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DIY Air Conditioner Covers Can Lead to Big Savings

When summer is over, the window air conditioner is a gateway for cold air to come into the home and for warm air to escape. If you prefer to leave your air conditioner in the window, rather than lifting it out and storing it for the winter, you will want a cover that fits snugly over the unit to protect against air leaks.

There are a wide range of creative options like these:

 

air conditioner coversHowever, if you don’t have a lot of time for a big DIY project, you can purchase an attractive fabric window ac cover for less than $15.

Made in the USA, Endraft air conditioner covers are a beige, washable poly/cotton fabric and come with a 100% wind blocking liner, a roll of removable vinyl tape and a set of installation instructions. Endraft is unconditionally guaranteed to stop all cold drafts, dirt, and allergens that blow through idle room air conditioners.

air conditioner cover beige

With its high energy efficient insulating qualities, Endraft replaces non-insulating outdoor covers and can lengthen the life of an air conditioner. Exterior covers used alone cut off air circulation and trap the indoor heat. The heat then collides with the cold outside air and can cause condensation, rust, and damage.

Endraft has been tested by an independent laboratory, CON EDISON, and the LONG ISLAND LIGHTING CO., and its use has been suggested to many utility customers as a major way to reduce overhead. CON EDISON told one large cooperative complex in New York City that if it covered all of its room air conditioners with Endraft, it would save $70,000 per year in heating bills!

This easy and inexpensive DIY weekend project will save you a noticeable amount of energy and money each winter.

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5 Cost Effective Ways to Weatherproof Windows

Weatherproof Windows

Cold weather can be fun when skiing, having snowball fights, and using your garbage can lid as a makeshift sled, but none of those activities occur inside the home. Air leaks, gaps, cracks (or however you want to see them) in your window sneak outside weather into your home and lead to higher fees onto your energy bill. Keep drafts at bay and your monthly energy costs low by using one or more of these inexpensive tools to weatherproof windows.

Foam Tape

Foam tape is usually used to seal windows that slide or swing. It works just as the name would suggest, sticking to the edges or bottoms of windows to prevent air leakage when windows are closed.

Installation: At less than $3, not only is foam tape a fairly cheap weatherization solution, it’s easy to install.

  • First, clean and dry the area (must be more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit) where the tape will be applied. If the area is dirty, wet, and/or cold, the tape won’t stick properly or it will easily loose its stickiness factor.
  • Cut the amount of foam tape needed based on the length of window sides/bottom.
  • Remove the adhesive backing then press the tape into place to cover the area in need of sealing.

Shrink and Seal Window Kit

If you have scissors, a blow dryer, and $4 you can easily weatherproof windows with a Shrink and Seal Window kit. This kit will seal the whole window from the inside and increase the R-value, or insulating power, of the window by as much as 90%.

Installation:

  • As always, clean and dry the area before applying any sealing. You should also clean the insides of windows because you won’t be able to clean that area again until you remove the shrink film.
  • Cut the amount of shrink film needed. Cut enough film to cover the entire window (including some of the frame area).
  • Remove the backing from one side of the two-sided tape and stick it to the top, bottom, and sides of the window. After installing the tape, remove the adhesive backing from the other side.
  • Apply the shrink film around the window, gently stretching it as you work your way from one corner of the window to the other.
  • With the blow dryer on the highest setting, slowly move the dryer across the film to tighten it over the window. Don’t stand too close to the window while doing this, otherwise you’ll melt the shrink film.
  • Trim any film that’s left over.

V Seal Weatherstrip

The V Seal Weatherstrip, which is much like tape, is another $4 tool that allows a hassle-free installation and removal.

Installation:

  • Clean, measure, then cut as always. Clean the area. Measure how much V Seal strip is needed then cut away.
  • Bend the strip down the marked center line to create a “V” shape.
  • To seal, remove the backing and press the V strip into the corner of the window.

Rope Caulk

Caulking is a method of weatherstripping that targets the crack, gap, hole, or opening that allows air to seep through. Basically it’s like sticking silly putty in the exposed area to seal it off. However, unlike silly putty rope caulk provides a better stick, can weatherproof windows in an weather condition, and is a lot more pleasing aesthetically (unlike your lime green putty).

Installation:

  • Clean, clean, clean the area where caulk will be used.
  • Peel of a lay of the rope caulk “beads” and divide it based on how much you need.
  • Press to seal.

Window AC Cover

Though it’s easily overlooked, your window AC unit could be a major player in the game of air leakage. Window AC covers are often placed on the outside of inside units, but those covers only protect the unit from wind and rain. Installing window AC covers indoors will give your unit added protection by stopping air leaks.

Installation:
Tape the insulation liners to the face of the air conditioner and place the fabric cover over the windblock liner and air conditioner. Before you purchase an AC cover, measure the air conditioning unit because covers come in three different sizes.

With weatherproofed windows you can still enjoy skiing, snowball fights, and garbage lid sleds without the threat of winter weather becoming household guests.

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Window Air Conditioner Covers Install Easily to Save Energy and Cut Costs

Window air conditioner covers are used to eliminate drafts from the place where an air conditioning unit is installed. They install over the unit to seal drafts from this area. Sealing this source of drafts reduces the amount of unwanted air exchanges and energy loss experienced during the colder months of the year, when the unit is not in use. Each package contains one washable fabric cover, windblock liner for insulation, and removable tape. A window indoor air conditioner cover can be installed in just a few simple steps:

  1. Unplug the electric cord belonging to the air conditioner and wrap it closely, and tightly, around the front edge. Use a 3 inch piece of tape to keep it in place.
  2. Measure the height and width of the air conditioning unit. Add 6” to each measurement, and using a pair of scissors, cut the windblock liner accordingly.
  3. Place the insulating windblock front and center over the unit, folding and taping the square corners. The liner should cover the electric cord, plug, and the opening where the cord exits the AC unit.
  4. Place the fabric indoor air conditioner cover over the AC.

The tape works best when the temperatures outside are above 35° Fahrenheit.

Installing with a few simple steps, window air conditioner covers immediately get to work reducing the amount of air leaks experienced at the area where the AC is installed. Whenever there is a reduction in energy loss, a reduction in energy costs is sure to follow. Window air conditioner covers save money on heating during their first year of use, and can be used many winters after. Check out the pictures below for more detail on how installation is completed.

Window Air Conditioner Covers
Installing an Indoor Air Conditioner Cover

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