Table of Contents
Should a Window Air Conditioner be Tilted?
Not all window air conditioners are designed to be tilted backwards to drain the condensation from them. On many newer units you will find the drain hole located to the left side centered rather than positioned to drip out the rear.
The best policy is to check the user manual to find out for sure if you have a window air conditioner that requires tilting or not.
If your window AC requires tilting per the manual it should be tilted slightly backwards 3 to 5° to provide a runoff for the condensation that is created while the AC is running.
If the window AC is not tilted, the water will eventually puddle up and fling back into the room.
Worse, if the unit is tilted the wrong way, the water created by the condensation will flow back into your room and potentially ruin your window sill, drywall, wallpaper, and floor or carpet.
You can keep any damage that water from your window AC could cause at Bay by simply tilting your air conditioner slightly backwards so that the water runs through the drain hole outside of the house.
Window AC Not Dripping Water
If you have a window AC not dripping water, the problem is most likely a clogged drain hole.
Since the outside of the air conditioner is exposed to the elements, it is not a surprise that debris can get into the casing of your window air conditioner and clog your drain hole up.
Sediment forming from the minerals in the condensation can also build up to the point that you eventually have a stopped up drain hole.
1You should be able to access the drainage hole from the bottom of the window AC and use a screwdriver to press into the hole and clear it out as a temporary fix.
I say temporary because you are more than likely not be able to clean it out too well from the bottom.
2.Window AC units are meant to be able to withstand rain so with that in mind, using the power washer on your garden hose to spray out the inside of the AC from the rear is also a method you can use to clean out the debris from the inside of the air conditioner.
3.If neither one of those fixes work, then you’ll probably need to resign yourself to pulling the window AC out of the window and taking it apart so that you can access the area that is clogged up from the inside.
Will Rain Damage a Window Air Conditioner?
Window air conditioners are built to withstand the elements, including rain. A typical rainstorm will not damage a window AC. But of the air conditioner is exposed to a hurricane type rain situation where the rain is blowing sideways, then the electronics of the window AC will have more of a chance of getting wet.
If that’s the case, then the best policy is to let it thoroughly dry before turning it on.
Normal rainfall should not have an effect whatsoever on your window AC unit.
Do Window AC’s Have Filters?
A window AC has a washable filter located directly on the face of the inside portion of the air conditioner.
It can be easily accessed usually by pulling open front panel. In some window air conditioners, the filter is inserted into a slot. Pull tabs are usually put into place to be able to pull out the filter easily in order to clean it.
Window Air Conditioner Not Blowing Hard
When your window air conditioner is not blowing hard, the first place to look for a solution is the filter. If the filter gets too dirty, you will have limited air flow.
Limited air flow will also lead to the coils freezing over, decreasing your airflow even further.
Make sure that any grills on either the sides or the rear is completely free and not up against something or else have something draped over them like clothing for instance.
Check the rear grill to make sure that it is not covered in gunk. If so, wash it with some hot water and soap.W
Can a Window Air Conditioner Cool an Entire House?
Window Air conditioners are not made to cool off an entire house. A large 10,000 BTU window AC is good about 350 to 400 square feet. Which is only about half of a very small house.
Running 2 to 3 smaller AC window units will provide better coverage than trying to get the same coverage out of one big large BTU AC.
Do Window Air Conditioners Pull Air From Outside?
Window air conditioners work by pulling room air through the front grill that is located behind the vent.
But many window AC’s have a damper lever that when opened allows a small amount of outside air to come in to a room through the air conditioner as a means of letting in some fresh air.
The ideal is that sometimes since the window is being taken up by the air conditioner that there is no way to let any fresh air inside. That’s why that vent exist at all.
But the conditioned cold air coming from the window AC there’s not originate outdoors. It is the room air being circulated through the air conditioner.
Do Window Air Conditioners Need Freon?
Window air conditioners come pre-loaded with refrigerant for freon and or a closed system. The freon or refrigerant in a window AC that has never experienced any damage should never run out.
Adding refrigerant or freon to a window air conditioner is not a normal part of maintenance and if it does deplete, then you know you have a leak.
Can Window Air Conditioners Be Recharged?
If you find that your window air conditioner has completely leaked the refrigerant out and is no longer getting cool whatsoever than it is possible to buy a kit to refill the refrigerant.
But the probability of the refrigerant leaking back out is pretty high since the AC unit is meant to be a closed system that does not require refilling at any time.
In other words, the only reason you would need to add refrigerant to your window AC is if you have a leak caused probably by some sort of damageW
Does a Window Air Conditioner Dehumidify?
Window air conditioners like all refrigerated air conditioners dehumidify as they cool the temperature. And many come with a dry mode that allows you to use your window AC as a dehumidifier without having to use the AC function.
The reason is, refrigerated air conditioners pull warm air across cooling coils that cause the moisture to separate from the air. The moisture called condensation is then routed outside through a drainage hole.
Can Window Air Conditioners Cause Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
No. Window air conditioners cannot cause carbon monoxide poisoning because Carbon monoxide is an invisible gas found in fumes. that are produced by burning fuel.
Window air conditioners do not burn any fuel whatsoever and cannot cause carbon monoxide poisoning for that reason.
