Air Conditioner Options For A Room With No Window

When the heat gets too much to bear in a room with no window, your options are often limited. If you have rooms or areas that need cooling but lack windows for a window-mounted AC unit, a more permanent air conditioner will need to be installed. Fortunately, there are a few options for cooling your windowless room. Deciding which option makes the best cooling solution for you is contingent upon your level of HVAC expertise along with your financial situation. To help you choose wisely, let’s examine the air conditioner options for a room with no window.

Is it Possible to Install an Air Conditioner in a Room Without Windows?

It is still possible to install an air conditioner in a room without any windows. One semi-temporary solution people often choose is using portable air conditioners. But when appearance counts, more permanent systems like a mini-split HVAC unit or through-the-wall-air conditioner can cool a space without a window. To determine which makes the most sense for your setup, let’s look at the top three methods for cooling a room without windows.

What Sort of Air Conditioner Should I Get if I Don’t Have Any Windows?

Two temporary options for cooling a room without any windows include portable air conditioners and evaporative cooling systems. These are relatively simple devices to set up but do have some drawbacks. 

For starters, only dry climates can employ evaporative cooling systems, which cool using water instead of air. The evaporative cooler won’t function appropriately if exposed to a lot of humidity.

When it comes to portable air conditioners, you will need a hose and vent with a diameter of between 5 and 7 inches to pump air into another space that doesn’t require cooling or outside.

If you’re seeking something more permanent, mini-split units are a popular choice, but they require refrigerant lines that run from the indoor unit to the outside unit. To run the refrigerant lines, also called a line-set, you’ll need a trained HVAC technician to drill a hole of three to four inches to run the lines, along with connecting everything up. However, mini-split units don’t require ductwork to be installed, which saves considerable installation time and cost. As a result, many HVAC service providers can make air conditioning in a room without windows less expensive by using mini-splits.

3 Options For An Air Conditioner For A Room With No Window

Now that we’ve covered some basics on temporary air conditioning solutions, here are the three most common methods for air conditioning in a room with no windows. 

1. Mini Split Systems

A mini-split system is a popular alternative for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in a space without any windows. A major advantage is that they can deliver both heating and air conditioning in a considerably more energy-efficient manner. They’re also less noisy than wall air conditioners.

One significant drawback is that the evaporator coil and condenser need to be positioned in separate locations, which is why they’re called mini-splits. The two system parts are connected by copper line sets that transport coolant and require professional installation, similar to a central air conditioning system.

The biggest benefit of a mini-split aside from energy efficiency is that they’re ductless. This means you won’t have to pay to get an HVAC company to install ductwork throughout the home, which requires extensive cutting of your walls and floors. That element makes a mini-split a great middle-road alternative to central air or wall air conditioners.

2. Central Air Conditioning

When the installation cost is less of a concern and you just want a cooler space, central air conditioning delivers in spades. 

Central air conditioning systems use ductwork to deliver air to rooms without windows by using a blower unit that’s usually placed somewhere central inside the home and a condenser unit that’s placed outside the home. 

Of course, these systems are the most expensive of these three options and require extensive installation work by professionals. Therefore, this solution really only makes sense if you need to cool multiple rooms, regardless of whether they have windows or not.

3. Through The Wall Air Conditioning Units

If you don’t have a window but can make a hole in your wall, you can install a wall air conditioner. One key benefit is not needing to pay a professional for installation as you do with a central air system or a mini-split system.

Just keep in mind that mini-splits are generally more efficient than wall air conditioning units. If your space is on the larger side, the extra cost could save you money over time in reduced energy bills.

When you’re only trying to cool a small to medium-size space, a wall air conditioner, such as a PTAC Unit, continues to be widely used because they’re inexpensive yet highly effective. These small air conditioners are perfect for rooms with no windows.

Which Option is Best for Your Home?

We hope this guide to the various AC systems available has helped you solve the problem of cooling your windowless space. If you’re still unsure which option is best for your situation, an expert HVAC technician might be able to suggest the best course of action. 

You can also find more direction by reading reviews and posts in online groups to see what others have tried and what works best. Platforms and websites like YouTube and Pinterest offer up lots of novel ideas and tips, and Facebook Groups can help you find helpful tips from people who’ve been in your shoes.

For those who aren’t planning on staying in the home for much longer might instead choose a temporary solution, such as portable devices. Just remember that unless you live in an area with low humidity, you will still need to cut a hole to the outside.

The good news is that air conditioning systems come in many configurations to keep your home cool without breaking your budget. Sometimes you just need to get creative or hire the help of a professional.