On 9/15/2015 9:43 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Monday, September 14, 2015 at 9:51:18 PM UTC-5,

Ideally it should be removed at the end of the season, cleaned and stored
until just before the beginning of the cooling season.

If you watch the second video you will see why I don't recommend removing
window units at the end of every year. The condenser coil stands a better
chance of damage every time the window unit is removed or installed. Of
course I'm here in Alabamastan where we don't usually have extremely cold
winters and tons of snow that could build up on a window AC. It did go down
to 4 degrees F at my home last winter when Canada stuck out its tongue at
The South. If I were living in Yankee Land, I'd put an insulated cover over
a window AC when cold weather was on the way. I even have an idea for a
Plexiglas cover for window units in areas that have a lot of snow during
winter months. The cover would sit atop the insulated covered AC and slope
toward the upper part of the window from the outer edge of the unit with a
steep pitch like those roofs of homes in cold climates meant to shed snow. I
like to experiment. ^_^

IME, even covering the ACbrrr itself is ineffective at preventing
heat loss. The unit rarely *fills* the entire window so you end up
with (adjustable?) panels/wings on either side that NOMINALLY attempt
to seal the opening. If these are adjustable, they are usually
poor insulators and/or have outright air gaps along the edges.
If you fabricate custom panels "to fit", and use duct tape and/or
foam around the edges, you can usually stop outright air flow through
those areas. But, are still left with a panel made out of something
that probably wasn't chosen to be an excellent insulator.

[Also, a window unit presents an easy entry point for a burglar/vandal.]

We always simply removed the units and closed the windows. As my
folks grew older, they'd not even insist on moving the unit "to
storage" but, rather, would just put a blanket on the floor in front
of the window and "store" the ACbrrr *there*!

[Yet, as a kid, they complained when *my* bedroom wasn't kept clean!]