Install air conditioners window

Photo: amazon. Before installing a window AC, open the window as far as it goes, remove the screen, and clean the windowsill, glass, and window frame. Measure the width of the windowsill, and use a pencil to mark its center. A properly installed air conditioner should sit securely in the window without an additional support bracket. However, very heavy units those more than pounds do require additional support and some locations, notably New York City, require the use of a bracket for all window air conditioners regardless of weight.

These days, many window unit support brackets, such as the Ivation Window Air Conditioner Support Bracket available on Amazon , require no drilling or screws for installation, greatly simplifying installation. Some window units come with the top and bottom mounting rails—which help hold the air conditioner securely in the window—already in place.

If your unit does not, use the included screws to attach the mounting rails, making sure to tighten all screws completely. Next, attach the accordion-style side panels by sliding them along the grooves on each side of the air conditioner. When the entire installation process is complete, the panels will fill in the gaps between the air conditioner and the sides of the window frame.

The bottom mounting rail should fit into the lower window frame, positioning the air conditioner correctly and helping hold it in place. Line up the middle of the air conditioner with the mark you made earlier indicating the center of the window.

This serves as another safeguard keeping the window unit in place. Many window units require a very slight tilt away from the building to keep condensation in the drip pan outside the room, rather than puddling down the wall inside your home.

Have your assistant continue to hold the window unit in place while you use a power screwdriver or drill to install the L-brackets—the letter L-shaped pieces that serve as a final safety measure to keep the air conditioner securely in place. This prevents the window from opening, which could cause the unit to fall out. Depending on the manufacturer, your air conditioner will come with one or two L-brackets. Once the upper pane is secured, there will be a gap between the two panes of the window.

Fill that gap with the foam seal included with the unit. Cut the seal if necessary to fit your window, and then press it into the gap. This keeps drafts from outdoors out of the room. Neglecting to fill the window gap with the foam seal makes your window unit work harder to control the indoor temperature, and potentially lets moisture, dust, and insects enter your home, as well.

For the final step, extend the accordion side panels of the air conditioner until they touch the sides of the window frame. Use the screws that came with your air conditioner to secure the side panels to the window frame, using a power screwdriver or drill. Your new window air conditioner is safely installed. The trick here is to build a solid frame that will hold the window AC unit in place and cover up the extra space above the appliance.

The first step in how to install air conditioner in sliding window is to measure both the window opening and the size of your air AC unit. Measure the height of the window opening. Take this measurement between the bottom to the top sills. Measure the height of your air conditioner. You now want to build a rectangular frame with these pieces of cut lumber. To do that, follow these steps:. Lift it up and position it inside the window opening to make sure that it fits.

With the initial frame in place, hoist up your window air conditioner and place it into the frame opening. Move it backward until the top flange is even with the sides of the wood frame.

Then, take a pencil and mark a line on each side of the frame to indicate where the top of the window unit with the flange rests. Take the last short piece of lumber and slide it into the middle of the frame while lining it up with the two marks you made on either end of the frame.

Then, screw this board in place on both sides using two screws on each end. To keep the frame securely in place, use a drill to put two screws each through the bottom 2 x 4 and top 2 x 4 so it anchors the frame to the window sill.

Lift your air conditioner and slide it back into the frame. The unit should now stay in place after you let go of it since the middle piece of lumber will prevent the air conditioner from falling backward and out the window. Measure the width and height of the opening and transfer those measurements onto a piece of plywood. About screws on each edge should be fine.

You can either do this before securing the frame in place in the window or after the unit has been installed. If you were to install one in a wall, then the hot air would get trapped between your drywall and cause all sorts of problems.

Through the wall air conditioners looks identical to window AC units except for the fact that their hot air vents are located on the back of the appliance. This allows hot air to escape freely and not get trapped between wallboards. You can find the best through the wall air conditioner units here. On that page, we explain how to get the right size unit for your needs so you can save the most amount of money on the initial purchase and on your monthly electricity bill.

BTU numbers tell you how much energy your cooling system uses to cool down a room. The larger the number, the more space the window air conditioner can cool.

Square footage sq. Once you have the total square footage for the room, you can select a window air conditioner that has the corresponding BTU number.

As you learned, there are a variety of ways for how to install window AC units in any house.