When it’s hot outside and indoors start to get warmer, you might be thinking about your air conditioning options. The entire house is kept at a pretty constant temperature thanks to a central air conditioner, despite their high cost. If you aren’t in a position for a full air conditioner inside the house, you’ll find window air conditioners suitable for single rooms or small spaces.
However, if the heat is unbearable, and you are in a location that doesn’t have a window, yet you have a window AC unit, you may wonder, can you run a window air conditioner indoors? Like some things, the answer to can you use a window AC unit inside the house doesn’t have a straightforward answer. You can use a window air conditioner, although changes will be needed to run an air conditioner without a window.
First, you can’t put a standard window air conditioner in the center of a room and expect it to work properly. This isn’t the way a window air conditioner operates and not the way it will work efficiently. In our guide, you can learn more about using an air conditioner without windows and what installation process you’d need to keep a room cool.
By the end, if you must use window ACS in rooms without windows, you’ll see what you need to do, even if it isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing way of cooling rooms. (Read Why Does My Fan Speed Up And Slow Down)
Can I Use A Window AC Unit Inside My House?
It is possible to use a window air unit in the house, but certain modifications are needed. First, don’t expect a standard window AC unit to work like a portable AC unit by resting it on a table.
A standard window air conditioner draws heated air from inside the room and replaces it with cool air. If you don’t vent this air, you’ll find that your room will be heating up rather than cooling.
If you’re skilled at home improvement, you could run pipes or a flexible duct and a blower to a window; inside, air from your air conditioner could then vent to the outside if you have an opening.
Note, should you put a window unit in a room, the small vent pipe doesn’t need to go out of a window, just out through a hole somewhere into the fresh air outside.
Another option is to heat one room of your house while cooling another. Here, you use the room with a window and install your AC unit through the thick walls between the two rooms.
When installing a window AC through a wall like this, you’ll heat one room while the other inside part of the AC cooling another. The downside of installing an AC like this is condensation. Your wall may be warm where the hot air blows into one room and cool in the other.
Can a Window AC Cool an Entire House?
Window air conditioners are inadequate to distribute cool air throughout the house because they lack interior vents.
One approach to combat is using a fan to blow air farther than your AC unit can reach.
Window air conditioners provide cooling for a specific-sized space. If your property is this size and you have a window air unit that can cool 850 square feet, it will function as intended.
- You’ll find areas closer to your air conditioner are warmer than those farther away.
- You’ll have vents all around the house with a central AC system, which will pump cool air into each room and cool the entire house.
- The areas that are nearest to the window will be icy, while those that are farthest away from the window won’t heat much.
- In addition, smaller window AC units that struggle to cool the compressor with outside air are prone to overloading.
- By doing this, you will shorten the lifespan of your window AC unit.
How To Install A Window AC Without A Window?
You can put a window AC inside a room without a window, but as we’ve seen, you’ll need a way to vent the heat outside.
In other cases, you only need to cut a hole in the wall and use it like a window.
The issue is that you now have a hole in the wall, which can make it difficult to remove the AC unit in the future.
If air conditioning is only used sometimes, keep in mind that you’ll need to cover the gap once the cold weather starts.
You can vent air outside in several ways. Some people, for instance, use a garage as a vent because it isn’t affected by heat or water.
To send heat outdoors, conversion kits or ducting can also be employed. Sadly, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all remedy for every problem. (Read Can You Convert A Gas Dryer To An Electric Dryer)
Make A Portable AC From A Window Air Conditioner Inside A Room?
Yes, running a window air conditioner in a room without a window is possible. Although there isn’t a professional conversion kit for sale, several fantastic DIY alternatives exist.
Before making it work without one, you must understand how a window air conditioner operates.
You should first know that the entire back of the unit and side vents produce exhaust heat when in operation.
You won’t bring the unit inside, set it on the table, and turn it on to chill the room. Instead, the heat overpowers the cool air, making the room hotter everywhere but where the air conditioner is blowing.
It would help if you thought of a strategy to gather and release the heat escaping from the back. If possible, outside.
How to Convert Window AC to Portable Cooling Unit?
The device is essentially a window air conditioner that has been converted on your own into a portable unit air conditioner.
