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Post by Chris W on Aug 12, 2015 9:40:40 GMT -7
Mark, correction to the above post. #7 is actually 21 inches from the roof truss.
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Post by Chris W on Aug 15, 2015 9:04:31 GMT -7
Just completed my third HB workout. Starting temp and humidity inside (and outside) of the bubble was 72 degrees and 68%. After firing up the AC unit and waiting about 15-20 min, the temp and humidity 63 degrees and 55% at chest height. This stayed consistent throughout the entire session. Once I ended the workout, the temperature outside the bubble (but inside the barn with doors and windows open) was 80 degrees. It looks like the temp is about as low as this particular unit will cool things. Once it gets below 60-64 degrees, the cooling mechanism shuts off. My newer units that I have in my bedrooms only dial down to 60 degrees as well.
Overall, I consider the bubble to be a smashing success. The numbers may not seem like much, but it feels WAY better to me.
I overheard my wife describe my bubble as my "air-conditioned cell he built into the corner of his barn". I prefer the term 'hyper-cooled hangboard chamber of awesomeness'.
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erk
Junior Member
Posts: 83
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Post by erk on Aug 16, 2015 22:26:34 GMT -7
I haven't gone full bubble but I am definitely a believer in using the AC. I live in the PNW. Summers are moderate and we've had plenty of days in the mid 90s. Lows are usually in the 60s. Even with the forecast at 95F, I've found that if I run the AC all night I can get the hangboard down to the high 50s/low 60s. I've also discovered that I like blowing the AC on my back for half of the sets during my workout. This really drops my core temp and actually has me feeling a little chilly by the end of the workout. What's got me curious about those of you that have gone full bubble/kill room is, why do you have so much space sectioned off? If I ever make a bubble I tend to think I would make it as small as possible.
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Post by Chris W on Aug 17, 2015 1:47:51 GMT -7
Erk, Mine is about the size of a coat closet. I think some of the guys have built a bigger one to enclose other things as well, like their campus board.
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Post by MarkAnderson on Aug 17, 2015 11:22:03 GMT -7
I overheard my wife describe my bubble as my "air-conditioned cell he built into the corner of his barn". I prefer the term 'hyper-cooled hangboard chamber of awesomeness'. Looking at erk's pic made me wonder what your non-climber-friends think of these set ups. It must look like some bizarre torture chamber to the uninitiated.
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Post by MarkAnderson on Aug 17, 2015 11:23:10 GMT -7
I haven't gone full bubble but I am definitely a believer in using the AC. I live in the PNW. Summers are moderate and we've had plenty of days in the mid 90s. Lows are usually in the 60s. Even with the forecast at 95F, I've found that if I run the AC all night I can get the hangboard down to the high 50s/low 60s. I've also discovered that I like blowing the AC on my back for half of the sets during my workout. This really drops my core temp and actually has me feeling a little chilly by the end of the workout. What's got me curious about those of you that have gone full bubble/kill room is, why do you have so much space sectioned off? If I ever make a bubble I tend to think I would make it as small as possible. I don't see any ducting. Are you diverting the hot & humid air somewhere? If not, you could vastly improve your system with some quick duct work.
Edit to add: After clicking on the pic I see a tube, presumably for water. Still, you need some ducts to go with your ducks shirt! and nice HB rig!
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erk
Junior Member
Posts: 83
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Post by erk on Aug 17, 2015 12:37:40 GMT -7
Mark, the AC unit isn't fully set up in the picture. I'm sending all the hot air out the window through a tube. I have also ditched using the fan pictured on the right as it just circulates warmer air from the room onto the board. I like having the AC straddling me as it seems to create a cooled microenvironment or "microbubble" if you will. I believe I have seen the same in your setup.
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Post by MarkAnderson on Aug 26, 2015 13:40:49 GMT -7
I'm wondering if you could achieve an overall lower and more consistent temperature and humidity level in your room if you installed a window unit. If you have one around the house, you could always pop it in and test it on a rest day. I turned my unit on 30 minutes (the time I take to wake up and get breakfast) before my workout and it seemed to cool things well by the time I started. Likely nobody cares about this anymore...but I still do! Anyway, last week we had a period of unusually cool weather (overnight lows in the low 40s), so I procrastinated on the A/C unit. During workouts 6&7 the room was ~45 when I started and 54 when I finished. Still a disappointing amount of temp change, but it didn't matter since the starting temp was so low. Things changed drastically over the last few days, with highs in the mid-90s. Last night's overnight low was 64(!), about 10-degrees higher than the highest low I've experienced so far this cycle. Anticipating poor conditions, I installed the A/C unit Monday and Tuesday night. This morning it was 64 in the room when I sealed it and turned on the A/C unit. When I started my workout (about 75 minutes later) the temperature in the room was 49 at the floor, 54 at the ceiling and 57 on my RPTC. The best part is the RPTC continued to cool off a bit as I did the workout (getting as low as 55). By the end the room was still a nice 57, despite high 70s outside. I consider it a smashing success. I was really dreading this workout due to the weather. I knew the temps would be high, but the worst case scenario here is high temps combined with clouds at night. When I went to bed without seeing any stars, I figured it would be horribly warm in the morning and I feared the workout would be a "total loss". Despite low expectations, when I woke up this morning and saw it was 64 I was even more disappointed. I briefly considered postponing the workout to tomorrow. Maybe it's in my head, but I feel like adding the A/C unit saved my workout. I "sent" 4 of 6 grips, which I consider a great workout this late in the cycle (workout #8) in any weather. Side note: I could tell the A/C unit was icing up at times (based on the lack of airflow out of the unit). I turned it off during my crimp grip sets hoping it would defrost a bit, and that seemed to help, but it was barely blowing air again by the end of the workout. I need to experiment to see if it's better to leave it on, performing poorly but steadily, or cycle it on and off to keep it from icing up.
