This is the basic layout of our apartment (not exactly to scale):
|==========--------====---------------------======|
| | | |
| | | |
| | | Master |
| | Bedroom | Bedroom |
| | 2 | |
| Living Room |---/ ----------| |
| 1 Hall [AC] / 3 |
| |-----------/ --|-/ -----/ ---|
| | | | |
| Kitchen | Bath | Bath | W.I. |
| | | | Closet |
|-------------------------------------------------|
Key:
/
door1
large vent2
small vent3
small vent=
window[AC]
Air Conditioning intake
My girlfriend and I have our computer desks in the master bedroom. The problem we're having is only a fraction of the airflow comes out of vent 3 into the master bedroom, and it gets hot as **** in here. Note that for most of the day, the Master Bedroom window is in direct sunlight, aggravating the problem. We keep the blinds closed all day but are not allowed (by complex rules) to put anything in the window.
Normally ~60% of the airflow goes into the living room via vent 1
, ~30% goes into the smaller Bedroom via vent 2
, and ~10% of the airflow goes into the master bedroom via 3
(percentages estimated). If I close vent 2
, maybe ~15-20% comes out of vent 3
and the rest comes out of vent 1
.
The problem is that vent 1 is a gigantic vent and cannot be closed. Our apartment complex maintenance staff are useless; every time we ask them for help with the AC, they just reset the thermostat and say everything is fine.
I've tried jamming cardboard into vent 1 to close it off but it doesn't seem to work well enough. We keep the bathroom and closet doors closed to reduce the square footage that needs cooling, but that doesn't help enough.
I'm looking for any suggestions on how to better control the air flow (not just 'how to stay cool'), whether that's by better obstructing the vents, partitioning the house with dividers, adjusting circulation with fans placed in specific places, or something else. I'm not sure where to start, and hoping someone will have good suggestions. Thanks!