Make Your Window Air Conditioner a Billion Times More Efficient* for Under $20

[@soullessginger3187]

As a HVAC I approved this message. I would also recommend disassembling the shell and cleaning the coils every year, before and after the season.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

they keep talking about putting AI into products unnecessarily but I've never seen such an embedded AI posting comments before

[@Duncan_Campbell]

I remember watching a bunch of videos of HVAC techs during the virus lock downs, and just cleaning the coins, wow there can be a lot of buildup in some of those coins.

[@courtrutherford8913]

That's better than 80% I believe. I'm also in HVACR and I approve this idea. When I worked at an apartment complex I'd use no residue duct tape on portable AC's.

[@ulogy]

​@@courtrutherford8913Gaff tape works as well, and doesn't turn to gooey mess if they leave it in and it gets realllly hot.

[@westonroberts9174]

Good stuff

[@Nderak]

damn technology connections has a good makeup disguise artist. hi from Oklahoma its actually been cooler than expected, 90-100 for the dailies, we havent had 100s since late june early july. strange

[@DeviantOllam]

🧑‍🎤 hah right on

[@gaveintothedarkness]

For real, though it was that channel before realizing it wasnt him

[@aslurmyfrog]

Ha! That would be an amazing crossover episode and there's no shortage of topics they could delve into.

[@Tome_Wyrm]

Can confirm. I saw the title and went "Hey, Alec has a video on window AC units? Wonder if it's heat pump... wait... that's Deviant..." Sir, you had my curiosity... but now you have my attention! Also, can confirm, stopping air leakage and effectively replacing the might-as-well-not-be-there plastic with foam? Like 80-90% as effective as doing the whole hog fancy professional job.

[@petergerdes1094]

I assumed Alex was showing Deviant his KZbin channel could be hacked and a deep fake posted ;-)

[@SilverNuclear]

Did this for about a decade. It's straight forward and works. Very good PSA.

[@chilledmilk6045]

Get a pool noodle and cut to fit. Jam it between the 2 window panels. From where it is open. Get a good seal between the 2 panes

[@DeviantOllam]

Oooh that's good

[@shockingguy]

@@DeviantOllam I’m really beginning to think noodles can save the world ha ha ha how many hacks are there out there?

[@inthefade]

Pool noodles are perfect. They're literally pipe insulation with colored foam instead of black, but usually cheaper. I use them for so many things lol.

[@shubinternet]

A pool noodle might not be thick enough to fill that space. It can be a very useful way to help fill the space, and reduce the amount of spray-in foam that you may need.

[@definitelynotatwork]

Midea U-Shaped Window units are game changers. Its the perfect middleground of Window unit vs Mini-Split

[@mdl8767]

GE makes one now too. It is N shaped so it hangs below the window. Not an endorsement, merely saying it exists.

[@cheyannei5983]

My friend has one! They're cheap as all get out, but they work too well to complain.

[@zanelongden6133]

Agreed, bought one and installed it today, loving it

[@FauxQue-yk8dt]

I run 3 LG Dual inverter window units because they run on 120v and work well with solar. Once they've started up they sip wattage. Around 300w.

[@DrDeFord]

You were saying “window air conditioners are great,” and my thought was “not really; they don’t seal very well,” and then your video talks about how to improve the seal. Excellent leading question/premise! :)

[@donaldmartinez5252]

It is not the unit seal it is the person doing the sealing work

[@fixins]

I would highly recommend if you are installing on of these window ACs on a ground floor window, physically block off the open sash from opening any further. A little chunk of 2x4 on either side with a little interference fit will prevent some unscrupulous person from dumping your AC into your flower bed and hopping right into your home. The blocks will also do a nice job of steadying the AC in the window but that's kinda secondary.

[@taiiat0]

i always have a chunk of Wood to wedge the Window in place, for sure. on any Floor, even. better safe than sorry, especially when it's so trivial to do.

[@Dwigt_Rortugal]

Wood blocks for the win. 2x2 are my favorite, but I've used 1" trim or whatever is around. I've been doing this for years. The cheesy little angle brackets they give you to secure the unit are a total joke, and you have to make holes to use them. If you're precise in the length, you can wedge in the wood pretty tightly.

[@workinprogress5431]

I've also used two lengths of PVC pipe. One on each side cut to press fit. They blend in really well and hold very firmly.

[@ClockworkAvatar]

you can just buy a metal support bracket that goes over the sill to hold the AC so you don't have to worry about the windows clamping pressure. they're available pretty much every where you'd buy a window unit.

[@anthonyjulson8840]

Its not about clamping pressure as much as it is keeping out a greasy good for nothing tweaker or something!​@ClockworkAvatar

[@1ghostchick]

I own a HVAC company. I love this idea! I will be showing this to my customers. Thank you for making this video.

[@jameshealy4594]

I like it - if you're forced to use a mobile unit, at very least insulate the exhaust hose - it's not like you'll be needing your extra blankets at the same time!

[@emeraldbonsai]

You say that but my favorite thing making my room arctic and lying In a pile of blankets

[@rickr9689]

Wrapped an exhaust hose in several layers of bubble wrap and duct tape. Made a huge difference.

[@ericmyrs]

Damn that's a good idea.

[@SilvaDreams]

​​@@rickr9689I have a few rolls of foil wrapped bubble wrap that is made for insulation that I put around the exhaust hose of my portable unit. Works great because it reflects a ton of heat and what does soak through in minimized by the air gap. It's fairly cheap too. Bought two of them years ago and it's reusable, ony thing I have to buy every few years is the roll of aluminum ducting tape I use to seal up the breaks.

[@barbarabeckley8732]

Excellent idea 💡

[@n1mrod109]

Parasols! they're like an awning, but for your head!

