Slim A/C units to fit with window bars?
Can anyone make recommendations– or does it even exist? We don’t want to start ripping apart security bars on our windows, but we’d like to put window a/c units in… someone must make something that works and fits, right?
Can anyone make recommendations– or does it even exist? We don’t want to start ripping apart security bars on our windows, but we’d like to put window a/c units in… someone must make something that works and fits, right?
Oh, and Picasso, those Sharp “library quiet” units are as quiet as a jet engine. They suck. If you want quiet, you have to pay up and go with the new Friedrich Kuhl.
Since window bars are cheap, it’s better to spec out the size of unit you need in BTU, then figure out how much depth you need, and have an iron shop make it.
11211 – You have a thru the wall sitting inside your room, inside a wooden box??
It would be worth it, pay for it yourself with landlord approval to have new bars put in to fit an ac. we have a small ac unit we bought about 10 years ago, I would not buy used, that is made specifically for low clearance. They haven’t made them in a while.
first we were thinking to replace the window bars to accommodate a window A/C unit – but they are old bars, probably over 100 years and we prefer to save them.
Then we were thinking to move the old bars a few inches outwards – but this still would be a lot of work and mess.
We considered the portable style A/C units but some people say you have to put a little plastic tray under them and drain the tray everyday and we do not people forgetting to drain the tray or spilling the water on our antique wood floors as they carry the trays to the sink.
So we went with through the wall A/C units. Not many people seem to do this but we are trying it out. The units are expensive, huge, heavy and need to be installed in the window (we had to make a little wood frame under the a/c to support it in the window and cut sides to size to close off the sides of the window.
Pretty ugly to have such a huge unit inside the room by the window but the outside window units don’t look great either.
risky to do what?
Don’t you think it would be risky to do that?
Measurements should be made with great accuracy to avoid dangers…
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tiny AC units are out there, but they are low btu’s. I fit a 4000btu AC between the window frame and bars, with only 5″ of exterior space to play with.
You need to find a unit with the ventilation/drainage slats located as close to the back face (exterior) of the unit as possible. So long as these slats are 100% outside of the window, you should be good to go. Yes, the unit will probably protrude into your room a little more than usual, but that is the tradeoff.
It took me some time and research to find one that would work with my dimensional contraints. This was 6 years ago so I can’t recommend that model to you. Otherwise it’s one of those $$$ floor model AC’s which have many drawbacks.
Measure the space between back of sec. bars and exterior face of glass window. Take that measurement to the store and compare it to a measurement from the back of the unit to slats. Good Luck, BoD
I have a similar problem in my North facing garden unit.
To my knowledge (and after a lot of research), nobody makes a “window-bar-specific” A/C unit but with some tinkering it seems that you can put a “through the wall” A/C in.
Ultimately, I opted for a portable floor-standing unit similar to this:
http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-CV-P10MX-Portable-Conditioner-White/dp/B0014IFEBW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1278778234&sr=1-1
I have no direct experience with the above model, but that’s about how they all work – they sit on the floor and you run a vent-hose out the window.
The unit I purchased was a combo A/C and HEATER by AMANA (which appears to be no longer made).
Personally, I’ve found it to be a decent performer in both summer and winter. It handled the recent heat-wave with ease (bearing in mind that it is in the North room of the apartment and therefore does not get full sun most of the day)…
… and since it does get cold down here come winter, the add’l option for heat is nice.
Back when I was making this decision, I found this post to be helpful as it offered a variety of thoughts on the matter:
http://bstoner.wpengine.com/forum/archives/2008/07/how_to_install_2.php
The floor-standing units do tend to be noisier and less efficient (at least at the time, but I can’t imagine much has changed. Sharp claims a LIBRARY QUIET model, so who knows?) – however I think I came to a decent middle ground without having to build an interior box or redo the bars.
If you do happen upon an A/C that is designed to work specifically with window bars, please post that info.