Current Events > any tips on buying window air conditioners?

(+) Yeah! (+)

we're having a baby this july/august and unless i wanted a roasted baby (uh...) we need to get an air conditioner.

we plan to just cool our bedroom, where the baby is going to be. its pretty small, maybe 12ft by 12ft.

i was thinking of getting this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/300422895

the room faces south so it gets sun all day, so hopefully this can fend off the summer heat.

im just worried about installing it. you gotta screw things into the window? but like, theres a bunch of ridges on my window...

---

Mezcla posted...

we're having a baby this july/august and unless i wanted a roasted baby (uh...) we need to get an air conditioner.

we plan to just cool our bedroom, where the baby is going to be. its pretty small, maybe 12ft by 12ft.

i was thinking of getting this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/300422895

the room faces south so it gets sun all day, so hopefully this can fend off the summer heat.

im just worried about installing it. you gotta screw things into the window? but like, theres a bunch of ridges on my window...

thats the exact reason I just bought a portable air conditioner, couldnt get a window one to fit right w the ridges on my window

---

Maybe that's something you should have thought about before getting her pregnant.

---

Just make a bed out of ice for the baby. Problem solved.

---

TheVipaGTS posted...

Just make a bed out of ice for the baby. Problem solved.

Genuis

---

You can get windows conditioners that use a plastic screen and sit on the floor instead of going in the actual window.

---

VigorouslySwish posted...

thats the exact reason I just bought a portable air conditioner, couldnt get a window one to fit right w the ridges on my window

yeah. i just watched a video talking about how they're not great. also loud. but maybe the baby will like the white noise...

Johnny_Nutcase posted...

Maybe that's something you should have thought about before getting her pregnant.

i mean we did. the plan was to buy an air conditioner.

TheVipaGTS posted...

Just make a bed out of ice for the baby. Problem solved.

hmm.

HMMMM...

---

TheVipaGTS posted...

Just make a bed out of ice for the baby. Problem solved.

ice ice baby

---

How big is your window opening? Also, you'll probably need to run a dedicated circuit to it with a special plug socket adapter to match the receptacle.

---

Make sure you know if the wiring in your place can handle the BTUs on your choice.

First place I rented after I got a job. No central air (idiot, I thought every place came with it). I was shopping remotely before I moved. Nope. Window units only. They didn't supply them. I call them up and they tell me, wirings old. gotta get low power ones.

It was a horrible summer. I was paying a fairly high rent too. It was really bad experience. I assumed for the money I was paying stuff like this would be included.

---

get one of those saddle AC units, they're safer.

---

I'd suggest getting an indoor wall-mounted AC unit.

---

we had to move our bedroom into the basement at our last place for the summer because we also didnt have central cooling. wasnt even our fault tho, the listing said it had it but turns out they didnt. we were desperate for a spot tho and didnt think no AC wouldnt be that big of a deal. never been more wrong lol

also, I dont think portable ACs are nearly as good as a window unit

---

Mezcla posted...

yeah. i just watched a video talking about how they're not great. also loud. but maybe the baby will like the white noise...

i mean we did. the plan was to buy an air conditioner.

hmm.

HMMMM...

mine is loud yeah, but works for me because white noise puts me to sleep.


---

I ran into the same problem years ago. The AC rested on top of the track where my storm window would normally slot into. It would crack the plastic, and it was a pain to form a good seal around the AC.

So I got a piece of plywood and cut it so it would sit perfectly in the sill. Then I cut a rectangular cutout in the plywood sheet so I could slide the AC into it. Then I just bought a weather strip kit (foam and double sided tape) to seal around the board. I don't have mine installed yet otherwise I would post a photo. It works really well and is easy to install and take out.

---

Just get a portable one, its easier to install imo
---

Vegy posted...

Just get a portable one, its easier to install imo

i will say although mine is loud, its a beast. 10,000btu and keeps my room nice and cold and the rest of the apartment comfortable

---

well i bought the one i linked. lets hope installing it is easy

it wont be easy

but luckily im doing this now before the baby is here and before the summer heat really kicks in.

---

The one in the link looks fine to me. Its not very hard to install those, especially if its on the first floor. I had to put the in the windows upstairs at my parents house and I was so scared I would drop it. As long as your windows open vertically, its pretty easy. I duct tape the corners to keep spiders from getting in.

Payzmaykr posted...

The one in the link looks fine to me. Its not very hard to install those, especially if its on the first floor. I had to put the in the windows upstairs at my parents house and I was so scared I would drop it. As long as your windows open vertically, its pretty easy. I duct tape the corners to keep spiders from getting in.

yeah its our house and theres no second story. if it falls out itll fall into a bush lol.

my only concern is the acordian thing on the sides. the top windows that slides down is made of metal, at least the frames are. i can't screw into it. it looks like i can screw down into the wood in the window frame on the bottom but we'll see.

eh, nothing a lot of duct tape can't solve.

---

These softening times, what a tragedy.

---

Mezcla posted...

yeah its our house and theres no second story. if it falls out itll fall into a bush lol.

my only concern is the acordian thing on the sides. the top windows that slides down is made of metal, at least the frames are. i can't screw into it. it looks like i can screw down into the wood in the window frame on the bottom but we'll see.

eh, nothing a lot of duct tape can't solve.

The accordion things look iffy, but theyve always worked for me. The material is usually thin enough to where you can drill a few screw holes, too. Ive done that for peace of mind. The only issue Ive had with them is the fact that theres sometimes a millimeter of space, but you can shore it up with some tape to make a perfect deal. I quickly get frustrated with DIY projects, but Ive always succeeded quickly with these.

You have to remember to occasionally change or clean the filters, though. Some people dont do this, but it makes a huge difference.

Yeah don't buy a portable AC, they are extremely inefficient. You're basically exchanging heat with air you already cooled, instead of exchanging the heat on the outside.

https://youtu.be/_-mBeYC2KGc

Any window unit will do, they are mostly the same. I put one in my basement and it was extremely easy. You might want a little bit of that "great stuff" insulation foam to seal up small cracks when you are finished. The window unit AC will come with little strips of foam but you still might have some gaps for air and bugs to come in.

kelemvor posted...

Yeah don't buy a portable AC, they are extremely inefficient. You're basically exchanging heat with air you already cooled, instead of exchanging the heat on the outside.

yup, thats the video i watched. great channel. ive learned a lot from that dude.

---