[@phillyphakename1255]

We need to bring back awnings. Oh wait, and I on the technology connections train again?

[@oat1000]

In Asia they're quite common, but the US seems to have forgotten about them (probably because of car centricity).

[@totally_not_a_bot]

​​@@oat1000We barely carry umbrellas unless we know we'll be standing in the rain for a while. Call it a cultural thing.

[@phillipknott8137]

Its a great idea and works very good. I went all the way up the window with the foam board and put i final layer of plastic sheeting on the foam board that is tacked to the window frame inside. Take the curtains and tuck them in all around the edges of the unit. And all that will be visible is the ac unit face and the curtains around it. Works really good that way. HOT! HERE IN TEXAS

[@seymoarsalvage]

Southern US here (Louisiana). We have similar heat... but HIGH humidity. Swamp coolers do NOTHING here (like Alec himself said). We have central HVAC, but also have window units for supplemental cooling. Totally going to do this! I try using tape to seal the cracks, but you know that dont work lol. Stay safe dude!!

[@dbackscott]

I’ve lived in Baton Rouge and Phoenix, and I currently live near Orlando. I get it that the high humidity and heat here in the south can be very uncomfortable and dangerous in its own way. However, that very high southwest desert heat takes hot to a whole other level. I often joke with people that I moved to Central Florida to cool off, but it’s actually pretty true.

[@ryanroberts1104]

Same here in NC, by a lake probably doesn't help. My dual pane windows get fogged over this time of year! You physically cannot drive a car without A/C...if you don't die from heat the fog on one side or the other of all glass will kill you!

[@Marynicole830]

@@dbackscott it must just depend on what different people can tolerate. When I was out in the heat out west, when it hits it hits hard but I adjusted to it in a few minutes once outside. Water helps. But anywhere between southern KY to FL, including my home in the Smokies, I can’t handle it once the humidity hits over 50% and that happens all the time. Water doesn’t help cool the skin because so much moisture is already in the air and I feel like thousands of tiny needles are poking my skin. It’s so uncomfortable. I prefer the dryer heat much more. I’d choose 100 degrees out there over 85 degrees here.

[@DonOblivious]

Y'all need dehumidifiers. We have basements up north and a lot of them get moist. We also have a lot of corn that can "sweat" a few thousand gallons of humidity per day, per US football sized field patch of corn. I lived in apartment and didn't HAVE to have one, now I have a basement dehumidifier and my AC went from "comfortable around 72" to "comfortable around 78." You can walk into a house warmer than the outdoor air temp and if the humidity is low enough, it can feel more comfortable than the cooler air.

[@ryanroberts1104]

@@DonOblivious The air conditioner is a dehumidifier. Anything you think you saved by raising the temperature, is spent dehumidifying. Just set the A/C at 72. I'm more like 68. A/C cost less to run than heat does. When my A/C is set at a normal room temperature, it's almost always at 50% humidity. A dehumidifier is also a heater, you have to use more A/C to cool off the dehumidifier. I refuse to be uncomfortable for any amount of time in a 4 bedroom house, but my electric bill is never over $120, mostly under $100. And we have high electric rates.

[@raydenegifford8405]

Thanks for the tip. I live in Southwest Idaho . I have gotten to the point I don't even bother taking my 8,000 BTU out of the window for winter because it is it's so heavy and I am seventy years old and live alone. I grew up in Las Vegas in the 60's and spent more than enough time at Fort Irwin, California when in the Army so I know about that heat. Thank you again for this tip. I will be doing this tomorrow.

[@PaulAtreidesMuadDib]

This is a great vid. I did this for my window unit for my office and garage. Side Note: When I used to Live in Phoenix and we didn't have covered parking at work. The Employees would wrap a potato in foil and put it on the dashboard and it woould be cooked by lunch. People would put oven mitts or thick gloves in our bags and we would open the car doors and drive with those gloves most of the way home with the AC on full and sweating the whole time. This is where I learned the importance of windshield shades.

[@Beverly-e4z]

I'm on a fixed income and when my central air broke I was told I need a new air handler too. Well, no. I bought window ACs and have done pretty much what you did minus the spray foam. Now I can do it better. Also, I am going to shade the ac's that get the hot afternoon sun. I got a dehumidifier for the garage/shop. We'll see how that helps too.

[@marusholilac]

I'm in Virginia. I have central AC, but this year I bought 2 window units totaling 13000 Btu as backup, because I am so fearful of my AC failing. It happened one year in July and I was without AC for 17 days. My Midea 8k unit is nice but doesn't actually fit into a window, so I needed a technique to keep out the rain and ants. That's why I'm here. Terrific idea.

[@_MrGiggles]

A renter friendly solution that is more visually appealing then any of the stuff I.... I mean SOME PEOPLE have/are doing. Love it.

[@jameskelly1680]

Don't get heat stroke. It's not a joke. It'll screw up your body's ability to deal with heat in the future. Stay safe out there. Excellent work on the HVAC. Thanks for spreading this message. As you were spraying the foam, I was like "Hey, that looks like instant pack...!" Brilliant and simple. Everyone can benefit from this.

[@SaberusTerras]

I can confirm. Got heat stroke when I was 12. Haven't been able to handle even 80F without sweating out every drop of water my body has.

[@ooglek]

The house I moved into didn't have any insulation box over the attic fold-out ladder. I built one with R13 rigid foam board. While it was a giant pain and took 3 hours, the upstairs is SOOO much cooler. I could feel the heat flowing into the house from the attic before, and now it's reasonable again. Insulation is the best way to improve your home's comfort.

[@robertmeyer6494]

Not stupid, not dumb -- makes perfect sense -- window unit manufacturers can't possibly make louvers (louvers?) that will expand and create a good seal for every single kind of window. I've accomplished a similar efficiency gain with my central AC system just by making sure doors and windows have good seals. Excellent tip and I personally like any reason to use expanding foam.

