Do you have a portable air conditioner and you want to vent your unit on a crank window (or also familiar known as a casement window), but you don’t clearly understand how to do it properly? The following are some tips that may be helpful for you to finish your DIY project.

A window crank is typically a type of window with hinged on one side. It is one of popular choices to vent portable AC units during summer. Why you should vent your unit? Well, all of air conditioner types (window AC units, portable AC units, and even central air conditioning) require venting mechanism to get the air circulation in order to keep work powerfully.

You may ever hear about ventless air conditioners, but believe me they don’t exist. To support the installation on a casement window, a window kit is usually included into one package with the unit.

Back to the topic, here are several tips to vent a portable air conditioning on a crank window (the procedures may be slightly different dependent on the specification of the unit itself and your window):

1. First, determine the right casement window for the installation. Make sure you choose one that is close enough with an electrical outlet.
2. Find the plexiglass that usually included one package with the window installation kit, and then measure its size! Line up the plexiglass and your casement window, and then get a mark on the top when you need to cut in order to fit both vertically. Use a utility knife to score the plexiglass and then try snapping it fits inside your crank window.
3. Make sure the plexiglass will fit nicely with the holes at the bottom by cranking open the window. Then keep permanent the position by using wood screws. To attach the plexiglass properly (semi permanently) to your window, drill the screws through the jamb.
4. Then take your portable AC unit, and then set up it (make sure it is about 5 ft from the window and not too far to an electrical outlet).
5. And now you can connect the hose to the unit. Take window adapter and use it for the location to snap the hoses.
6. Look at the plexiglass part of your window installation kit, and then use it to attach the window adapter.
7. Now connect properly the unit with its provided electrical hose, don’t forget to use hose clamps to tighten the connection.
8. Analyze the performance of the venting system of your AC unit. You can put your hand close to the vent to make sure that air circulation is properly working. Back to the inside of your room and don’t forget to seal properly the crank window and window installation kit in order to eliminate the energy loss while your portable air conditioning unit running. Check also any gaps in the hoses and vents.
9. If you in doubt, read also the manual installation instructions of your portable AC for more detailed information!

Tags: crank window, how to vent