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Just got into the new house, and it has Anderson 200 vinel windows. Now I have not gotten central ac yet, and for now plan to put in my window ac's. Any tips for installing them in the new windows? In the old wood windows in the last house, I had to drill some holes. Don't want to do that with the new windows. Thanks.
I put vinyl replacement windows in my house. I use window a/c's. Wish I had a photo, a picture would say it all. What I did was screw a 2x4 under the a/c. The ends that extend past the a/c, I screwed a strong hook. On the house, near the window, I screwed hook on each side. I then hung the a/c with chain. The inside (face of a/c) rests on a block on the window sill, just enough so that the a/c cabinet does not rest on the window frame. With this arrangement, the only stress on the window is a little force of the a/c trying to swing into the house.
You could add a brace from the 2x4s that the AC sits on down to the side of the house. This would remove the horizontal component of the AC load from the window.
Probably not required though.
I was going to post a picture of the two by four holding up the window A/C in one of my rent houses but I have a sneaking suspicion that's *not* the solution you're looking for! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Sorry, no pix with this. I installed two of the absolutely largest window mount A/C units (220-208 volt) that Sears sells. Don't recall the Btu ratings but huge. I installed them in an old WW II vintage corrugated steel buillding. I was concerned with hanging that much weight cantilevered off the side of the building trying to warp the framing around the one window or the hole I cut in the wall for the second installation. I was also concerned that the vibration/noise would be significant.
I dug a hole in the ground centered on the window and put a pipe in the ground 1/2 the depth of the A/C unit away from the wall. I used 4 inch pipe and set it in quick setting concrete. I built a platform on top of the pipe to support the unit with it sitting in the hole in the wall (or window). I then used some foam rubber/weather strip stuff to fill the small gap between the unit and the opening. Worked great and made no demands on the building. No nails or holes in the building envelope except the one big one.
Should it become desired in the future to remove the window units it can be done and leave no trace that they were there (after digging up the cemented in pipe.)
I did both installations (except for running 208 volt power) over a weekend with a helper. This included jack hammering holes in the pavement to set the pipes. Cutting and welding the pipes and metal platforms. I used a set of front brake rotors off my wifes Mercedes as flanges to weld on top of the pipes and spread the load to the platform. We painted the pipes dark blue to match the ones set in the pavement to protect corners of the building from bad drivers and it looked like it was done by pros (we lucked out.)
I should think some variation of this approach would do just fine for most residential installations where you want a secure installation but perhaps only temporary and no EXTRA holes in the house. An angle iron box frame and 4 legs to some temp pavers to keep legs from settling might be more to your liking if you don't weld since it would be dead simple to bolt it together.
Pat
Quite a few years ago I bought and installed some really cheap Reynolds vinyl replacement windows (their 'Remodeler" or "Revovator" series, I believe) in a house I'd bought as a rental. Ironically, I ended up living there for a while and used decent sized window a/c's in a couple windows just by following the directions that came with the a/c units with no problems whatsoever.
As I recall, I cut a piece of 1" x 3" or 1' x 4" to the width of the sill, shimmed up the outside edge so the lumber was level then attached a metal piece that came with the a/c and was done. Pretty simple, really. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
<font color="red"> a/c's in a couple windows just by following the directions that came with the a/c units with no problems whatsoever.
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Directions? We don't need no STINKING directions! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Sorry about that. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Well I got one mounted. The biggest one down stirs. No problem with that one. It had a few brackets on it from the old house, and I could make it fit. The other one is not so easy. Secound story, so that leaves out Pat's idea, and instructions are LONG gone. Well, with the big one running and the heater fan pumping it through the house, it's pretty nice. I may just scrap the idea of the otherone. It's amazing how one 12kBTU ac, can cool a 2500 sf house.
<font color="blue"> Directions? We don't need no STINKING directions! </font color>
Another paraphrase of the line made famous in The Treasure of Sierra Madre when uttered by Alfonso Bedoya to Humphrey Bogart under the direction of John Houston. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]