Question:
My room window is as wide as 43 inches. Most air
conditioners that I checked fits up to 35-39 inches wide.
The one fits 39 inches wide being Kenmore 73069 at Sears.
Sell at $199. Do any of you know any window air conditioner
that can fit as wide as 43 inches?
Are portable air conditioners just as efficient as window
ones? I might have to go that route.
BTW, do you own Kenmore 73069? I read some good review at
epinions.com. But nowhere else in the net said anything
good about the product.
Answer:
They only fit windows up to 39" wide as that is how far the little side
panels will stretch. The little side panels are to block hot, humid air
from entering the area that you are using the A/C on. They do nothing to
support the air conditioner at all. The A/C is usually supported from below
with some kind of bracket, but also screws into (or just rests on) the upper
part of the window which is pulled down flush with the top of the air
conditioner.
I suspect any Window A/C unit would work just fine for your room window of
43". Just cover the gap at the sides with plywood or something, which would
probably insulate better than the folding plastic panels that come with a
room A/C anyway.
I wouldn't use a portable A/C unless it was a last resort, as in NOTHING
else will work. The window A/Cs will release HEAT and HUMIDITY on the
OUTSIDE of the house, which is where it belongs. It's kind of tough for a
portable unit to do that.
