It's an age-old dilemma: what to do with your window air conditioner come winter? You'd love to get that window back - but de-installing your window A/C is often a hassle, and you might not have the extra room to store it. Here's an article to help you determine what to do with your window A/C in the colder months. 

Keeping your A/C in all year

New Yorkers and other city dwellers know all too well that living space gets tight. For that reason, leaving your window A/C installed all year can actually be practical. If you opt to do that, there are a few things to keep in mind – particularly when the cold weather returns.

Read below for what you can do to prepare your window A/C for the winter months. You might also consider the July A/C, a new and beautifully-designed window A/C that also comes with a bunch of accessories for insulation during the winter. 

Cold Drafts

The side panels of your window A/C are not as thick or insulated as a window, so they invariably let a draft in. You might not notice this air during the warmer weather, but in the winter it can let the cold seep in. Most people won't be bothered by this, but if you spend a lot of time close to that window with the A/C in it, you might notice it.

During the colder months, cold drafts can sneak in from the outside, and they’ll have you freezing in your living room or bedroom. To avoid those pesky cold drafts, you need to insulate your window A/C.

July has a special insulation kit and winter cover that you can purchase for the colder months. Both add-ons allow you to cover up areas on your window A/C where cold drafts can enter. Our insulated foam panels will keep the freezing, cold weather outside, and keep you toasty on the inside.

Less Sunlight

Depending on where you live in the country, the winter might not even be that bad. Regardless, you’ll be getting less sunlight than in the spring and summer. 

Say you live in Los Angeles or a similar place that doesn’t really have cold weather. While you won’t have to insulate your window A/C in the winter, you’ll be getting less sunlight in your home because your unit will be taking up most of the window area.

With July, you don’t have to worry about losing too much sunlight. Our plexiglass kit allows you to switch the solid side panels for see-through, transparent plexiglass. That will allow more sunlight to pour inside when you need it.

Removing and Storing your A/C

If you do have space in your home for storage, then don’t worry about the mentioned issues. Carefully remove your A/C from the window, taking care not to let it fall out. It's recommended to lay out a towel when bringing the A/C in, because there might be some residual water inside the unit from its normal operations over the course of the season. You also might want to give the A/C a good wipe down with a damp cloth, since dirt and debris can build up with the unit hanging out for several months. 

Once your A/C is out of the window, find a dry spot outside of direct sunlight to store it. And remember: always keep the A/C right-side up. Although it might be more convenient to store it in a different orientation, this can reduce your A/C's effectiveness.

If you're planning on removing your A/C for the winter, July might be the window A/C for you. Our patented installation system makes it safer, easier, and quicker to install than any A/C ever before. You can do it all by yourself. Just grab the two handheld grips and take July out when you don’t need it anymore.

Whether you choose to keep your unit in all year or put it back in storage, July makes either process simple and totally safe. That’s one of many reasons why it’s the smartest air conditioner of its kind.