Skip to main content LiveIt's A/C season: Here's what you need to know now Forget mosquitoes: The onset of summer in NYC is marked by the universal hum of millions of window air conditioners. But are you up to date on the city's A/C rules? In the past, we've covered such critical A/C issues as whether it’s worth the money to get your unit cleaned out, tipping advice for installation, and how to install an A/C if window bars get in the way (carefully). Below, a few other must-knows:Who does the installing?Installing a window unit isn’t your super’s responsibility, it’s yours, says property manager Mark Levine of Excel Bradshaw Management Group. “Unless this is a pre-established policy within the building, a renter or unit owner shouldn’t assume that it will be taken care of by the building staff,” he says.But Levine cautions that apartment dwellers shouldn't do it themselves. Since installing a window A/C incorrectly could spell disaster for New Yorkers walking by your building, he recommends outsourcing, especially since many companies provide properly insured installation services when you purchase a new unit.

What will it cost?Brick Underground compared prices at some local air-conditioner installers to see how much it’ll cost to get your cool on and found a wide range of pricing for window installation, all of which depend upon size and type of air conditioner and whether or not bracket installation is required.Air-Wave Air Conditioning quotes $245 and up; Five Borough AC starts at $200, and Mike’s Air Conditioning starts at $195.What about brackets?NYC law actually takes the frightening possibility of A/C accidents into account by requiring that window air conditioners installed in buildings six stories and higher be secured with metal brackets or mounting rails. (More information on city guidelines is here.)Worst case scenario: The A/C falls outAnd what if, despite your best efforts, the A/C still falls out your window? You’re responsible for it, says Jeff Schneider of Gotham Brokerage (fyi, a Brick sponsor), who explains that such an occurrence falls under the personal liability portion of most renters insurance policies, which typically covers at least $100,000 worth of damage. 

“But that’s only if you’re not doing intentional damage,” says Schneider. “So you can’t throw [an A/C] at someone."***Updated on June 1, 2016. You need a dependable air conditioning unit this summer, and P.C. Richard & Son is your air conditioner headquarters. The selection of wall and window air conditioners we have for sale is certain to keep your house cool during those hot days. Shop our huge selection of air conditioners for sale at P.C. Richard & Son today and see why customers come to us for all their AC needs!Air Conditioning For Dummies NEW YORK — If there's one month of the year when you need an air conditioner in New York City, it's August. So unless you're one of the minority who has decided to survive summer in the city without a cooling unit, buying an air conditioner is one of those things that requires a conversation with an experienced salesperson. Pick a store that's been around a long time and has installed many units in different urban-dwelling scenarios.

(My favorite is RCI on the Upper West Side. They've been in business since 1934.) Really good independent appliance stores can have decent installation deals, too, but it's worth comparing prices. When you go to the store, bring these key pieces of information:how to make mini ac unit 1) Approximate cubic square feet you want to cool;small indoor air conditioner cover 2) Estimate of how much direct sunlight the room gets;best small window ac units 4) Photo of the electrical outlet you're going to use. I know nothing about electricity, but your apartment should be wired so that there's a dedicated air-conditioner outlet. Instead of figuring out how much voltage your outlet has, take a photo or be prepared to describe the shape to an installer.

In deciding what window to use, remember that it's against the law to put an air conditioner in your fire escape window. Pick a window that sacrifices as little natural light as possible, and also consider having the unit installed at the top of the window. There are also options where you can have the air conditioner installed and still open and close the window without the unit falling out. When booking an installer, ask about getting a metal bracket cut to size and drilled into the window frame to allow you to anchor the unit while using the window above. Considering that the ozone-depleting refrigerant HCFC is being phased out gradually by the U.S. government (and is already illegal in many countries), you might want to consider purchasing a brand that is not contributing to global warming. Frigidaire and Kenmore models are ubiquitous in city apartments, but Friedrich is really the Cadillac of cool air. We had the same Friedrich for more than 20 years in our prewar co-op.

If you can spend a little extra on this company's latest model, it's worth it. I have the old Frigidaire that came with my current apartment, but my dream air conditioner is the Friedrich Kuhl series — and the guys at RCI recommend it, too. It's the sleekest unit on the market. You can control it with your smartphone and program its settings on a seven-day schedule. I grew up thinking that air conditioners always had those awful plastic accordion extensions on either side. And that dreadful, drafty foam. Plexiglass is the solution for all window air conditioners. It costs slightly more, but it keeps the cold air in and makes the air conditioning unit less of an eyesore. Every time I watch an air conditioner being installed in an apartment window, I wonder why there aren't more falling out. Those things are heavy and precarious, so use caution. ► Make sure the air conditioning unit is installed securely. Support the unit from underneath, or firmly fasten it from inside with metal brackets, mounting rails and the like.