[@RossReedstrom]

Yup, had to put one in temporarily to run off my generator during Beryl induced power outage. Happened to have 1" foam board insulation in my garage (the blue stuff). Cut two pieces to fit into the window frame, behind the silly louvers on each side, then aluminum taped all the seams. Worked a treat, and got stored with the AC unit for the next big outage (and there will be a next big outage ...)

[@Andy-fd5fg]

just don't use it to fix the chassis of your car 😋

[@mgkleym]

The best factory option I have seen is on the midea U shaped AC units. Instead of the accordion things they give you foam blocks you cut to size.

[@dashcamandy2242]

@@Andy-fd5fg Let me guess: you're a fan of the Just Rolled In channel? 😆

[@derekbroestler7687]

GREAT TIP!!!! I have a few more.... I live in Savannah, GA and went YEARS without AC in the house OR car AND I work outside 80% of the time... People would ask "Are you insane?" and YES, I am, but more to the point, I was broke so I had to learn to manage. Here's some tips... A couple of general purpose tips that'll work for anyone. First, if you haven't already, switch over to LED light bulbs... They run SO much cooler and it actually makes a BIG difference, besides, it'll also save you on your electric bill and it's just the right thing to do. Second, blackout curtains, they're fairly inexpensive and make a BIG difference, especially if you live in a house that has mostly east and west facing windows. Thirdly, prioritize "zones" in your house. Put up curtains between areas you're in a LOT and areas you're not in a lot. For me, that means sectioning off the hallway because I spend 99% or my time in either my office or bedroom and they're right across from each other. I'm RARELY in the living room, dining room, or spare bedroom. Lastly, if your living situation allows it, wear less clothes... Even now that I DO have central AC I keep it set at 80, which also keeps it about 67% humidity... I'm wearing boxer briefs and flip flops.... It's JUST me and the dog these days, and he doesn't care what I'm wearing. WHEN WORKING OUTSIDE when you don't have AC at home... HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE, but ALSO don't forget to keep your electrolytes up. The ideal mix is one sports drink for every three waters if you're doing moderate to heavy work. Take breaks as often as you can, preferably in AC but at least in a shaded area. Remove any PPE that can be removed, especially any head coverings. If you live out in the desert where it's dry AF, an evaporative cooler works. Real simple make a frame with a drip pan, hang a thin towel over the frame, put a box fan in front of it. You get cooler, moist, air which is exactly what you want if you live in a desert... I have friends who live out there and they have either a whole house evaporative system or BOTH an AC AND a humidifier... This doesn't have to be a replacement for an AC, you CAN run both just fine especially for the cost. Likewise, you can run a simple "ice chiller". Freeze one of those 5 gallon "suitcases" of drinking water, put IT behind a box fan on top of a drip tray. If you, like me, live somewhere where it's so humid, Gold Bond is more popular than James Bond because everyone deals with near constant swampass from the second they step outside, evaporative coolers and "ice chillers" DO NOT WORK... in fact they will only make your situation WORSE because adding humidity makes things WORSE if it's already humid even if you do decrease the temp by a bit. (refer to heat index charts online) This is when it's time for either a window unit or portable, insulate it as Dev explained. Portables with only an exhaust DO suck (literally) but you CAN make it work IF you do a good job of sealing all the gaps you can find. Regardless of which you have, INSULATE THE EXHAUST HOSE and if you're venting through a window, insulate that window just as this video shows how to do the window unit. If you're going to be living like that for a while, a dehumidifier is a GOOD investment... Put it in a room you rarely use, or in the room with the highest ceiling. Run it at night. YES it warms the air but it also sucks moisture out of the air which can make the room cooler overall. Remember, heat is a combo of heat AND humidity. Let's say you're too broke for any of those, or just need a temporary, cheap fix until the AC guy fixes your unit. Make a "redneck AC". You'll need some flexible 1/4in copper tubing, some 1/4in aquarium hose, cooler you don't mind drilling holes in, a submersible pump from Horrible Freight or similar, some spray foam some zip ties and a towel. Form the copper into a coil that roughly covers the surface area of the box fan, from the inside to the outside, attaching with zip ties. Attach your aquarium tubing to the coil. Drill holes just big enough into the cooler to put the aquarium tubing in and hook up your pump. Drill another hole large enough to pass the pump's plug out of. Attach the OUTPUT of the pump to the tubing on the outside of the coil, and the "return to cooler" near the center. (the reason for this is that the heat from your fan motor won't "preheat" the copper around it, and there also won't be as much condensation on the center of the coil so there's lets electric shock risk.) Seal the holes in the cooler using spray foam. Place box fan on towel, fill cooler with JUST enough water to cover the intake of the pump, fill the rest with ice. Make SURE all cords for the pump and fan travel UPWARDS at some point to reduce risk of water and electricity meeting. The reason this works is because the cool water in the coil both cools the air, but also condenses moisture. It's literally, by definition, an air conditioning as it's moving, dehumidifying, and cooling air. Don't expect miracles, but it can keep a small bedroom tolerable at night or a bathroom fairly cool so you can dip in for some relief. Note.... YES you CAN scale this up by using a bigger cooler, more ice, a larger pump, and bigger coils, but understand with every one of those increases you're using EXPONENTIALLY more ice per minute. I built a massive one with a 120qt cooler, 200 pounds of ice, and half inch copper pipe in three "coils"... It worked AWESOME, cranking out 38F degree air..... for 10 minutes before all the ice melted... Great idea, not exactly sustainable.

