Why Are Wall Mounted Air Conditioners More Expensive?

Wall Air Conditioners

• Wall air conditioner contain a removable chassis that contains all of the components of the air conditioner. This enables the homeowner to install the comparatively light air-conditioner case into a wall opening and then slide in the chassis with the heavier components. Window air conditioners are not constructed this way, and the additional manufacturing and installation costs for wall air conditioners are passed onto the consumer.

Window Air Conditioners

• Window air conditioners usually include extendable panels on either side of the unit. These expand to take up excess space in the window and secure the unit against the bottom of a double-hung window. They also often have weather sealing strips along the edge of the panels to aid in insulation.

Ventilation

• Many window air conditioners contain side vents that allow air to circulate and heat to be vented outside the home. If a window unit was installed in a wall opening, these vents would be obscured by the comparatively thicker wall. Wall units must be engineered and constructed differently, with circulation vents placed further away from the front of the unit in order to ensure they will not be blocked when the unit is installed.

Capacity

• Wall air conditioners can be considerably larger units and, therefore, are capable of cooling larger spaces. Window air conditioners are constructed to fit in small, double-hung windows and, as a result, have less room for components and air circulation. Since it's permanent, a wall air conditioner can have a larger capacity and be used for larger rooms. Consequently, the base-model wall air conditioner is usually considerably more expensive than a smaller, base-model window unit.