Just starting to research portable A/C units as our window unit is not safe enough according to the wife as burglars could break in via the air conditioner.
I'm wondering about the window attachment for these type of units and how easy it is to close the window every night
I'll probably end up with something like this
Portable water-to-air 13,000-BTU air conditioner
but i have no idea what water to air means,does it need to be hooked up to a water hose??.
The unit is just meant for living room and kitchen, an area approximately 18'X18'
Thanks for any info.

   

Don't use the window fixture to vent it. Modify a wall vent for a gas dryer instead and you'll have something much more secure.

   

We dont have anything like a wall vent for a gas dryer and i doubt my landlord would appreciate me drilling holes in his walls.
I was assuming i could just take out the window hose every night and just close the window...

   

Yep, you can do that. My aunt had one and she'd move it from the living room to the bedroom when she went to sleep at night.

   

The unit uses water as a help to the compressor, rather than just pumping
air to cool.
You refill it manually.

   

Reason with the wife and tell her there are very easy ways to secure the window with an in-window unit to prevent anyone from opening it. Hell, a little block of wood does the trick.

The portable unit will be far more expensive to buy and install.

   

One thing to consider is if you have the right BTU to square footage for your unit. I'm not expert but I suspect the salespeople will be able to help.

   

I agree but a couple of houses in the neighborhood were broken into last summer and it was the window A/C unit that was removed to gain entry.

   

Get a portable indoor unit that vents via a window, wedge the window shut with a chunk of wood or a metal pin.

If someone is willing to remove an window mount AC unit what makes you think they are unwilling to tape a window then smash it?

Make sure you get a two hose unit unless your hallway access is under positive pressure. That way when you vent your heated air you don't draw in warm outside air to blance the pressure. A two hose unit will draw in outside 'cool' air in one hose then vent the heated air out the other. Inside air is passed over the cooling portion and you don't lose much cooled air.

Remember an AC unit is a heat pump, the more cold you make one side the more hot you make the other.

Buying a larger unit (BTU rating) doesn't hurt you much in the way of lower efficency, but having a too small unit will.

   

If you use a block of wood to brace the window it will make it near impossible to open. When it comes down to it, if you have an AC in that window or not it makes little difference; if you had that window closed a rock through the glass will open it.

   

Looking out the window at the snow.
Fucking air conditioner....
I HATE YOU!!!

   

You are using the window A/C and now a day on construction time they are leaving the space in wall for A/C. If you want to install the A/C in the window so put a steel rod fence and then install there I think it will be more secure.

Award winning new homes builder in Melbourne

   

In TX you can forget that window mount AC, the heat here will fry it. Good thing Central air comes standard mostly in state.

   

We had 5 air conditioners in our place back in Kaohsiung. One in the living room, kitchen, both bedrooms and the office......and the electric bill was still 1/2 of what Manitoba Hydro charges per month.

Plenty of the elderly folk never used it, or used it rarely, relying mostly on fans. We usually had ours set at 25 C........been lucky to see our daytime highs get there so far this spring

   

Simple fix. I installed mine as per, and then bolted a rod across the top of the unit on the inside. The rod extended past on both sides, braced against the window frame. It had to be unbolted from the inside to remove the ac unit.