When the summer months seem nearly unbearable due to rising temperatures, a window-mounted air-conditioning unit might be just what you need to cool a smaller room in your house. In this economy, a window air-conditioner is an affordable, efficient solution to beat those summer time heat waves.
More importantly, a window unit is easy to install.
One of most important stages in any home project is the planning phase. There are a lot of different sizes out there so choosing a unit that will suit your needs is essential. First, you have to do some calculations in order to figure out what size is right for the room you want to cool. There are helpful online calculators available that base results on the square-footage of your room and tell you, in British Thermal Units (BTUs), what model size is appropriate. You also want to choose a unit size that will fit into the window space that’s available. In addition to this, keep in mind that if the room gets more sun than others, you might want to buy a slightly larger unit for its higher cooling capacity.
The next step involves the actual installation of the air-conditioning unit you chose. You will want to ask a friend to give you a brief hand during this stage.
With double-hung windows, you want to begin by asking your friend to stand outside, on the other side of the window pane, to ensure that it doesn’t fall out.
You’re then going to raise the bottom window pane so that you can place the air-conditioning unit on the window sill.
Once you have done this, you are going to have to level the unit according to the instructions in the box. Some will have to be tilted down and out - toward the outside of the house – to allow for moisture run-off.
Once you have done this, you are going to have to level the unit according to the instructions in the box. Some will have to be tilted down and out - toward the outside of the house – to allow for moisture run-off.
Once the unit is mounted to the brackets or locked into place with the extensions fixed against the window jamb, weather strip the inside perimeter of the wall. You also want to apply a good, thick bead of caulk around the unit’s border on the outer portion of the wall. This way, both the unit and your house will be sealed and weather-proof.
If you don’t have double-pane windows, you may need to cut a pattern out of a piece of plywood that will go around the unit in order to fill in any gaps. Be sure to use plywood, rather than particleboard; plywood can withstand all weather conditions.
You can use brackets and screws to secure the plywood to the actual window frame. Make sure you protect the plywood with a thick coating of paint and caulk around both the window and the A/C unit.
Now, comes the long awaited, fun part – plugging the unit into the wall. Bear in mind that an appropriate appliance cord is necessary and you might want to use the shortest cord possible since most are longer than necessary and use more energy as a result. Longer cords can also present a greater safety risk.
Once this is taken care of, you’re free to enjoy cooler summers in your room of choice.
