Winter is here and cold air is blowing in through your Window AC. What are the options?
If you have the luxury of removing your AC for the winter that is the best option. Many of us don't. (Or our buildings overheat and we need the AC even in the winter!)
If you can't remove your Window AC there are two issues we need to solve for:
1. Cold air blowing through the AC itself.
2. Cold air blowing through the areas surrounding the Window AC. This is often a much bigger problem.
Here are some solutions:
Cold Air Blowing Through The Window AC
For the Window AC itself all the covers are ugly. They don't fit quite right as all AC's are different sizes and the covers only come in a few size options. The material is cheap. And they fall off too often.
But, they are better than nothing.
My favorite one comes with a strong drawstring giving it the best chance at staying on and keeping the cold air out. It doesn't look terrible and it is available on amazon here: https://amzn.to/45YyDLC
This is another ok option but it doesn't have the extra drawstring support. The drawstring makes a difference. https://amzn.to/46VZcm6
Cold Air Around The Window AC
This leads to the second problem. Air blowing in from all around the window AC.
The corrugated plastic pull out sides do little to protect against the elements.
We need insulation. And there are a few options.
Our favorite is obviously Breeze Stop as it is designed to keep air out from all the areas around the AC and still look good. It almost gives the window AC a built in look.
The downside is it can take 5-15 minutes to install if it is your first go around. But, it is well worth it.
It started getting cold out here, and I just installed one in my apartment. I did a rushed job so it didn't come out perfect but it still looks way better than before.
Check it out:
Here is a video of my install:
Another option available are the side piece alternative:
They are definitely better than nothing and a bit cheaper. The problem is they don't insulate on the top area which is a huge issue. They also don't look great.
Either way, hope this is helpful and let me know in the comments if you have any other great solutions! Thanks!