[@tonydiesel3444]

My electric bill was $72 last month for Savannah Georgia four bedroom house and that's a high Bill usually it's lower than that

[@tonydiesel3444]

I distilled or crack waste engine oil into a waste oil distillate which I plan to use to run generator to run power to air conditioner

[@derekbroestler7687]

@@tonydiesel3444 Yep, that's about the same as mine. It went up last bill because they instituted their "summer month rates" I only used a few more kWh as it has gotten hotter so even at 80 the AC kicked on more. I'm out in the Georgetown area, but I learned all these tricks when I lived on Wilmington Island where we didn't even have central air for about 8 years. Be safe through this storm. Not even hear yet and already our first tornado warning SMDH... Now that I'm out here, I normally don't even flinch at a tropical storm (another product of living on the islands) but this one's dumping SO much rain there's gonna be a LOT of trees down.

[@IceTTom]

Cliffs? 😆

[@artseidner2427]

Go under house dig a whole grab bag of ice sit on drink beer sleep till winter

[@gabrielanderson1604]

There is a company called Midea that makes a mini-split style window air-conditioner, they are a little bit pricy but it is SIGNIFICANTLY quieter and comes with foam core to seal up the 3 to 4 inches that the window has to be open

[@forddent855]

Thank you from Austin, the heart of central TX which has been proven to actually be several million miles closer to the sun than the rest of the planet lol. I did this to 3 windows today and it's an absolute life changer. I had left over paint so I slapped some on, with matching paint these look like i paid someone to do them.. Keep up the good work and thanks again.

[@richardbrooksshnee]

Vegas native, was out in the south eastern states dealing with their humidity. I'll stick to my dry heat thanks

[@starkindustries26]

AWNINGS!!! They seem to have been forgotten, just covering your windows will make your ac work so much better.

[@DeviantOllam]

yes! Alec's latest video about them was great

[@MrGundawindy]

I'm from Australia, so when we fit an AC it stays fitted, but for a temporary instal (one you want to remove through autumn, winter and spring) this is as professional as I've seen. Definitely better than the universal fitment kit that comes with it. 👍

[@Moondog66602]

Texas here, my wife and I swipe those 'we buy cars/houses' corrugated plastic signs stuck on random street corners, and do something similar.

[@uDidWatt]

Just a heads up. If you get that expanding foam on (literally) anything. It's never coming off. UV light is your best bet (useless indoors) as anything in there won't like it. Then petrol, acetone, etc. Are you seeing a trend here. Don't forking miss!

[@Aaron48219]

Acetone works great, it's my go to. Just need to be careful because it will remove paint and damage certain plastics.

[@gorak9000]

I must be a slow learner, because I seem to re-learn this about spray foam every time I even so much as look at a can - then there's some on my hands, and it doesn't come off for weeks (basically until that skin naturally sloughs off anyway)

[@NetAnon]

@@gorak9000 For cleaning really sticky stuff off of hands (i.e. super glue, jb-weld, etc.) I would recommend some pumice hand cleaner. It is like a skin safe abrasive and works wonders. I use Goo Gone brand but any hand cleaner with pumice will probably suffice.

[@MPKampersand]

the worst thing that's ever happened to me at work, literally ever, was getting sprayfoam in my (very long) hair. if this ever happens to you, heed the advice given to me by an exceedingly bald industrial insulation professional who happened to be on site: do not touch it, that will just spread it around. Let it harden, and then go home and, after picking out the larger chunks, use a shitload of conditioner, horse conditioner if you can get your hands on it. that will make your hair smooth enough for the clumps of sprayfoam to slide down the hair strands and do minimal damage, though it will still look like you have weirdly localized dandruff for a week or two.

[@Alchoholics_Anonymous]

I've had pretty good luck with Clorox wipes

[@WafflePlaneRC]

Here in Florida, only mad dogs and new englishmen go out in the midday sun. New houses aren't built without central hvac, but I'm sure those living in older places or cheap apartments with window units will appreciate this.

[@SmurfHunter]

I had a dual hose (thanks Alec :) ) window unit set up for a bit over a year. Used 1 inch weather stripping, aluminum ducting tape and foam core for most of my insulation. It was better insulated than the actual window it was connected to, which I tested. The only way I could think to improve this is throw some aluminum ducting tape around the edges in case there's air gaps, but I really doubt there are with the expanding foam you used. I didn't use any with my setup.

[@ArcticNemo]

The outward-facing layer should be reflective bubble wrap, throwing some energy back and making the rest the insulation work that much better. Awnings help immensely as well, regardless of what neighbors think... Greetings from central Washington and our 109°F

[@WhiteFlare]

Only thing I would add is make sure you are using closed cell spray foam. They sell both open and closed cell spray foam (Closed is normally more expensive) but closed has MUCH better R value (how well it insolates) 1.5 ->2.5 times as good per inch depending on the brands (I'm sure professional brands have better/worse value shifts I'm just talking the stuff from Home Depot that I've researched.

[@JessicaFEREM]

also make sure to heavily seal the gap between the windows because they're slightly open. they usually give you some foam but often it's not enough

[@turinggirl6432]

Another fun hack no one likes talking about. Tinting the windows and/or placing said foam over windows. You'd be surprised how much heat gets in because of UV radiation.

[@ChristopherHallett]

Awnings! Another thing Alec has a video on!

[@anamenamename]

We did this, we bought foam board insulation and cut and installed it in the window. Made a significant difference. We even got the foam board that is white backed so from the outside it just looks like the curtains are closed.

[@mattmanyam]

IR radiation (other end of the spectrum)

[@pete3897]

Not as much as does from IR irradiation :)

[@notathome13]

Yep and considering the bigger geomagnetic issues impacting world atm…. Nothing old men and oil companies….. young educated tools and windmills can fix

[@AllenLeland]

I clicked on this for the ac tips, and was pleasantly surprised by content about defcon. Have a great one! stay cool!

