How Do I Install a Window A/C Unit? | DIY Basics

Getting beat by incessant heat? A window A/C unit is an inexpensive way to cool down your space, and installation is...wait for it...a breeze.

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[alexch]

Tiny window A/C. Works well and keeps room cool. Unlike some other purchasers my unit arrived with no damages. Appears to be made of quality materials, easy to install and fairly inexpensive.

[carlosr]

what if my window ac doesnt have any hole for the top rail and filler panels (acordeon), shoul I drill these holes?

[saulgoodman]

What if you got a window replaced and it doesn't have that piece in it for the bottom rail to sit on?

[simonmacomber]

If I place the bottom rail *outside* the sill or frame, the AC will leak water inside my house. The AC leans forward too much. If I place the bottom rail *inside* the house, the AC isn't square in the window having huge gaps around the bottom and lower sides. The AC leans backwards too much. If I place the bottom rail *on* the sill or frame, it will slip, either inside the sill or outside the sill and fall out of the window to either side. The sill is high enough that if the AC slips forward or backwards the top rail is too high to hold it in the window. The bottom rail is too wide to fit *into* the sill.


Is there a solution to this problem?

[PoringPoring]

So... what to do if there is bushes outside the window? Should there be room for airflow or is it okay to stick it next to the bush? And what do to if the window is horizontal sliding? Will there be a part 2?

[adrianbreitenbach]

My window ac hangs over my balcony, and the constant dripping from condensation is a problem. Do you have aesthetically pleasing and low maintenance ideas on how to draw the water away? Currently catching the water in a giant ugly rubber mad tub and emptying it once a day.

[alann]

What if it doesn't have a downward tilt toward outside?

[alejandroferrada]

I have searched every store for an ac unit for a window that will have been slid horizontally, but I only find ac units for windows that have been slid vertically. what dou you recommend?

[amberluxurious]

it's never that easy for me smh lol

[MinecraftProk]

Oh, So window ACs now come with lock screws to keep the window locked in place so a thief couldn't get in by Window and AC won't fall out by vibration

[saulgoodman]

Sometimes I want to open my window without having to remove the AC. So how do I do that?

[Juggalorazzy]

What if the window frame isn’t wood, mine is metal?