While portable air conditioners work similarly to window air conditioners, they come with ready-to-install kits for venting via windows and doors and already have the flexible duct attached.
They also have a built-in container to catch the resulting condensate that forms.
However, most of the supplies you’ll need are already in your house or reasonably priced to create your DIY inside the window air conditioner.
Even with the DIY materials, a cheap window AC unit is less expensive than a cheap portable air conditioner if you’re on a tight budget.
Unfortunately, using a window air conditioner without a window is difficult. Fortunately, portable air conditioners are ready to use and find everything you need.
Another option is portable air conditioners without vents.
This air conditioner requires frequent water addition but does not need a vent to exhaust the heat.
But be sure you have the required clearances before moving forward with this project. You may carry out this procedure without seeking anyone’s approval if you are the property owner. On the other hand, if you currently reside in a rented property, speak with your landlord.
Also, keep the air conditioner away from anything that is really not heat-resistant. Keep in mind that the AC blasts hot air out. Also, so close to this device, items prone to high temperatures may suffer harm or catch fire. (Learn How To Get Rid Of Squeaky Doors)
After making the required preparations, follow these instructions to install a window air unit inside a room:
What You Need:
- Power drill
- Tinfoil
- Pan
- Portable exhaust tube
- Duct tape
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Place the air conditioner on a selected surface and drill a pilot hole on the unit’s exterior shell.
- Ensure the hole’s location isn’t near the appliance’s wiring or other internal components.
- Attach the leg caps at the bottom of the air conditioner. Again, it’s essential to remember that shorter leg caps belong on the backside, and longer ones should be on the front side.
- These locations should make the AC unit tilt slightly to facilitate drainage for the extra condensation.
- Make a drain path using the tin foil, then attach it near the drain hole. The drain path’s outlet should allow the moisture to drop in a pan or container.
- Rearrange the air conditioner’s components to accommodate the portable exhaust tube.
- Duct tape may be required to close gaps if the tube is too small for the AC unit.
- Connect the other end of the tube to a nearby exhaust fan. If your room doesn’t have an exhaust fan, you might need to install one for this new unit to work properly.
- It is an excellent unit to plug the air conditioner into a nearby power outlet and test it to see if everything is working correctly.
Final Thoughts
Can You Use Portable AC Without A Window?
A window air conditioner sits in a window. The AC vents hot air out the window. With a window air conditioner inside, the machine releases hot air into the room, making it hotter.
A window air conditioner comprises two components. One section of the AC sits inside the room, and the other part of the window AC sits outside the window or the room.
An evaporator and fan are inside the unit, which works to decrease humidity and thus cool the air. Next, the unit’s compressor and condenser help expel hot air through the rear and side ventilation channels.
because of this, using a window air conditioner in a room with no ventilation means you’ll heat your home with hot air. Along with this, removing hot air with a hose chills the room.
Few window air conditioners include a hose attachment. Therefore, to vent the hot air, you may need to contact professionals or follow the directions and make your vent and condensation catching system.
Portable air conditioners are preferable for putting inside a room. However, a portable air conditioner hose must still vent hot air. (Learn How To Clean Backsplash)
What happens when you run a window air conditioner inside?
Making no adjustments while running a window air conditioner inside is useless. It might harm the decor in your room. It will result in this if you keep doing it.
1. Warms the space:
The AC takes the hot air from the room and replaces it with outside air after a lengthy process. For instance, opening a window air conditioner in a room processes the air before releasing it.
The room air and the cold air do not, however, separate. When an air conditioner in a room runs, it keeps adding hot air to the cycle and raising the temperature in the space rather than cooling it.
2. Lowers humidity:
The room conditioning system lowers the room’s temperature and humidity.
You’ll feel less hot and sweat less in an environment with low humidity. However, despite the lower humidity, the room will still heat up.
3. Overloads AC:
An average window air conditioner can run continuously during the summer. However, when the temperature falls below a predetermined threshold, the air conditioner may temporarily shut off until the temperature increases noticeably.
However, when your AC is kept inside without ventilation, this does not occur. The room has more heat as the air conditioner runs. To maintain a cool room, the air conditioner operates at full capacity. But it causes the room’s temperature to rise.
If a window AC inside is operated at maximum capacity for a lengthy period, the compressor may malfunction because of more hot air.
