wiring AC unit

[Anonymous]

I just installed a through the wall AC unit (12,000 BTU's). It's vented into my garage,which I'm not sure was such a great idea now. The unit isn't blowing out very cold air. Not sure if it's a wiring issue. I'm using an existing outlet, nothing else on the line is being used. The circuit breaker is 20amp at the box and the wiring is the original (house built in late 50's). The AC calls for 15amp, 125v. I'm also using an 18" heavy duty extension cord, which gets warm to the touch if the unit is on for several hours. Can this be causing the unit to not be working properly?

I am planning on putting in an outlet (where I wouldn't need an extension cord), using Romex 12/2 and running it to the line I have for my pool filter. (I only run my pool filter late at night and the AC would never be on at the same time). The pool filter is on a 20amp breaker. Does this make sense to do it this way?
Thanks for your help.

[Wgoodrich]

It would be a violation of the NEC rules to run you a/c unit on your pool filter circuit. The NEC forbids any branch circiut that carries 50% load of the amacity of that circuit to be sharing a load on any other appliance on that same circuit.

Many people believe they have a heavy duty extension cord when in reality they have a light duty extension cord with lots of fiber filler and rubber doing nothing to increase ampacity of that cord. LOOKS BIG BUT AIN'T !!!!. Look on the side of that extension cord and it will say the AWG wire size. If it is not 12 awg copper then it is not a heavy duty extension cord. Many people have burnt down their home using what looked like a heavy duty extension cord. Only way to confirm heavy duty to carry the load such as an a/c unit is to read teh side of the cord where it tells you the AWG wire size. Anything less than 12 awg is not adequate to serve as an appliance extension cord.

It is highlyadvised not to place a window a/c unit through the wall so that the back side of the a/c unit is inside an adjoining room. The a/c unit is designed to get rid of hot air. A/C units do not blow cold air into a living area they remove hot air out of the living area as well as moisture at the same time. This moisture and hot area then is exhausted out the back of that A/C unit out into the atmosphere outside. When placed through a wall of an adjoining room then that moisture and hot air exhausts into that adjoining room being trapped there thus reducing the abiility for that A/C unit to produce its desired work.

Hope this helps

Wg