With 30-degree temperatures and angry winds irreverently slapping us New Yorkers in the face, it’s officially getting cold. Which means now is the perfect time to tell that noisy 50-pound gorilla chilling in your window, “A/C ya later!”
What happens if you don’t remove your air conditioner from the window?
Bad things.
First, your A/C can suffer from premature wear and broken components.
Second, heat could escape through your A/C’s accordion extension panels, making room for cold air to turn your home into a fridge.
Naturally, you’ll want to crank up your thermostat from 0 to 100 real quick, unnecessarily increasing your heating bill by about 3% for each Fahrenheit degree that you turn your thermostat up. And who wants to waste all that hard-earned dough?
(Pro tip: Before you leave home for eight hours, turn your thermostat back 10°F to 15°F. You’ll save 5-15% a year on your heating bill.)
But in order to bid your air conditioner adieu, first you have to uninstall the dang thing. Ideally with the help of a friend.
Things you’ll need to get the job done safely:
- A long sleeve shirt to protect your arms from scrapes and serve as an extra grip.
- Work gloves.
- Toe protection. Steel toe boots are a lifesaver if you drop the A/C on your little piggies.
- A screw gun or screw driver.
When you’re ready to begin, follow these 11 simple steps to uninstall your A/C in a breeze:
Step 1
Turn off your air conditioner.
Step 2
Unplug the A/C’s power cord from your outlet.
Step 3
Remove the A/C’s front panel and set it aside.
Step 4
Lay a towel on the floor.
Step 5
Look out your window and make sure no one is directly below it. Then, stand on the A/C’s power cord just in case the thing decides to plummet.
IMPORTANT
From here on out, make sure you have at least one hand gripping the A/C at all times. Nobody wants to get injured on their walk home.
Step 6
Remove the screws on one side of the unit.
Step 7
Put the screwdriver and screws to the side. With that same free hand, reach through the window, grip the A/C, and slide it over to the opposite side.
Step 8
Unscrew the remaining screws on the unit and put them aside.
Step 9
Use your free hand to open the top window pane.
Step 10
Carefully balance the A/C on the window sill with both hands, grab it, and lay it on the towel.If you installed any additional hardware to support your A/C in the window, remove that too and lay it on the towel.
If you installed any additional hardware to support your A/C in the window, remove that too and lay it on the towel.
Step 11
Close the window. Clean up. Celebrate like the boss that you are.
If you get stuck on any of the steps, watch Gizmodo’s handy “Removing Your Window A/C” video.
When you’re done, you don’t have to worry about storing the air conditioner in your apartment. Simply schedule a MakeSpace pickup and we’ll store that bad boy for you.
The best part:
When you need your A/C back next summer, we’ll deliver it to you.