[@paperburn]

great idea, I did mine with 2 inch foam and aluminum tape from the outside. and yes the result was amazing.

[@bf0189]

St Pete Florida here. I should probably buy spare window units just in case my main AC goes kaput or if we're without power from hurricanes and only have generated power! Great hack!

[@RossReedstrom]

Did exactly this on day 4 of power outage from Beryl. That window unit saved my and my wife's sanity, and probably our marriage! Amazing what $170 can get you. The internal ducting is a piece of cast styrofoam, which actually makes sense - cheap to make, insulates the hot side from the cold side, drop-in installation. Also, cut 1" blue styrofoam insulation board to fit on each side of my unit. Actually slotted into the widow frame on each side. Taped all the seams with HVAC aluminum tape, and stuffed a bath towel between the window panes on top (the little piece of foam weather stripping they provided was completely inadequate - used it in the gap under the unit.)

[@bf0189]

@@RossReedstrom Thank you for the information and knowledge!!!!

[@donbert]

Nice. I’m going to do this to get a good seal on the window I’m venting out my laser cutter. I’ve never been able to keep 100% of the smoke out. (Baltimore suburbs have been brutal. Garden is really suffering despite daily watering. Tomatoes are refusing to ripen in the heat. Only now since it’s cooled off a bit are the plants are fruiting as normal again. Going to have to invest in a shade cloth if this keeps up.)

[@RossReedstrom]

Thing I learned after moving to the south: tomatoes will refuse to flower, or to set fruit, if its too hot at night.

[@bikothewolf]

Norway here, its been alright this far, warmest registered temperature was 28C (82F) (but only for one day). No A/C, like Seattle no old house over here is going to have it, but new houses are pretty much all built with mini splits.

[@astacc]

sending regards from europe, 2/2 of my rooms are south facing so I had over 30°C inside for days (even at night).. thanks to Alec's video i was aware on drawback of portable AC's..and when shopping around I got one which can easily be "converted" to have intake and exhaust from outside with the help of some cardboard and A LOT of tape.... sealed the window as good as I could and now I'm not torturing myself with those temperatures... best 300€ I spend this year

[@DozIT]

The newer “U shaped” heat pump window units are very cool and address this issue pretty well. They are still at ‘cutting edge price levels’ but as they come down the offer a dramatic improvement in cooling efficiency.

[@jamesgullo8240]

I go to the craft store (Michaels or Hobby Lobby) and but foam in 2 foot by 2 foot pieces. 2 inches or 1.5 inches thick. I cut to size and cover the fanfold side covers that come with the unit. Inside and out. Insulates well and quiets it. Will be trying your solution with the expanding foam next year! Lake Guntersville Alabama here. Hot and humid is the norm May-October.

[@RothAnim]

Good trick! All the apartments I've lived in in Vancouver, BC have sliding windows that won't support a window-mount AC unit, but when the heat dome hit a couple years ago, I built a fake "windowsill" out of 1x2 lumber to support a full-size window unit. If I wind up doing that again I'll definitely use that trick to make a more effective enclosure.

[@stevebabiak6997]

Although pricey, there are window units that are narrow and tall, intended for use cases such as what you described. Because you can’t take an ordinary window unit and turn it sideways …

[@RothAnim]

@@stevebabiak6997 To my knowledge those still require a vertical sliding window rather than the sort of horizontal sliding windows I find everywhere in Vancouver.

[@stevebabiak6997]

@@RothAnim - Keystone model KSTSW08B is intended for horizontal sliding windows, you can look it up. And there are others.

[@RothAnim]

@@stevebabiak6997 Good to know! Thanks!

[@LambdaDriven]

Brilliant I’m going to give this a go. Another option is to use DAP seal N peel removable caulk. Peals off clean at the end of the season. Also, highly recommend Midea “U” air conditioners. It’s basically a mini split in a window along with a variable speed compressor, squirrel cage fan, wifi control (trivially easy to swap out to open hardware to integrate with home assistant), and a proper heavy duty bracket that holds the ac from below.

[@AuthenticUnicorn]

Seeing all of the Lego builds behind you that we worked on makes me so happy! I'm glad you're out of the heat now! 💜💚

[@slugnasty2395]

Efficiency boosted big time. Just make sure to clean the condenser coil prior and assure that the air filter is new or cleaned as well.

[@inannamystyrica3762]

i'm a neighbor-ish in the PNW... and OMG - thank you. this heat has been brutal. It's rainy today - kiddo and i went for a 6am walk around Discovery Park. :)

[@TarahWheeler]

Discovery Park is great for that! I just did a wilderness compass and orienteering class there!

[@markkotarski4659]

Foil tape and reflective insulation on the exterior side also does good.

[@Broken_Yugo]

With a window shaker also make sure the water drain plug is in, that cold water pouring out is supposed to be blown onto the condenser by the fan to further cool the condenser, improves efficiency and performance. Also important to take them apart and clean them out periodically, this is easy, everything lives in a tray that slides out of the case.

