THROUGH THE WALL

Through the wall air conditioners are a cooling option for buildings that do not have central air conditioning installed. Most units are designed to cool only one room, though some larger units may be able to cool additional rooms as well. No matter how large the unit, the ability to cool additional rooms is limited because the vent that blows cool air is only in one room.

Through the wall air conditioners should be installed by a professional or a person that is very handy. A hole must be cut in the wall to install a wall unit. The hole should be of a size that allows the unit to fit snugly. For weather proofing reasons, space around the unit should be minimal. Each air conditioner comes with a manual that lists the size the hole in the wall should be. A metal sleeve is placed inside the hole in the wall. The sleeve comes with the wall unit. The sleeve provides structural support in the wall for the air conditioner. The air conditioner fits snugly inside the sleeve. After the air conditioner is installed into the sleeve in the wall, it is plugged into the nearest electrical outlet and weatherproof stripping is put around the air conditioner to prevent outside air and water from entering the building.

How a Wall Unit Works

A through the wall air conditioner works by sucking hot air from the room into the unit. The hot air that enters the unit is brought over the air conditioning condenser and cooled. The cooled air is pushed back into the room. The motor that runs the unit produces hot air. The air conditioner pushes the hot air from the motor out through the vents in the back of the unit so that it does not heat the room.