Window Air Conditioner Installation For Dallas Homeowners
Inspect the window to make sure it’s in good repair. After installation, you probably won’t open that window for months until it’s time to remove the unit, so now’s a good time to wash the glass inside and out. You’ll also want to clear the area around the window and leave yourself plenty of working space with no tripping hazards.
With hot weather comes the desire to cool off. For those of you who don’t have internal air, the window air conditioning unit is a good second option. This video will show you how to install one.
Install a Window Air Conditioner
Tips to Installing a Window A/C
- Make sure that the unit will be clear of obstruction on both the inside and outside. The outside of the unit must be able to disperse heat so if it’s covered up, it can cause the unit to operate at less than its intended performance.
- You may want to consider placing the unit in a bedroom window. The area where we sleep is a highly prioritized area to cool as sleeping in the heat can be very restless.
- If you live in a 2 floor home, you may want to consider placing the unit in a 2nd-floor window. Cooler air will travel downward in the home as it displaces the warmer air thus cooling a bit more area than it would from the 1st floor. This is especially true when using a fan to push the air down stairwells.
- Regardless of where you locate the unit, coupling the use of the unit with the use of a fan can really help move the air around your home. For instance, if you’ve placed your unit in a bedroom that you’re not in during the day, place a fan outside the door to pull the cool air out of the room and push it around other areas of living space. A couple of strategically placed fans can really cool down a larger area while running only one window a/c unit.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to prepare the air conditioner for mounting. This may include attaching brackets and the accordion-style side curtains, for example. Double-check the air conditioner’s measurements and compare them to the window opening.
Step 1
With the bottom, window sashes up as far as it will go, center and insert the air conditioner in the window. Keep it balanced as you slide the flange on the bottom of the case against the outside edge of the windowsill. Then lower the bottom window sash until it rests on the air conditioner and securely against the top flange.
Step 2
After balancing your air conditioner on the windowsill, it’s easy to see why you need that top sash to stay put and hold the unit in place. To prevent the sash from being accidentally raised, insert at least two screws through the upper flange on the air conditioner case into the window sash. The screws could possibly split the wood if you don’t drill pilot holes first. Use a bit that’s slightly smaller than the core of the screw. Then wrap a piece of masking tape around the bit so that it limits your drilling depth to the length of the screw.
Then do one of the following: Attach the L-shaped clips that connect the bottom sash frame to the top sash frame, or cut spacers from 2-in. x 2-in. stock and wedge them between the bottom sash and the top of the window frame.
Step 3
Pull the side curtains out to the edges of the window frame to keep bugs and moisture and hot air from entering the room. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for directions on screwing or clipping the curtains in place.
Expanding curtains help seal your room, but they’re no substitute for insulation. Consider cutting white foam insulation board to fit snugly around the opening from the outside if your window receives lots of suns. You can also buy accordion-style insulating panels and cut them to fit the opening.
Step 4
That gap between the frame of the lower sash and the window on the upper sash needs to be filled. If your air conditioner comes with a foam seal, you can cut it to size and slip it in place. If your foam filler disappeared during the winter while the air conditioner was in storage, you can buy them separately.
Step 5
Plug it in (use an air conditioner extension cord, if needed). That was probably hot work, so pour yourself a cold glass of water while you wait for your newly air conditioned room to cool off.