In the middle of summer, opening the windows is often not enough to cool down a home and it might be necessary to install an air conditioner.
There are several types of air conditioners, but the most common ones for home use are air conditioners that are placed in windows.
Although you can hire a professional to do so, installing an air conditioner is a relatively easy task that is possible to do yourself without much prior knowledge. Here we’ll walk you through how to install a window air conditioner in 6 simple steps.
6 Easy Steps To Install a Window Air Conditioner
- Determine where you want to install the air conditioner and calculate the size of the air conditioner you will need. Air conditioners are rated by their British Thermal Unit (BTU) capacity. A good rule of thumb is that a 12,000 BTU unit will cool approximately 500 sq ft of room.
- As not all air conditioners are of the same size, you need to first measure the window opening, making sure that it fits into the opening.
- If you have double-hung windows, installation should be simple. Other models utilize special brackets for window attachment. In that case, you put those brackets in place first.
- Install the mounting brackets that came with the air conditioner unit and slide the air conditioner into the window opening and attach it to the mounting brackets. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions.
- Lower the window down onto the top of the unit of the air conditioner to hold it into place and slide out the unit’s extensions to fill the empty window space. Don’t forget to attach the drainage hose (if any) to the outside of the air conditioner.
- Lastly, seal the gaps around the edges with foam insulation. Silicone will work but is not preferred unless it is a permanent installation. Better yet, when the summer heat dies down, these units can be easily removed for storage