I have a number of window AC units I need to cover to stop the drafts. I have a few covered outside with the standard covers that keep the snow out of the grates, and slows, but do not stop the drafts. Others are covered on the inside with tape and plastic, but again, does not really do much. Does anybody have any suggestions for a more effective method of sealing up window AC units?
Mike D.
remove them.
Michael Dobony wrote the following:
When I had window units, I removed them in the winter and closed the windows. Kinda like Christmas light. Put them up before Christmas and remove them afterwards, unless you would leave them out all year, at least they won't waste heat..
As other have posted removal is best but not always possible. Here is what the fall routine used to be at my grand-parents house.
Secure the outside cover as tightly as possible, unplug the unit, remove the interior grill and stuff a bunch of old towels into all the openings.
Cover the interior grill with plastic usually by folding the plastic over and snapping it back in place.
Place a note on the unit or the unplugged power cord about the towels. Old folks and even young ones forget.
Wasn't perfect but it served them well for about 20 years.
Michael Dobony wrote in news:1ss9kr5h4lnnr$. snipped-for-privacy@40tude.net:
Are they double hung windows? If so, since the window is open for the AC, do you also have the gap covered where the upper & lower sash meet?
Hmm. The window shouldn't leak, winter or summer - there should not be any intrusion of outside air through the AC unit.
Bear that in mind as you plug all the leaks.
Ummm, I can't imagine leaving a window unit in over the winter. Take it out, shut the window, problem solved.
Not so easy for everyone to do that. Have you checked the weight of a
14,000 Btu window unit? Do you think every homeowner is capable of crying one?I take out two of mine, but the third has been in for five years now. I do take the front cover off, put a plastic bag over the opening, then replace the cover. Seals well enough.
No windows to replace them. first though fourth story permenant installs. total of about 14 units.
I have one that built into the wall in my workshop. I take 6mil plastic and duct tape it to the wall around the unit. It seems to keep the drafts out.
6 10,000 to 14,000 Btu units and about 8 5-8k units from 1st to 4th floor. No double hung, all hopper permanently removed (only way to replace is to replace the entire window and frame) and replaced w/permanent installed window units. It took about 2 hours to replace 1 small unit.
A guy I know in the appliance repair business says he just loves those outside covers! One way or another rain or snow gets in the unit but it doesn't have the air circulation to dry it out again. Rust and corrosion in all kinds of places there normally isn't any. The insides get cold overnight then the sun hits the cover and the moisture condenses all over the place. Lots of extra work for him! And by the way, he was talking about the ones that were built into the wall, take the window units out for the winter.
I made an open ended box out of 1 1/2 foam insulation. I glued it together and sized it to fit snugly over the unit. This was a one-off situation though where access to the outer part was easy. YMMV.
Remove all the units, put in energy efficient windows, install central air, apply for all the tax credits you can, and bank the cash for when income taxes go up in 2011 and 12.
Sure, the initial outlay will be high, but the payback period has to be pretty short considering all of those inefficient-in-the-summer and leaky-in-the-winter units.
They make (or you can make) insulated covers that tightly connect to the outside wall. Plastic doesn't stop the cold, maybe the wind sometimes. You need good, at least 4 inch thick, covers insulated with R12 insulation and a tight connection against the siding or window molding. Some people even build an insulated box around them that has a door to open when they are operating. It might be worth the investment to install centralized air conditioning instead.
It would take several centralized ac units to do this, minimum of 8 units,
2 per floor, in just one of the buildings, and another in the other building, and then duct work for all those installed, and ceiling repairs, probably about $50,000 worth of work.
You don't need duct work. They pump the coolant to individual units which have their own exchangers. Mitsubishi has a good system. If one central unit can handle a hotel one should handle your case.
and hundreds of feet of refrigerant line run though cement floors where the walls are not lined up and still requiring the total replacement of ceilings to run the lines and high $$$$$. Will this system run 2 buildings
100' or more away from each other? If not, that means 2 systems and only 4 units in the other building, 3 on the first floor and 1 on the 3rd floor and no walls lined up to run the lines.
I searched the internet to confirm this problem (I also wonder about this), but can find nothing on this. Do you have any other sources for this problem?
No, sorry. Just one guy who owns a chain of appliance repair centers.
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