Window AC Installation: A Complete How-To

There are a number of advantages to having central heat and air, but sometimes it just makes a little more sense financially to go with a window unit. It’s certainly easier to install. If you’re a bit unsure of how to go about your window unit AC installation, however, it could turn into a bigger, more complicated job than you anticipated. The best thing you can do is be prepared ahead of time by having all of the tools and accessories you need to make the job a success. Before you know it, you’ll have a unit that can bring cool air and comfort to your room of choice.

First open up the window you’ll be using for your AC installation. Preferably, this should be a window you can afford to basically leave alone and ignore for the foreseeable future, as having the unit in place will mean you can’t shut it. Take the air conditioner and place it on the sill. Take your time with this step and use a friend’s help if you can get it. These units are often deceptively heavy, and more than one person has dropped them completely out of the window, something that can easily destroy the machine and even endanger others. Remember that much of the unit’s weight will be centered in the rear, so you’ll have to compensate for that fact. Once the system is where you want it, close the window to the point where it rests on top of the machine. This won’t provide stable security for any ongoing length of time, but it will be enough to hold it steady while you complete the process.

The AC installation should continue by sliding the extensions from the sides of the unit. These extensions will close the space between the sides of the machine and the sides of the window. The unit should have come packaged with some small L brackets. You’ll use these brackets as a way to secure the unit to the wall completely. Screws probably came with the unit, but you’ll have to provide your own screwdriver in most cases.

That’s pretty much all there is to the process. AC installation isn’t very difficult when it comes to putting in a small window unit and just about anyone can do it, provided they have the strength to put the unit into the window to begin with. Plug the machine in and prepare to enjoy the cool air that comes along with it.