I live in a small NYC apartment with no central air. We're on the top floor, so it gets pretty hot in the summer. We have two window AC units, one in the living room and one in the bedroom. Our old units lasted 8-10 years, but ever since they died, we are finding that the new ones crap out within 2-3 years. They all die the same way - they keep blowing air, but the air that comes out just isn't cool enough. We have to run the bedroom AC full strength on 60 degrees just to get the room temp to come down from 80 to 75, and it's only May! Not good for our comfort or our energy bill.
Any tips on brands or specific units that are energy efficient and will last? We usually spend $200-$300, but would be willing to spend more if we could be sure we'd get a longer life out of them. Also, any tips to keep them working for longer?
I'm sure it doesn't help that we leave them in the window year round, but that's normal here (and what we did with our old units that lasted years). They are really difficult to take in and out because there's furniture in the way,* and there is nowhere to store them during the winter. I do make sure to clean the filter whenever the light comes on, but NYC is disgusting and I should probably be cleaning it more often. Other than that, I'm at a loss about what maintenance I can do when they're in the window.
*I will admit I have always paid someone to install the units because I am afraid of dropping them out the window due to the awkward positioning. I'm going to try and install the new ones myself, but am still not comfortable taking them in and out frequently for maintenance.