Air Conditioner Window-Unit Installation

Lay the window air conditioner on a flat surface. Grip the unit's bottom corners and pull the grille off the unit. Locate the two screws on either side of the metal case that hold the air conditioner in place. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove both screws and slide the unit out of the case. Save the screws.

Peel off the paper backing from the foam mounting strip. Lay the strip sticky side on top of the mounting rail and press it firmly in place. Turn the mounting rail upside down and position it over the lip on the metal case's top edge. Secure it in place with the provided screws.

Slide the accordion sides' prongs into both the top and bottom mounting rail on both sides of the metal case. Secure the sides in place with the provided screws.

Open the bottom window sash as high as it will go. Hold the sash seal on the sash's bottom edge. Use a scissors to cut the seal to the same length as the sash. Peel the paper backing off the seal and press it firmly in place on the sash's bottom edge.

Position the case in the open window. Place a level on the case's top edge and adjust the case so it sits flat. The case's backside angles slightly toward the ground so any condensation drips down instead of running back in and down your walls.

Use a drill and Phillips driving bit to drive one provided screw through each of the three screw holes in the case's bottom front edge. These screws secure the case to the window's molding. Pull the accordion panels out until they reach the window's sides. Each panel has two screw holes. Secure the panel in place with screws through each screw hole. Push the bottom sash down as far as it will go.

Lay the 90-degree angled security brackets on the bottom sash's top edge. Position one on either side so they rest against the top sash's wooden sides. Secure the brackets in place with the provided screws. If your unit does not come with security brackets, measure the distance from the bottom sash's top edge to the top window molding. Transfer this measurement to a 2-by-4 and cut it with a handsaw. Then cut the small wooden block in half so you have two thinner pieces of the same length. Place each block on the bottom sash's top edge, one on each side of the window.

Stuff the provided foam strip behind the raised bottom sash. Align the air conditioner unit with the metal case and slide it in. Secure it in place with the screws you removed in Step 1. Snap the front grille back into place. Place a strip of foil tape over the gap between the air conditioner unit's top edge and the bottom sill's bottom edge. Place two more smaller strips of foil tape along where the accordion sides' bottom edges meet the window's bottom sill.

Plug the unit into a grounded plug. Go outside and put strips of clear packaging tape along the gap between the two window sashes and where the top of the metal case meets the bottom window sash. This helps keep bugs and hot air from entering your home.