[@RossReedstrom]

From the title, thought it was going to be related to this, actually. :)

[@PendragonDaGreat]

Two-ish tips: -Clean your coils at least twice a year. -Most window units are designed with a little catch tray/sump that allows condensate from the cold side to flow under the thermal barrier and then rest where the blower fan can dip into it, splashing it into the air and the hot-side coils. This absolutely increases efficiency, especially in relatively low humilities. The problem is that when it gets hot, and especially if your unit is on the sun facing side of the house this water may never reach the little sump and evaporates too quickly. So we want to create an environment that the unit _can_ work efficiently. There are a few different ways you may be able to help this 1. Get your unit in the shade somehow, this may or may not be possible (and your HOA may or may not allow it depending on how it's done if you're in one) 2. Add Distilled water directly to the back of the unit. Filling the sump. Seattle area recently had a stretch of days where the airtemp just outside my room (south facing) was over 102, and no good way to get the unit shaded. Adding half a liter of distilled water directly to the sump every couple hours noticeably improved efficiency (plug meter showed usage dropping by 30-40 Watts). 3. The logical extreme of the previous point (note this only works well if you have fairly soft water) get a "personal mister" from Lowe's/Home Depot/Walmart/Amazon and set it up to run off your hose and have it mist the area around your AC unit. Then run it for 5-10 minutes when the power draw on the AC unit is too high. This works two fold: First it adds water to the sump (and directly across the fins to some degree) and it lowers the air temp a measurable amount. Power usage at the plug dropped from 515W down to 430W when I did this, while also noticeably decreasing the temp indoors (the key is that it has much smaller gradient to push the heat into outside). My unit is insulated somewhat like you showed in this video, but adding the mister and running it when power draw was too high REALLY helped.

[@punksci6879]

The cold weather version of this is clear plastic sheeting over the windows to make double glazing.

[@unsoundmethodology]

Down in Oregon, where we've never really needed a window unit before now - and we've got windows that open sideways. Had to build an insert out of construction insulation foam, ringed with gap-sealing tape, and then sealed in place by gaffer tape on the outside and masking tape on the inside. My big concern right now is that we may have to break the thing to get it out in the fall and build a new one next year.

[@CovidCautiousCutie]

nice! ive seen people use plywood to build a similar enclosure for window ACs around here (Portland), i like the foam idea - dont neeed special tools to cut. and ive worked with that stuff a lot. thanks for the idea. stay cool out there 💚

[@jeeper426]

Hello from Oklahoma i did something similar to this using piece of salvaged packing styrofoam, then i used tape and reflectix on the windows, massive improvement in cooling, don't forget there is a small gap on the sliding window where the window slides up and down, a small piece of pool noodle cut into a strip will seal this up and keep insects and more hot air into the house via the vent

[@mattmanyam]

He showed the sealed gap twixt the glass.

[@tamlin3378]

These Technology Connections crossover videos are great lol, I've always done this same type of thing for my window units using some old shirts or rags but the expanding foam is a good idea, might have to try that next year.

[@elizabethdavis9384]

When I lived in New England, we did similar, though with cardboard. It's also important to remember to make a seal on the upper edge of the raised window pane so you aren't trying to cool the outside. In addition, making sure the coils and filters are cleaned regularly helps a lot. And if you're somewhere humid, it's worth the small added heat to run a dehumidifier in the space. It lets the ac work less hard to cool drier air, and drier heat is perceptively less taxing.

[@ColinRichardson]

I live in the UK, but I got a 5 room unit installed for our house... Almost NOONE has aircon in the UK.. but, we have started too. There is even times I have turned it off, because it has just been TOO cold... LOVE IT.

[@josephpotter5766]

Our houses in the UK are designed for the climate of a hundred years ago, designed to trap and retain heat at all costs, because this dreer little island used to get cold. The thing that's most intimidating is how fast the climate is shifting. I'm in my 40's and my mother was snowed into her home on the year i was born. My brother is eleven years younger than me, and has never seen more than half an inch of snow that he can remember. My sister's kid is just pushing his teens... he can't remember ever seeing snow in the uk, just frost and slush.

[@ColinRichardson]

@@josephpotter5766 In my 40s also.. I remember having a snowball fight with the house across the street. Neither of us could open our gates because the snow was too high. (Not that we had anywhere to go). But my daughter.. she hasn't really experienced snow since she was born.. Barely even a thin layer no thicker than 1cm.. Sad times..

[@Martin42944]

Simple but effective. Also I’ll add that any gap is basically negative r value. I got some of that roll of putty and ran my hand around the window. Anywhere I feel hot air coming through I just slap that stuff on. Easy to clean up. Not any adhesive or residue left behind. Very rental friendly!

[@sharxbyte]

If Someone has a unit that needs to be serviced and no money and you can tell if it is not blowing hot air out of the top. Then what you can do is get simple green and mix it. Fifty-fifty with water. Use a spread bottle and squirt it down. The fins of the unit and then with low pressure on your sprayer, very gently wash it out until the water coming out of the bottom is no longer brown and this will significantly increase the efficiency of your unit. you can also cover east facing windows with r11 foam insulation with foil and reduce the temperature by 10-15 degrees with blackout curtains

[@Mikexxx531]

The same works for west facing windows, and they get direct sun at the hottest part of the day!

[@ielenia64]

Live on the East side of WA.... gets waaaayy too hot over here, thankfully our central AC works really well. Honestly now the main issue is smoke - I've gotten used to dealing with the heat but still haven't gotten used to the smoke yet

[@CovidCautiousCutie]

hepa air purifiers, my friend! and n95s/half face respirators for going outdoors.

[@Leo99929]

Well done Dev. Superb idea and excellent implementation. I'm researching HVAC efficiency right now, had a patent meeting today on the next gen stuff. You did all the right things. True Pareto analysis: 80% of the result (maybe 95%) for 10% of the effort. LOVE IT!

[@SisterMidnite]

I think it looks better than it did before. Great hack. Thanks.

[@FishyBoi1337]

South Georgia. Too poor for anything good, we've been doing stuff like this for years, but none ever looked this clean. Definitely gonna scrounge some change up and see what I can do

[@micahnightwolf]

I hail from Texas. It's only 90F here, but the air is liquid. You can swim in it.

[@mysteryshrimp]

I worked in a brewery (Houston, but the way), and the cold room was powered by four 220v window units. Every one was installed with expanding foam, similar to yours.

