What Kind of Air Conditioner Can Fit in a Sliding Window?

Portable Air Conditioners

• Portable air conditioners have rollers on the bottom, which makes moving the units around the home to different windows easier. Some units have a drain on the bottom to drain the water from the unit, but some models use an evaporation technology that doesn't require draining the water. The water is used to cool the unit and eventually evaporates during the cooling process.

Portable Unit Installation

• Units that are portable have window plates that fit into any style window. The plate is made to slip into a window that opens to the side or one that opens up and down. The versatile air conditioner doesn't require any mounting hardware. The exhaust hose is attached to the back of the unit, and the other end is attached to the window plate. Some portable units operate with two hoses. On dual hose units, one hose takes in the air from the outside to cool and the other hose expels the exhaust. Units with one hose only have a function to expel the air.

Window Air Conditioners

• Window air conditioners fit windows that lift up and down. The units can be very heavy depending on the size of the unit. These types of air conditioners are not meant for moving from room to room because they do require proper installation with mounting hardware. The window unit doesn't require any special care after it is mounted in the window. The water drips out the backside of the unit when it is running.

Window Unit Installation

• Units that fit in windows come with mounting hardware. The kit has screws, window foam strips and accordion panels. The accordion panels are attached to the air conditioner and the window frame, making fitting a smaller unit into a large window easier. The windows are closed down on the top of the unit to hold it in place. Some heavier units need to have a window bracket installed for added support of the air conditioner.