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

Portable Air Conditioner

• Portable air conditions have rollers that allow you to move the unit from room to room. The unit has a window plate kit that will fit into a horizontal sliding window, though it will fit into vertical closing window as well. The portable unit is versatile, which makes it idea for homes with vertical or horizontal sliding windows.

Functions

• Different brands of portable air conditioners have different functions. Some will cool the air and dehumidify, but some also heat a room or purify the air. The units have a drip pan at the bottom that must be emptied when the unit alert system alerts you with a beep that the pan is full. Many units will shut off if the pan is not emptied. Some units have a newer technology called self evaporating, which means the water removed is recycled and used to cool the air conditioner. These types of units only have one hose. Units that have a drain pan use two hoses, one to draw in cool air and one to expel hot air removed from the room.

Sizing Portable Units

• Portable air conditioners have different recommended British Thermal Units (BTU) from that for a window air conditioner. The room size is determined by multiplying the length and the width to find the square footage of the room. A room that is 400 square feet would need a 13,000 BTU unit, which is different from a window air conditioner that has to be only 9,000 BTU for the same size room. It is important to know the different BTU ratings when selecting a portable air conditioner.

Installation

• The window plate kit that comes with the portable air conditioner has one or two hoses, depending on the model. The hoses are connected to the back of the unit. The other end is connected to the window plate, which fits into the window up and down in a horizontal sliding window. The window closes tight against the plate to secure it in place. If you need a longer plate for tall windows, extensions are available.