I’m doing a remodel and I wanted to toss a small window air conditioner in each bedroom to make it tolerable to sleep or work during our increasingly hot days and nights. I notice there are two types: through wall and window. I was planning on custom framing around the air conditoner and was wondering what the difference is.
The price differntial is substantial for these two LG 8000 BTU air conditioners: $239 vs $479.
Also, is there any standardization in size for window airconditioners in case I have to replace them? I assume LG will be around for a while, and I will be able to buy a compatible replacement should the need arise.
A through-the-wall AC requires (what I see is called) a sleeve. Which that unit you linked to doesn’t include. It’s something you’ll need. In this picture it’s the back part. You build the frame to fit that part. Slide that in and screw it into the frame. Then you slide the AC unit into that. If you need to do any service on it, you can slide the AC into the building, either halfway-ish, just to get to the back (kinda) or all the way in and onto something to really work on it. There’s a few screws to ‘lock’ it into place since it’s not unheard of for burglars to push them into the building and climb in the giant hole (some sleeves have a big hole on the bottom or back).
Also, in the future, you’d need to reframe if you got a bigger unit, but if you get one that’s smaller it’s just a matter of furring/shimming the new unit into place. I’ve even seen some people setting a significantly smaller unit right in the big hole and packing some kind of insulation around it to make it work.
Something to keep in mind, if you do go with a TT-Wall unit, since you don’t have a whole lot of wiggle room once it’s mounted, make sure it’s pitched enough. Even if the manual says something like “a quarter of an inch”, you’ll regret that on a really muggy day when it starts pouring back into the house. If it’s angled an inch or even an inch and half, it’ll be fine and make sure to pop out the drain plugs as long as it’s not going to drip on someone’s head below. Otherwise you have to listen to the the condenser fan slapping the water all the time.
The primary difference is that the through-the-wall kind doesn’t use up a window. And if it’s installed properly, it allows for much better insulation and therefore is more efficient.
As for the price difference, I’m not sure. They look very similar, they have very slightly different specs. I suspect one has a better compressor (or even just a better motor), but it doesn’t seem like enough to make it double.
I didn’t dig very deeply, is it possible the cheaper one is an older model they’re trying to move?
How so? They’re on the outside part, right next to the the condenser. They only reason they leave them installed from the factory is so if you install the unit in a place where people walk under it, it’s not dripping on them.
ETA, here’s a picture (sometimes it’s on the bottom, but right below that). Removing a plug that’s installed where that hose is couldn’t possibly change anything.
The drain plug is designed to be removed so the water can drain for removal of the a/c from the window. At other times in use the water is suppose to be ‘flung’ from the fan onto the external coils aiding the heat exchange through evaporation cooling.
That’s one reason, another reason is if you’re in a location where it’s too humid for that to work and it overflows (like a humid summer near the lake in Wisconsin).
Either way, taking it out isn’t going to make less efficient.
Thanks Joey P and everyone else. I guess I should get the through wall one, even if it’s more expensive. I have to buy the sleeve in addition to the air conditioner. The window one is not obsolete or anything, it’s just a lot cheaper for some mysterious reason. I’m in Santa Barbara, and it’s not real humid, especially when you actually need to use the air conditioner. I notice the through wall one is energy star compliant, even though it draws more amperage!
With all the Title 24 energy requirements, I’m sure the better insulated sleeve will help matters. That’s good advice to make sure the air conditioner is pitched properly.
The window unit is probably cheaper just because a far larger number of those are sold. TTW air conditioners are somewhat of a specialty item since they require some infrastructure to be in place.
Even though it draws more current, the compressor will run less often, because the TTW will be sealed better.
Up until a few years ago, I would have recommended a Friedrich unit - they are window units with a sleeve and can be easily converted to through-the-wall units. They’ve used the same 3 sleeve sizes since (at least) the 70’s, so you slide out an old one and slide in a new one if you want to up/downsize or install a more efficient one, or in the [very unlikely] case that it breaks and can’t be repaired.
Unfortunately, their recent units (Kuhl line) have gone completely “style over substance” and I’ve gotten a number of requests to swap in a Quietmaster (previous line) for a Kuhl that the owner has become dissatisfied with.
Something else to consider is a split system in which the condensing coil is outdoors and the evaporator coil is indoors, connected by a pipe that moves the freon. It’s more expensive but you won’t have such a large hole in the wall and you could cool an interior room.
I was just going to ask, if Split Systems were a thing in the States. The through the window style Air Con is virtually non-existent in Australia these days. If you’re going to have air-conditioning, it’s pretty much either a split system or ducted (if you’re building a new house and don’t mind the extra cost).