[@TallinuTV]

Good solution! I was living near LA for years and anytime I have to go outside or drive during a full half of the year I was absolutely miserable. AC indoors was absolutely a requirement.

[@coffeegonewrong]

Much nicer than my work when I tried to solve this problem. I was young and used lots of white silicon caulking directly on all the gaps. Some of it was still there years later

[@ricfax]

I spend a lot of time where both the humidity AND temperatures can run in the nineties at the same time. It encourages me to think strategically about managing those things, and it can be done. One way to improve efficiency with traditional HVAC units is to be sure the outside condenser is in shade but with no restriction to air flow. Of course, clean them at the beginning and end of each season. Be sure your ductwork is sealed and insulated, too.

[@wicked98r1]

As a Midwesterner, no ac in my rental when I lived in Tacoma was brutal. Was there for the 3 days over 100* and a swamp cooler saved my ass that week because ac units were unobtainable. A few weeks later I had one sealed up with corrugated plastic in a sliding door. Kept the dog and I comfortable by doing the same thing and was impressed by how much space an 8kbtu window unit would cool!

[@dragade101]

Such a turn on to think of ever so slightly out of the box and finding a solution to a common problem. Thank you for sharing this! Of course you could upgrade this with rigid foam insulation that is rated but this is like that 95% solution what Dev said. (Less tasteful and we did was placing a foam board between the inlet and outlet. Thus to force the air to mix more with the room. That one could make some simple ducting to really divide these heads further. Naturally you do not want to create any real resistance when you make these short ducts.)

[@Nostri1824]

I've been thinking about doing something like this for awhile but for some reason it always needed to be wood as the rigid part. You saying to use foam core is genius! I know what I'm doing this weekend.

[@Blakehx]

Pretty smart thanks! I’m still trying to figure out how to install a portable AC in a tiny window that’s only about 8” off the ground (103° in west Texas today)

[@AF_1892]

The problem with those roaring loud window units, they have them in Houston. Installed in your bedroom along with central AC. It's loud enough to cover all the haunted ghost noises that you get to hear. So loud my gosh ear plugs all the time

[@carlosedwardos]

Las Vegas weather is for wimps, with 5% humidity, 115 feels like 85-90 degrees - if you want to feel SERIOUS DEADLY HEAT, try the American South, such as Louisiana, Alabama, Houston, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, etc. where we have 95-100% HUMIDITY. Makes Las Vegas seem like a paradise. Ditto for Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Denver, El Paso, etc.

[@Mikexxx531]

I visited Houston and vowed never to return. The thing is that people can do better when the air is dry and hot, but airplanes can't fly when it gets too hot. Humidity affects density altitude, but not nearly as much as temperature and elevation.

[@MaverickFischer]

Looks great! Plus nothing permanent that the landlord could complain about.

[@erlendse]

I am from/in West of Norway (Vestland), and the temprature seems unwilling to go much above 20C at the places I go frequent. The currency have dropped lately, so it would be a nice escape for you now. That's more a advanced seal fabrication, than a hack. Nicely done!

[@lesliespann6420]

Nice! In NH, and survived the insane heatwave we had a few weeks ago. But, my window units were struggling. I couldn’t understand why until I saw water pouring out from the underside. When I installed them at the beginning of the season, I forgot that I’d taken the drain plugs out last Autumn! 😬😬 My electric bill doubled! I’ll never make that mistake again!

[@Tarkov.]

You never fail to deliver. I gotta go get some foam. OH, by the way, I also recommend making sure that you seal the gap *between* the two parts of your sliding window, otherwise hot air can sneak in through there.

[@RossReedstrom]

Hot air, bugs and other creepy crawlies.

[@mattmanyam]

He demonstrated that in this very video.

[@stevebabiak6997]

@@mattmanyam - someone suggested cutting a foam pool noodle to wedge in at the top of the “open” sash to seal the gap / space between the sash frame of the lower part of the window against the stationary upper window pane.

[@mattmanyam]

@@stevebabiak6997 5:38

[@gloriousapplebees]

Love it. I'm changing my windows out in the near future so I just put the unit in and went ham with the expanding foam lol. As good as this but definitely use this technique if you're not planning to change windows and don't want the mess.

[@appleimacdude]

I live in the hottest part of San Diego county, Lakeside, CA - and my a/c frequently year around. On my bedroom window unit, a casement style a/c for my sliding window - I used good plexiglass instead of the awful cardboard "filler"panel - then I taped GILA window film for heat rejection / insulating to the plexiglass to match the existing window. I took old styrofoam from packaging, made a nice "frame in between the wall and the unit, and under the unit - then used a/c weatherstripping, and a bit of spray foam to seal it well. I slid the window closed against the unit, and made sure to use window locks on the top and bottom of the window to hold the window securely in place against the a/c. On the bottom window sill, I placed a painted board along the it, then held the board in place securely with metal brackets and screws into anchor bolts - so the a/c unit could not easily back out of the window, the painted board is holding the bottom of the a/c frame, plus the unit sits outside on a regular a/c metal bracket. I put a bit of black weatherstripping between the two sections of window glass, to try to seal that well also. In my living room, which has a thru-the-wall a/c, I used similar steps to fill the space between the old a/c unit "can" that goes through the wall, and the newer, smaller a/c unit that is now slid into that can. I again used styrofoam from packaging, spray foam insulation, and a/c insulation "strips" to make sure the unit is sealed well, plus i made painted boards to go around this gap. I was thinking on your install, making a painted window board to go around the unit in front of your cool foam board would do even more to help insulate, and decorate.

[@bobdobbs8348]

Excellent advice, if your economically challenged : use old tee shirts to seal the gaps. Pro tip: put a large frozen (plastic) bottle of water in front of the blower. Placing it in a watertight bin that will hold the contents recommend. Baking like a potato in Toronto.