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erk
Junior Member
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Post by erk on Aug 26, 2015 22:56:08 GMT -7
I dig the set up Mark! Side note: I could tell the A/C unit was icing up at times (based on the lack of airflow out of the unit). I turned it off during my crimp grip sets hoping it would defrost a bit, and that seemed to help, but it was barely blowing air again by the end of the workout. I need to experiment to see if it's better to leave it on, performing poorly but steadily, or cycle it on and off to keep it from icing up. I have a thought for this though. I have an LG 10,000 BTU AC unit that has a "safety feature" that shuts off the condenser if the ambient temperature of the room gets too low. This would happen during my workouts early in the Spring when the over night lows were much cooler. I believe this would happen when my thermometer in between the hangboards read 55F. Of course this was unacceptable so I bought a little space heater to bump up the internal temperature of the AC unit. I turned the heat on just enough to keep the condenser running and was able to get an extra couple of degrees cooler on the already cool days. I'm not sure if this will help in your situation... PS I haven't burnt my apartment down yet so this is probably safe?
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Post by Chris W on Aug 27, 2015 3:18:19 GMT -7
Mark, you have some crazy weather where you live! Warm enough to climb in the dead of winter and in the 40's in the summer!
What kind of AC unit do you have? Erk, I have something similar to yours, but a much older model.
I haven't checked the temp and humidity yet at floor level, but my readings are very consistent at chest height and Hangboard (HB) height. I'm not sure what you're doing differently to get your numbers into the 50's, but mine stay pretty consistently around 60-63 at both chest and HB height. What's interesting though is when I kneel down to enter my data into my computer (my training log) I'm right under my thermometer and can watch the humidity and temperature tick up a few points. I must put off a lot of heat during my session.
In terms of air flow, have you checked your filter on your AC unit? I've had to clean mine once or twice because of the chalk and the dust.
I'm going into HB #7 later today. I've already bested my "summer" HB season and, if this session goes well, I'll either meet or set a new personal best (PB) on all of the grips. I consider my little bubble to be a huge success.
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Post by MarkAnderson on Aug 27, 2015 10:17:57 GMT -7
I have an LG 10,000 BTU AC unit that has a "safety feature" ... PS I haven't burnt my apartment down yet so this is probably safe? Dude that's awesome! My unit has an internal thermostat, but the lowest temp setting is 64. Fortunately it also has a manual setting that allows me to run it indefinitely regardless of temperature. Still, I'd prefer a thermostat with a wider temp range.
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Post by MarkAnderson on Aug 27, 2015 10:23:10 GMT -7
What kind of AC unit do you have? Erk, I have something similar to yours, but a much older model. Good question/I don't know. I bought in like 2005 or something (when I lived in NM). I'll check when I get home. I was really surprised when I turned it on to find that it still cools. I figured all of the refrigerant would have leaked out over the years. In terms of air flow, have you checked your filter on your AC unit? I've had to clean mine once or twice because of the chalk and the dust. Not in the last 8 years When I used it in NM I would clean the filter regularly, but that's a great idea, I should probably clean it before my next test drive. I'm going into HB #7 later today. I've already bested my "summer" HB season and, if this session goes well, I'll either meet or set a new personal best (PB) on all of the grips. I consider my little bubble to be a huge success. That's really awesome. I really think paying attention to (and manipulating) conditions makes a difference.
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erk
Junior Member
Posts: 83
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Post by erk on Aug 27, 2015 12:06:52 GMT -7
I'm not sure what you're doing differently to get your numbers into the 50's, but mine stay pretty consistently around 60-63 at both chest and HB height. I have the AC blowing directly on the board/thermometer. The ambient temperature around me is probably closer to 60F. So we're probably pretty similar? My unit has adjustable vents. Usually I have them angled up at the board but lately I've been aiming the air at my back during some sets and this really helps lower my core temperature. I believe this has been helping me sweat less and I am actually a little chilly by the end of the workout.
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erk
Junior Member
Posts: 83
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Post by erk on Aug 27, 2015 12:08:36 GMT -7
Also. I've noticed that some people turn the AC on just before their workout.
I don't get out from school until 5PM (the hottest part of the day) and this just doesn't work for me. I have found that I get the best results if I run the AC the entire night and during the day when I'm gone.
Examples:
Started AC 1 hr prior to workout Forecasted High: 97F Time of Workout: 7PM Temp of HB: 64F Started AC at 12PM day of workout Forecasted High: 90F Time of Workout: 7PM Temp of HB: 60F
Started AC night before Forecasted High: 90F Time of Workout: 7PM Temp of HB: 58F
Not too pscyhed about my electricity bill, but it's worth the temps!
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Post by MarkAnderson on Aug 27, 2015 13:00:58 GMT -7
Ya, I don't know if I would run it all night for 2 degrees. I probably would How big is your space?
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