What Is an Air-Conditioner Sleeve's Purpose?

Lighter Weight

• The lighter weight of an air-conditioner sleeve without the air-conditioner components makes installing an air-conditioner in an otherwise precarious overhead opening significantly easier. This also enables a wider variety of installation placements for the homeowner, as they do not have to feel limited by the idea of having to hold a heavy air-conditioner unit over their head for a long period of time during the installation.

Faster Installation

• The use of an air-conditioner sleeve enables a homeowner to better secure his wall air-conditioner in its opening in a shorter amount of time. The sleeve can be screwed into wall's studs and beams from the inside of the unit, without doing so while balancing the full weight of the air-conditioner. This makes installation quicker and allows the unit to be well secured from the moment the component chassis is slid in.

Easier Repair or Replacement

• An air-conditioner with a sleeve has components that are more easily accessed for repair or replacement. In window models that do not have slide-out chassis and sleeves, a repair requires removing the entire air-conditioner from its location. A unit with a sleeve can simply have its chassis removed and slid back in once the repair is complete. Alternatively, new components can be slid in to the existing sleeve.

Better Water Drainage

• Air-conditioners remove humidity from the air, and need a way to dispose of waste water. The sleeve of a wall air-conditioner typically has a track for the chassis to run on that creates a slight downward pitch. This enables the homeowner to install the sleeve plumb and level, but give the internal components a tilt that sends waste water draining out the back of the sleeve and not dripping back in to the house.