apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Something tells me that putting a cover of any sort over an A/C unit is going to diminish it's effectiveness thereby significantly increasing the energy required to make it run properly.

Seriously, a cozy?

There must be a better way.

Yeah, cover your AC unit so the CO2 can't get out--real smart.

It's part of the urban landscape--accept it and learn to love it. Remember, there was a time when people thought red brick factories were ugly.

Yeah, just learn to love your air conditioner, warts and all. (We call ours "Friedrich" as a term of endearment.)

The "cozy" is used only during winter months to reduce drafts coming inside. I am sure it is removed when unit is "in use." (Give the resident some credit, here!)

MichaelF, air conditioners don't emit CO2, or anything else. But covering them while in use is indeed a bad idea; those ugly fins at the back are used to release the heat they remove from your apartment.

What bepsf said. Face palm to the rest of you.

What about a nice mesh fabric with a cool design? Maybe that could be used year-round?

bpesf, that was my first thought too.

I had a mesh screen on mine and it affected the performance. Ugly as they may be you really shouldn't cover them.

sierracreek - why wouldn't I uninstall it for the winter months and keep it in storage? That seems like a far more effective way to prevent drafts, yes?

thermal,
I keep my air conditioner in the window all year round, mainly because I live alone and it is a pain getting people to help you put it in and take it out. After awhile I just decided to keep it in the window year round. I use a gray plastic cover on the outside part, and I use the plastic sheets that you seal with your hairdryer in the winter months. It seems to work quite well.

The concept of using a "cozy" to camouflage what's considered ugly (appliances) or embarrassing (toilet paper) is very Lillian Vernon/ Fingerhut catalog... insanely lowbrow, in other words.

It's the visual equivalent of the euphemism-- using the phrase "expecting" or "in a family way" instead of "pregnant" or "passed away" instead of "died".

It's phony gentility, pretense, denial of reality.

(Embrace the beauty of machines!)

The notion of using a cozy to camouflage what's considered ugly (appliances), or embarrassing (toilet paper), is very Lillian Vernon/ Fingerhut catalog-- quel lowbrow.

It's the visual equivalent of the flowery euphemism ("expecting" instead of "pregnant"; "passed away" instead of "died").

It's phony gentility... visual deceit... denial of reality.

But, don't let ME stop you...

Some complexes I have lived in provide winter covers for window ACs. But in winter, who looks?

I think the trellis idea, a few inches away from the unit, seems like a fairly workable idea. You still need airflow, but little AC units work more effectively if the are shaded, so as long as air flows properly, blocking the view and sunlight from the unit might increase efficiency too.

Lillian Vernon rocks. I find her catalogue far more refreshing and enjoyable than most of the hipper-than-though catalogues available today.

Admittedly, I haven't looked at a Lillian Vernon catalog since 1975. I remember cozys for every imaginable purpose, all available with or without 'personalization' (initials, family surname).

There's something profoundly wrong with the urge to camouflage utilitarian objects with fondant.

Why do my comments initially appear, then disappear, then reappear? Does AT now screen comments?

LOL @ Fingerhut!!!!!!!

This is for a big unit as we did in our house, but the same could be used for smaller units... Really easy poplar 2x1 a la Nelson Bench style.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/82525810@N00/2792962580/in/set-72157602940258814/

regards,

joel pirela