[@gideon7212]

My home near DC has central AC and is habitable but I'm at my partner's house in NC and their parents not only set the AC to 78 but also had a 60 minute timer on the ceiling fan... I deleted that timer because I wanted more than 60 minutes of sleep. I'll send this video to my housemates at uni since they're using window AC.

[@allenshepard7992]

Had window units for years. Never tried this one. Great idea for winter as well. Might try something like it on the OUTSIDE to prevent bird nests from forming. Window units are cheaper and more efficient than whole house AC, Cheaper - how many window units can one buy for $8k ?? Down side is some noise and having to control each one. Also try the water line spray. Cool water helps. Out west water evaporation is a big plus.

[@TheSandreth]

I thought I was slick using a piece of foam board insulation but that spray foam takes it to another level.

[@Xtrafix2015]

Whoa! I completely forgot about that 😅 geez I didn’t think about the sides of that ac, now I’m going to do the same thanks forever!

[@aakeidmd]

This video was so helpful. Before, I had to chill at a soft 75F, and since I watched this tutorial, i can now chill at a solid -3079F.

[@miansahib9590]

Google must be mind reading, here I am last night some town NJ and thinking to do this but "perhaps summer is almost gone." And today this pops up, I was going to skip the foam board but it looks Great

[@BlackSoap361]

Down in South Texas, I used to have an apartment with window units. Ran the window unit in the bedroom 9 -10 months of the year, left the rest of the apartment hot. Bedroom didn’t have a door, but I put a shower curtain rod on each side of the door frame, with some cheap/scrounged curtains on each side. The double curtains with air space between made a huge difference, kept bedroom cold no matter what the rest of the apartment was like.

[@remainingrex9471]

this last heatwave in our Seattle area was WAY cooler and shorter than prior years- which I like to imagine is an example of progress made. And this is the first time in the greater part of a decade I've had an outside job, so I was extremely glad for this.

[@prisyum]

its the warmest july in vegas history, by like. 3 whole degrees. i was sitting outside yesterday n thought it was kinda chilly, but it was still 100f lol. prolonged 110s+ do weird things to your body

[@prisyum]

wear hats,, wear thin light layers so your skin is covered, wear sunblock under them and never ever stop drinking water

[@SASunDog]

I only have one eligible window for my window AC unit, and it faces into a corner. So I removed the output grill completely, and created a shroud out of cardboard that curves the air sideways and shoots it down the length of our ranch house. I have the AC set at a modest 72 degrees F, and it keeps the whole house livable even on the hottest days.

[@DoRullings]

A good tip, and if I hadn't lived in Norway, I would have followed it. But with the summer we've had this year, I've been on the verge of turning on the heaters. Enjoy your stay in Vegas!

[@REWREW789]

Hey what about a little more of a crossover video? How do you secure a window with an AC in it, so its not an attack vector you are opening into your house for people to break in?

[@TheBigA]

I usually cut a pieces of wood and wedge it above the window pane so it can’t be lifted up. Also prevents the AC from falling out the window.

[@BloodAsp]

I suggest having it in a 2nd floor window, and add an anvil in it so when it is removed the intruder goes splat. /s

[@BloodAsp]

@@TheBigA Same, I got paranoid about that so I did exactly that as well.

[@TheGrinningViking]

Bit of wood like people said. And screw the edges of the expanding panels into your window frame if you can. That's what the holes are supposed to be for. If you make it harder then just breaking a pane of glass, you have already done everything you can for security when it comes to the particular issue.

[@mikafoxx2717]

Just fail to secure the unit properly. It becomes its own defence mechanism

[@micahpalmer3537]

Cheap, easy, effective and using accessible materials for an 85-95% efficiency increase. Between this, adding in some curtains and maybe awnings and a lot of homes could see substantial improvements.

[@PhilippeThibault]

Hi from Ottawa, Canada... Last year was my first time in Vegas and wow the heat was something else! however we just had our own heatwave and got close to the 100's with humidity. Can't wait to say hi again this year :)

[@ThriftStoreHacker]

I just installed a window ac on the house. Totally going to use this hack.

[@nobody8717]

What? a good seal and insulation keeps the thermal losses down? no way! lol

[@thomasr1051]

Pacific north west Canada. Loved the technology connections videos. $700 Portable LG air conditioner crapped out after 2 summers of using it warranty is only 1 year Found repairmen from LG. Was told it was a compressor issue and most don't get it fixed because the repair is $600 and if it's the refrigerant you can't get r32 anymore according to them There's 30 negative reviews on their site that are all within the last 30days. Seems like a product defect to me Just bought a new one for $400 on sale Make them repairable! Right to repair matters. Model; LP1021GSB Batch NO, K-CEYG

[@a9ball1]

I live 0.6 miles from the ocean and a super super hot day here is 80. Usually runs low 70's. I like your hack/solution. I give you 2 thumbs up 👍👍

[@ianwilliamrobertson]

Only caveat is that if your house has no source of ventilation (oh hai old condos) that a single hose AC is a good powered ventilation device. Many people relyon bathroom fana, but without a controlled leak, you are back in 'leak through the gaps' territory that technology connections mentions. Co2 is a thing and especially in hotels and condos, negative oressure means you are pulling in all sorts of things from your neighbours you dont want to be. So while this will help AC efficiency, also have in mind ventilation.

[@Dogboy91]

improvement option, go to any green, orange, or blue bigbox hardware store and get insulating foam for this, you can prime and paint this to colour match it and add in the "slow cure" sprayfoam as well to seal any gaps. did that at a rental place i was at up north and the landlord paid me to do the rest of the buildings units.