i'm installing a window air conditioner this weekend

danger boy

yes. the temp this weekend is suppose to be very close to 107 degrees. Possibly breaking all record high temps by several degrees.

I'm a tough old dude.. and i can deal with heat pretty good.. I have lived in my house for about 10 yrs now. I never really needed a window AC unit in any other place beside the bedroom. Even that one i've only had for two summers now.

But this year the summer heat is beating the snot out of us about 4 weeks early.. so it's going to be a long, very hot summer for the next 6 to 8 weeks still.

I went out and bought a 12,000 BTU AC unit tonight... which I'll be installing this weekend, just in time for the above 100 degree temps.

What should i know about installing it? This will be going into a large sliding window. How do I brace it in the window so it doesn't teeter when in place?

I'm open to any and all good ideas.

disneyjoe7

Can't tell of anything to help you mounting it, but will say it needs to be level not tilted back. That much I know.

F1nut

Does the window slide sideways or do you mean up and down?

danger boy

slides sideways and is on the ground floor.. thankfully.

Ron-P

I have a 12,000btu window a/c unit I install every summer in a large sideway sliding window. I fab'd a 2x4 stand to support the back of the unit and I also use two 4" screws that go through the front frame of the unit, through the actual window track and into the wall. The thing sits rock solid. I cut a piece of plexy glass to fill the open space above the a/c unit. Lastly, I run a strip of weather seal along side the a/c unit and edge of the plexy glass. This makes for a tight seal once I put the sliding window back in. I cut a piece of wood to sit in the track to keep the window closed.

It might all sound difficult but it's rather simple. I can take pics and post'em if you need.

While there aren't many days where we see much above 80 or so but when it creeps past that and there's no ocean breeze to cool things down that 12,000 btu's is awesome.

F1nut

Most window units are made for installing in the horizontal position, in windows that open up and down. I'm not sure what to do in your case.

Edit: looks like Ron has it covered.

danger boy

Ron, that would be great if you could post some pics of the AC unit both inside and outside.. so you are able to close the window with the unit in the window? or did i misunderstand that part?

did you cut the plexiglass yourself or have it cut for you to size?

much appreciated.

Polk65

If your sliding window is narrow you can buy a casement window air conditioner which is tall and thin. As Steve mentioned, keep it level but also install it "right way up". The oil and refrigerant inside will damage the compressor in a regular horizontal model if mounted sideways. Just like a refrigerator, it should sit "right side up" for 24 hours before using. Ron has a great DIY idea.

xsmi

there are AC units made for your window style. Generally they cost 2x's more than standard units and harder to find. They are right, it must be level. There is a bracket you can find at Home Depot of Lowes that is made for this purpose although it is more costly and more complicated than the 2x4 idea, it is the way to go.

Willow

in our old house this is what we did :

I went to HD and looked through their scrap wood. Found a piece the size of window or bigger and had them cut it to size. cost for scrap wood under 5$. beats the cost of plexi. What we did this year for the 1 week of heat we had at the old house was borrow my M-i-l's indoor AC that vents out. It was easier to install, just cut a hole the size of the vent and bingo in 20 mins we were cooling down. Most AC now come that you can remove the case and screw that into your window frame, try that as well then you slide in the AC unit, that thing is not going anywhere. Oh yeah...watch your back! get help moving it around.

WilliamM2

My old house had sliding windows. What I did there, was remove one side of the sliding windows, and build a panel the same size and thickness as the window, so that it pops right in the track in place of the window.

Cut a hole in the panel the same size as the air conditioner. It required no support, but it wouldn't hurt to add one.

Ron-P

Here ya go bro, hope this helps...










The window cannot be closed all the way, it closes up against the a/c unit and plexy glass, thus the need for the weather stripping. Be sure to have the a/c unit tilted back a bit so the water from the unit flows towards the back. Last thing you need is that water leaking into the house so don't make it totally level.


PS: Don't mind my failing stucco. It's a mess and that is my project next year, stucco repair. For some reason this side of the house got really bad before I poured the concrete slab. Anyone know how to repair it?

disneyjoe7

Ron,

To my knowledge of window AC units is that the levelness of the unit allow some water to collect in the unit to allow the condenser to cool better. So tilting too much would cause the AC unit to run longer or not be as efficient.

WilliamM2

Mine is perfectly level. There are drain holes in the rear to let any excess water out the back. Joe is right, they are designed that way to help cool the compressor. If water comes out the front, the drain holes are plugged.

I open mine up every fall before putting it away for the winter, and clean out all the bugs, mold, scum, etc. that will grow inside it due to the constant moisture.

danger boy

good work Ron... the installation looks nice and sturdy. I will go with the plexiglass too.

Ron-P

Mine is a much older unit, it has no drain holes and drains out the back of the unit. I've been using it this way for 10+ years. It's not tilted back much at all, just a bit. When running I can hear the water splashing around so it's not draining all the water, just what ever is overfilling the pan. I just wanted to be sure it drains out the back side and not up against the house.

This is the last year we are going to use this one as it's getting too old. Once summer is nearing a close we are going to find another, hopefully on an end of summer sale or the like.

BottomFeeder

C'mon, DB! Take the heat like a man, ya pansy! Sweaty, sleepless nights, dragging your sorry, exhausted posterior to work. C'mon! You'll miss that won't you?

Can we come over???

disneyjoe7

Ok so you guys are or already did add a 12k BTU AC unit to cool your HOUSE... I want to buy 1 5k unit for emergency power loss during a Hurricane or something so I can sleep in a spare bedroom. Yes 5k for a small bedroom, I have a 5 ton unit for the house so 60k BTU unit....


Talk about the difference in climates