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I have this air conditioner that is designed to be used with vertical sliding windows. The problem is that I have a horizontal sliding window. I understand that the air conditioner I have is designed to be held in place by the window sash holding the top of the unit. I have seen solutions such as this answer where a support frame is installed in lieu of the sash to hold the air conditioner in place. I am very inexperienced with carpentry so I was hoping there is another way to do this for my first project. My HOA requires that I install a air conditioner support bracket under the air conditioner. My question is: Can I install my air conditioner using ONLY the support bracket to hold it in place and keep it from falling?

The answer to this question seems to indicate that I can use only the support bracket to keep it in place. But it only has one up-vote and is not accepted so I wanted to make sure and get more concrete answers.

One of my concerns is that the support bracket that I bought seems to be too narrow compared to the air conditioner. The bracket is 5 inches wide and the air conditioner is 19 inches wide. It seems like the air conditioner could just tip over one side or the other. Also, the product summary for the bracket says that it transfers weight from the window sash for safety. But I'm not sure if that means that it works without a sash, or that it is supposed to complement the sash.

Here is the support bracket:

Support Bracket

Here is the air conditioner:

Air Conditioner

Cave Johnson
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  • What do you plan on putting above the air conditioner, since your window slides left-to-right? – Robert Nubel Aug 02 '16 at 03:06
  • @RobertNubel If you mean to cover the opening, I cut out a piece of plexiglass to fill it. – Cave Johnson Aug 02 '16 at 03:11
  • That bracket supports up to 160 lbs. But from the top critical review on amazon: "To keep the lower bracket from slipping down, I had to drill a hole in the lower pad and drive a screw in the wall. To get the AC unit to sit flat on the bracket, I had to cut a piece of the right thickness wood and insert it between the AC and bracket. By the time I got done messing with this thing, I might as well have built my own wooden bracket and saved my money." – Ben Welborn Aug 03 '16 at 21:16

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The bracket is entirely sufficient to support your AC. That's doesn't mean that in some freak occurrence it couldn't come out of the window. If you want to add to the margin of safety, you want to prevent the upper sash from loosening enough to prevent it from rotating out. Most units have screw holes in the frame of the AC that allow you to fasten it to the upper sash. Otherwise a small screw or nail to prevent the sash from moving will do the trick. At that point not much short of a tornado is going to get it out of the window...

Hope this helps!

PaulBinCT2
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  • Sorry, I probably didn't make my post clear enough. I have a window that slides from left to right so there is no upper sash to attach it to. That is why I'm asking if the bracket can support it by itself. – Cave Johnson Aug 02 '16 at 02:50
  • Gotcha... well, the principals are the same really. If you're concerned (and I wouldn't be) assure that your window cannot open. If you can't/don't want to drill a hole or use a screw, just cut a length of dowel or broom handle to pin the frame in place, much as I'm sure you've seen people do with patio sliders. – PaulBinCT2 Aug 02 '16 at 03:20
  • +1 for noting that the bracket is self sufficient, but -1 for not knowing that the bracket is purposed for windows without upper sashes; and +1 for saying to make sure the AC doesn't wobble. And as a side note (@Andrew): make sure the AC is not leaning forward (into the house) or else condensation could drip inside the house. – Ben Welborn Aug 03 '16 at 21:08
  • @BenWelborn ... is the scoring directed at me? Mea culpa, I should have noticed the horizontal window. Although really the issue is the same for the most part. I assume(d) hopefully accurately that the window frame height is sufficient to give the AC bearing at the top. If not, certainly the OP (who sounds like a smart enough guy) should arrange for some adequately strong top member.

    All that is a long way of saying... as I get settled in here, I'll learn to read all the fine print ;)

     – PaulBinCT2 Aug 03 '16 at 21:34
  • @BenWelborn I'm confused by the +1 and -1. If the bracket is self-sufficient (as I think you are saying), then does it matter that this bracket will be used for a window without a sash? Also, what do you make of Jimmy Fix-it's answer? I think I will end up using a 2x2 length of lumber to span the window opening to keep the AC in place. – Cave Johnson Aug 03 '16 at 21:45
  • @PaulBinCT2 yeah +1-1+1=+1... sorry, I've been kinda bored, lately... sometime things seem to keep going around in circles. I posted about this back in April: Mounting a window air conditioner on top of a sliding horizontal window – Ben Welborn Aug 03 '16 at 21:45
  • @andrew yes that bracket is supposed to hold 160lbs... provided it doesn't wobble... and looking at the reviews on amazon, it appears that you might need to add a screw in the lower pad. You shouldn't need any support across the top, and as for keeping the window against the AC, yes, shove a stick in it to keep it there. – Ben Welborn Aug 03 '16 at 21:47
  • @Andrew With that shelf, you don't need to support the top of the AC. With Jimmy's idea, you don't need a shelf. In both cases, you should put a broomstick in the track to prevent the window from sliding open (burgler proof it). – Ben Welborn Aug 03 '16 at 22:17
  • @BenWelborn Oh I see. Fortunately (and perhaps unfortunately) I live on the second floor of a condo so burglars are probably not a problem but it would be hard to use a screw in the lower pad. I might just do both (bracket and supporting the top of the unit) just for safety. The whole reason for this question is because I'm afraid of killing someone on the bottom floor. – Cave Johnson Aug 03 '16 at 22:33
  • @andrew I didn't suppose that burglers were an issue, but opening the window could be an issue. I think that the shelf is the best method, like setting it on a floor; but, if you can't screw it in, that's a concern. – Ben Welborn Aug 03 '16 at 22:55
  • @Andrew ... perhaps it's possible to position the bracket and lean out the window to drive a screw into it. Carefully of course- "Look out belowwwwwwww" FWIW, I had a bracket much less robust than this one on my AC when a tornado hit my town. Sucked the windows out of the back side of my apartment but the AC was untouched. – PaulBinCT2 Aug 03 '16 at 22:58
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NO. the bracket is designed to complement the strength and stability of the upper sash. You must cut a length of lumber to span the opening and stabilize the unit at the top, like the upper sash on a hung window would. Thin Plexiglass alone is not strong enough either.

Jimmy Fix-it
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A simpler solution would be to install a "no drilling and no tools required window A/C bracket". For instance, the TopShelf A/C Bracket installs in minutes from the inside and is adjustable to myriad window sizes and you won't have to drill into the window frame leaving permanent damage to the window frame.

Frank
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