The entire Earth is getting warmer every single year. As a result, it has become almost impossible for Americans to live in homes without air conditioning.
Ideally, everyone throughout the country would have central air conditioning systems installed in their homes. But of course, it isn’t possible to install central air in all homes. It’s also not affordable for all people.
If you don’t have central air in your home, you should look into doing a window AC installation. You can pop an AC unit into a window in your home and use your window air conditioner to keep your house a lot cooler than it would be otherwise.
You’ll need to take these steps to pull off a window AC installation project.
Begin by Making Sure Your Window Air Conditioner Actually Works
When you’re getting ready to install a window air conditioner, you might be tempted to throw it right into the window from the start. But you’ll be making a big mistake if you do this since your window AC installation is going to crash and burn if you install your AC unit only to discover that it doesn’t work in the end.
For this reason, you should test out your window air conditioner before doing anything else. It would be worth spending five minutes plugging it in to see whether or not it even turns on.
In a perfect world, it’ll turn right on and work the way it should. But just in case it doesn’t, you’ll save yourself a whole lot of time and aggravation by putting your AC unit to the test at the beginning of the installation process as opposed to at the end.
Attach the Panels for Your Window Air Conditioner to It
Most window air conditioners are going to come with two side panels that can be used to avoid air leaks. You won’t need to start using them until your AC unit is actually hooked up. But you should still attach them to your AC unit before you stick it into your window.
These panels are going to be difficult to install if you wait until a later step to do it. You should screw them into your window AC unit tight so that they’re all ready to go once you’re ready to turn your AC on.
Put Your Window Air Conditioner Into Your Window
After you’ve attached the panels for your window air conditioner, you can go ahead and strategically position it in your window. To do this, you’ll need to:
- Lift up both your window sash and the screen for your window if you have one
- Place your window air conditioner in the middle of your windowsill
- Pull your window sash down so that it sits on the top of your AC unit right behind the metal rail that is located towards the front of it
- Make sure your AC unit is securely in place before letting it go
Some window air conditioners can be on the heavier side. If yours is big and bulky, you might want to ask a family member, friend, neighbor, etc. to lend a hand with it. It’ll prevent you from accidentally dropping your AC unit out your window.
At this point, you might also want to install a support bracket on the side of your home to hold some of your AC unit’s weight. It’ll keep the AC unit steady and stop it from sliding right out of your window at any point.
Check to See That Your Window Air Conditioner Will Drain Properly
Once you turn on your window air conditioner, it’s going to start to produce water condensation pretty much right away. And if your AC unit is angled back towards your house, a lot of this water condensation is going to drip into your home and potentially do damage to your window.
With this in mind, you should angle your AC unit properly so that water condensation will drain outside as opposed to back into your home. You might need to make adjustments to the angle of your AC unit later on to ensure that there isn’t any water condensation working its way back into your house.
Lock Your Window Air Conditioner Into Place
One of the things that you’ll need to worry about when you use a window air conditioner is someone coming along and breaking into your home by removing your AC unit. This is something that, unfortunately, happens far too often throughout the summer months.
You can, however, prevent anyone from being able to gain access to your home through a window with a window air conditioner in it by utilizing a special L-shaped bracket on top of your window sash. It’ll stop anyone from being able to open this window from either the inside or the outside.
You can also use something as simple as a piece of wood or even a curtain rod to accomplish the same goal. No one is going to be able to break into your home when you’ve secured your window sash so that it can’t be moved.
Close Any Gaps That Exist on the Sides of Your Window Air Conditioner
When you get to this point, your window air conditioner should be securely in your window. But one thing that you’re going to notice is that there will still be gaps surrounding your window that will let air, insects, dust, and more into your home. You’ll need to seal them up.
You can do this, first and foremost, by opening up the panels on the side of your AC unit and fastening them to your window sash. You can also use weatherstripping on both the top and bottom of your AC unit to seal your window shut.
It’s going to be tough to avoid air leaks altogether. But you should be able to eliminate most of the gaps surrounding your AC unit.
Turn Your Window Air Conditioner On and Start Using It
As long as everything goes according to plan, your window air conditioner should be successfully installed when you reach this point. The only thing left to do will be to turn it on and start sending cool air throughout your home.
You should keep an eye on your AC unit to be sure that it’s draining water condensation outside. But that should be the only real concern that you have about using your window AC. It’ll help to keep your home cool all spring, summer, and fall long.
Remove Your Window Air Conditioner Once It Begins to Get Cold Outside
After you spend an hour or so installing your window air conditioner, you might not be all that thrilled about removing it once the winter rolls around. But you should still make an effort to take your AC unit out of your window before it gets cold outside.
If you leave an AC unit in a window all year long, you’re going to expose it to the elements. This will cause it to wear down on you much quicker than it would otherwise.
You’re also going to run the risk of your weatherstripping wearing down and letting frigid-cold air into your home in the winter. This will wreak havoc on your HVAC system and force you to pay more than you should have to for electricity each month.
Because of all this, you should take a window AC unit out once you don’t need to use it anymore. You can always follow these same steps when it begins to warm up again and have your AC unit installed in no time.
Follow These Steps to Enjoy a Successful Window AC Installation
Compare Quotes from Top-rated Window contractors in your area.
Many homeowners get intimidated by the process associated with installing a window air conditioner. But as you’ve seen here, it’s actually way easier to install an AC unit in a window than you might think.
By taking each of the steps that we’ve provided for you here, you’ll be able to put an AC unit into place without a problem. You’ll also be able to cool your house off in a hurry once your window AC installation is complete.
Need help installing your AC Unit? Alpha Living Can match you with top-rated contractors near you. Compare Quotes & Save Now!
Facebook
Comments