Noise is tough to compare because window units vary so much. My new one is very quiet compared to the old ones. I thought about buying a portable but it was much more expensive than a window unit, then you have the issue of emptying the water. Plan on doing it once or even twice a day. How often will vary on how humid things are and on the size of the container. An evaporative unit is self-defeating. A big part of the a/c unit is to dehumidify. If you evaporate it back into the air, you're defeating the purpose. There's also the issue of security. You'll often have more of a security issue with one of them than with a window unit although window units aren't very secure either. Also, they're not as efficient as a window unit so it'll cost more to operate and won't cool as well coupled with the higher cost, it's basically a unit you get out of desperation rather than choice. Since you're running a refrigerator you're putting heat into the air again that the window unit puts outside. This means you have to make up for the heating in there. A friend has one and regrets it. Wishes he had bought a window unit. I've been thinking about having the window unit mounted in the wall. My old unit was just left in the window year round the last few years. Not sure if that contributed to its death or not but I'd doubt it. My new window unit is pretty light weight. Especially compared to the unit it replaced however it's also less BTUs. Another plus is it has a remote control that I really like. If you don't mind the expense, you could also consider a ductless unit. They're expensive, close to the cost of central or even sometimes more, but I guess they're very popular in New England.

I opened up the sash balance mechanism by grinding the staked keepers that hold the cover in place. Then inserting a putty knife into the housing (had to bend the end cover up for access) and over the spools (to protect them), then a flat screwdriver on top of that knife and turning it to pry the cover free. Not much pressure is required, if you have ground enough of the staking away. I was then able to replace the broken cord with some nylon masons line. I wound the new line around the drum and used it to rewind the spring, repeating until it looked like the other one that was not broken. I then used a small c-clamp to keep it wound and proceeded to place the correct number of wraps of lines on the drum to duplicate the unbroken one (total of 3 ½ turns). Then threaded the line out through the hole in the housing and through the plastic pellet and tied a big knot in it. Then released the c-clamp, while holding the spool with my thumb, and slowly allowing the tension to pull the plastic pellet into place against the housing hole. (I wore work gloves during the rewinding operation so I could safely hold the spool with my thumb when needing to do subsequent rewinding on it. From past experience replacing tape measure tapes, I was careful to watch for and avoid the spring going ballistic on me. It never really threatened to though.) Then I replaced the cover so that the ground away posts were in the opening where they belonged and taped the cover on with USPS packaging tape. :) The cover isn't in danger of coming off since it's held in compression when in the installed position. I wish I had been able to find some heavier line but I think the masons line will likely last well enough. It's rated at 155-pound test. If it doesn't, there is a heavier masons line available that is 216-pound test that I'll replace it with. A tip getting that left side track back into place without breaking it or hurting yourself is to slather some liquid dish soap onto the window stud. It slid right into place easily after I resorted to that method. It also helps to file the sharp end of the spline on the back of the track so it doesn't gouge into the stud. It has taken me nearly as long to post this than to replace the broken sash cord line. I hope it helps someone like me who couldn't find any info on doing this and had to stumble through it. I like fixing things rather than tossing them, especially when it only needs a piece of string replaced. YMMV

I am not trying to start a debate :-). I want to present the facts we dug up 4 years ago so others can make their own decision. Also, if you really want to be un-confused, please go to the Efficient Windows website to look up what they recommend. You can also find scientific specification for Aluminum, wood, fiberglass and vinyl on-line. They are not intimidating and not difficult to understand. The only reason vinyl is used is because it is cheaper, not because it is better than wood, fiberglass or Aluminum. Scientifically, there is no debate or ambiguity when comparing the thermal characteristics and physical properties of Aluminum, wood and fiberglass against vinyl. Aluminum car bodies can last until it is recycled. Imagine Texas heat and sun on that metal on your car. Wood can last 100's of years. Fiberglass is used extensively in ocean-going sailboat hulls putting up with salt, wind and searing sun. Vinyl is a very distant fourth in this group. Cheaper does not mean it is bad, it just means there are limitations. If we ignore the weaker structural strength, then the other most obvious limitation is color choices. All vinyl windows we saw 4 years ago came in white or off-white. Use the darker Hunter-Green in vinyl and heat absorption will warp the frames in no time. Many high-end multi-million dollar homes in our area do use Milgard vinyl windows. The contractors and homeowners want to cut cost so they decide to spend less on windows and patio doors by using vinyl. Nothing wrong with that as long as they can put up with the white trim and its thermal characterisics. We still have two 9-yr old white Milgard windows and the one that has the most solar exposure has a warp frame around the crank handle. The frames also get downright hot in high summer. 9 years old and it is time to replace them. Milgard will certainly honor its warranty but do I want another warped frame in 9 years? Does the white trim go with our reclaimed pine floor? So there are personal choices to make. Most importantly, if a "high quality" vinyl costs $450 but a high quality Aluminum clad solid wood also costs $450 or even $550, then it is a no brainer to me if performance characteristics are the same. I won't take the vinyl. As for whether to use a double-pane or triple-pane, you should search for posts by "Oberon". Oberon is our "resident expert" on windows and has provided many very detail and impartial explannation. It is worth a read before plunking down a ton of cash for triple panes. Good luck!

I have never figured out why some people think replacing windows must be some type of "investment" to have any value. What other home improvements are held to this standard? What is the ROI on a new deck, kitchen couter tops,a new roof, new doors etc. What is the pay back for making these changes? What you should be thinking about is what happens if you DON'T replace your windows. Let's take a very conservative LOSS of savings analysis. Let's say you LOSE $250. per year over the next 20 years becasue you decided to leave your old windows. Let's further assume that utiity rates ONLY increase 3% per year over that time period. You would have spent $7164. more in utilities than if you had replaced your windows. And what do you have in 20 years? The same old window you had 20 years before that you have spent an additional $2000 for a few paint jobs, probably haven't cleaned and have had to live with the discomfort of air leaking in the winter. Then you decide to sell your house but the Real Estate person tell you that you will need to replace the windows if you have any hope of selling. So you go out at that point and discover that it's going to cost $20,000 to replace your windows. So total spent over 20 years is nearly $30,000 and all you ended up doing is buying new windows for the new owners of your house and got no benefit at all. Does that sound like the best approach to "investing" money? If you are looking for an investment, see a financial planner or a banker. If you have old windows that need to be replaced, see a window specialist. Don't confuse window replacement with something you want to make money on. Buy them for the same reasons you make other improvements to your home.