Air conditioning conundrum

[Awaz]

Ok...so I am having to admit I am a slum lord. On my defense though, I am trying to fix up the place so I can sell it! Anyway, the upstair unit of the godforsaken appartment is rented out. The problem is, the living room got no provision to hang a window air conditioning unit. It got sliding windows (dont ask me why!) that slides sideways instead of up and down and they are BIG windows. And I do not want to cut a BIG square hole to hang a unit. So, I got two choices - first, buy a portable unit and cut a small hole to vent. Problem is these things are EXPENSIVE !!  !

Second option: the living room opens to a enclosed stairway that leads to a downstairs door to go out the house. Right opposite to the living room door that opens to the stairway is a smaller window that slides up and down. I can hang a unit here. BUT ! I will have to make some duct work to re-direct the air into the living room. Still involves cutting a small hole.

So, question is, how feasible it is to create some duct work for a window unit? The distance from where the air will be vented to living room to the window unit will be no more than 4 ft. Of course, I cannot run the duct straight. I will have to make a 90 degree bend up - run about 2 ft. and then another 90 degree for 4 ft to open to the living room. To top it all, I am not sure how I will make an enclosure to trap the air and re-direct. I am thinking has to be metal and I never welded in my life. Maybe I can make with plexiglass or acrylic?? and use glue??

[Roadhound]

You might be better off looking into a Mini-Split Ductless system. These systems work great and are very quite.

http://www.mini-split.com/

[MAN OF BLUES]

Get a roll around
http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances-Heating-Cooling-Air-Quality-Air-Conditioners-Portable-Air-Conditioners/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbv64/R-202051352/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

they can be found for $250, and all you do is use a "dryer hose" type duct to vent out whatever window you want.

[jim_de_hunter]

A hundred years ago when I was kid, my mom got a unit that fit into our sliding window.  It had roll of plastic on one end (like a classroom projector screen) to close off part of the window that wasn't covered. I guess they don't make them anymore?

On the other hand, air conditioners don't use gravity.  Why not place a unit in the slider on its side?

[T Cro ®]

On the other hand, air conditioners don't use gravity.  Why not place a unit in the slider on its side?

Not going to work... Compressor will be damaged from long term operation while on its side due to the oil in the freon could pooling up where it should not and the condensate water from the evap coil will no longer have the base pan to use as a drain guide.

[T Cro ®]

You might be better off looking into a Mini-Split Ductless system. These systems work great and are very quite.

http://www.mini-split.com/

If your not willing to cut a large hole in the wall these split units while not cheap by any means are the most professional option and only require a small hole for the freon tubing and wiring.

Think of it this way if you go through the trouble of installing the A/C correctly perhaps you will stand a better chance of selling the unit....

[Walker18]

As I see it, the best way out is to change the damn window, Home Depot or Lowe's has a return cart(s) that are full of returned windows. I've changed
several windows with them, and they are seriously reduced in price. If you get one that's close to the size that you're replacing, just use shims and fat trim.
Now you can buy a 5000 btu or so a/c unit that will easily fit. It sounds harder than it is.. JMHO..

[soyjim]

I had a neighbor that used an air conditioner in side sliding windows for a while. They have since moved so I can't go look at what they did. They had them in three windows.

It seems to me that they just opened the window and filled in the space aroud AC it with something. I think it was plywood. 

[snarf]

I have sliders in my garage and I use an AC unit in one of them.  Silicon and a piece of 1/4" lexan.  I think it was lexan, it was clear plastic that I had lying around from an old project