Author Topic: 5 minute project - winterizing 2nd floor A/C sleeves!  (Read 1448 times)

Digital Dogma

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5 minute project - winterizing 2nd floor A/C sleeves!
« on: December 13, 2016, 08:18:51 AM »
Good morning,

I'd like to share a simple quick way to save a few bucks this winter, it only takes about 5 minutes, and I'm sure you can come up with all kinds of variations on this to make it look unique. I see all the neighbors use the traditional method of insulating their A/C sleeves by putting an insulated cover on the outside of the unit. Living on the second floor, and not owning a ladder myself, this wasn't a realistic option. So I came up with a simple alternative that I hope will save me a few bucks over the winter.

All I needed was some masking tape, scissors, and a very cheap sheet of Mylar material often advertised as an emergency heat blanket (~50-80 cents per sheet online). I cut out a piece of mylar from the emergency blanket that overlapped my A/C by 4-5 inches on all sides, tacked it up with a few pieces of tape first to hold in place, and then sealed it to the wall with masking tape to try and get it air tight. The trickiest part is the area the plug comes out of, I just slapped a lot more tape down there to seal it up.

I notice the draft coming out of these A/C sleeves all the time, and when they are sealed up tight the mylar will visibly puff out when the wind kicks up. Catching all that cold breeze drafting in and keeping my heat from leaking out through the cracks will likely make this the most profitable 5 minutes of my day.

Unfortunately my project did upset the bird thats been living in the corner of my A/C sleeve who will have to find their own heat for the rest of the winter.

How do you guys insulate your A/C sleeves during the winter?

KCalla

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Re: 5 minute project - winterizing 2nd floor A/C sleeves!
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2016, 02:01:48 PM »
Smart move.  Hope you smile every time you walk by and see that mylar puffed out!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!