective.

I love evaporative air so much I just got a new one for the house installed 2 springs ago. I don’t love the maintenance though and with getting older and getting on the roof getting to be less of a good idea as I get on this will be my last one. :disappointed_relieved: