Okay so here is the thing.
I have been running this storage place for about seven years now. And every single fall, without fail, people start dragging their window AC units through my doors. They are sweating, they are cussing, they are usually late for something else. And they just want to dump the thing and get out of here.
I get it. I really do.
Those things are heavy. They are awkward. The corners dig into your arms. And by the time September hits, you are so tired of looking at it hanging out your window like some kind of ugly metal tumor. You just want it gone.
But here is what I see happen every spring.
People come back. They open up their unit. They pull out the AC. They take it home. And then they call me two days later, pissed off, because it does not work.
And I have to be the one to tell them that they killed it.
Not on purpose. They did not drop it or smash it. They just stored it wrong. And now they are out four hundred bucks and it is ninety degrees outside and every store is sold out of ACs because everyone else’s broke too.
It is a mess.
So let me just tell you the stuff I wish I could scream from the rooftop every October.
That Water Inside Is Not Going Anywhere
Here is something nobody thinks about.
When you run your AC, it pulls moisture out of the air. That water has to go somewhere. Most units have a little tray at the bottom that catches it. Some of it evaporates. Some of it drips outside. But some of it just sits there.
And when you yank that unit out of the window and tilt it sideways, all that water sloshes around inside.
Then you wrap it up in plastic. You stick it in the corner of your garage. And that water just sits there. For six months. Getting gross. Growing stuff.
I have seen units that smelled like a swamp when people opened them up in the spring. I have seen mold growing on the inside of the plastic cover. I have seen rust eating away at the metal coils.
And the worst part? You cannot see any of this until you take it all apart.
So here is what I do with my own AC.
- Take it outside after unplugging it.
- Set it on my patio table tilted forward slightly.
- Let the water drip out the back.
- Leave it there for a full day, sometimes two if it is cloudy.
Is it annoying? Yeah. Does my wife complain about the AC sitting on the patio table? You bet she does. But you know what she does not complain about? The AC smelling like death when we turn it on in June.
The Oil Thing Is Not a Joke
This is the one that gets people every time.
Inside your AC, there is a compressor. It is the heavy part. And inside that compressor, there is oil. It keeps the motor lubricated.
When you lay the unit on its side, that oil drains out of the compressor and into the refrigerant lines. Those lines are not designed to hold oil. So the oil just sits there.
Then you stand the unit back up. You plug it in. The compressor kicks on. And it tries to pump that oil through the system. But the oil is in the wrong place. It cannot get where it needs to go. The compressor seizes up. The motor burns out.
And that is it. Game over.
- Take it outside after unplugging it.
- Set it on my patio table tilted forward slightly.
- Let the water drip out the back.
- Leave it there for a full day, sometimes two if it is cloudy.
I had a guy named Tom who stored his AC with us one year. He brought it in standing up. I saw him. He stood it up in his unit. I thought, “Good, this guy knows what he is doing.”
He came back in the spring. His unit was still standing up. He took it home. And his wife called me two days later screaming that the AC was broken.
I asked Tom what happened. He said, “I do not know, I just took it home and plugged it in.”
Then I asked him how he transported it.
He laid it flat in the back of his minivan. For forty-five minutes. On its side.
That oil drained out. And he killed it.
So please. Keep it upright. Always. If you have to lay it down to get it in your car, fine. But stand it up for a full day before you turn it on. Let the oil drain back. It is not a guarantee, but it is the only chance you have.
Covers Are a Trap
I hate those plastic covers they sell at the hardware store.
Everyone buys them. Everyone wraps their AC up tight like they are protecting a priceless artifact. And then they store it in their garage where it gets hot and cold and humid.
And guess what happens under that plastic cover?
Condensation.
The temperature changes. Moisture forms. And that moisture gets trapped against the metal. Rust starts forming. The coils corrode. The fan motor gets damp and seizes up.
Here is what actually works:
- Use a cotton bedsheet or drop cloth instead of plastic.
- Keep dust off but let the unit breathe.
- Air circulation prevents moisture buildup.
- Rust is your enemy. Do not give it a chance..
If you are really worried about bugs, stuff a rag in the front vent and another one in the back vent. That stops the spiders from moving in.
But do not seal it up tight. That is a mistake.
Where Do You Store This Thing?
This is the part where I sound like I am selling something.
But I am not. I am just telling you what I see.
Basements are damp. Garages freeze and bake. Sheds have mice.
I have a customer who stored his AC in his basement one winter. His basement flooded. Not a big flood, just a little water from a spring thaw. But that water got into the AC. And it ruined it.
Another customer stored his in his garage. It got so cold that the plastic fan blades became brittle. When he turned it on in the spring, one of the blades shattered and flew through the grille.
So where do you put it?
If you have a dry basement that does not flood, use it. If you have a climate-controlled storage unit, use it. If you have a spare bedroom that does not get too hot or too cold, use it.
But do not leave it in a place that gets extreme temperatures or high humidity.
We offer climate-controlled units at our facility. They are not cheap. But neither is a new AC. And if you add up the cost of replacing a broken unit every few years, the storage unit pays for itself.
The Dryer Sheet Thing Works
I know it sounds dumb.
But I have been telling people to do this for years and it actually works.
Tuck a scented dryer sheet into the front vent. Tuck another one into the back vent. Mice and spiders hate the smell. They will not go near it.
I had a lady call me once and say, “I pulled my AC out of storage and there was a dead mouse right next to the dryer sheet. It did not even try to get inside.”
That is a win in my book.
The Cord
I see people wrap the power cord around the unit so tight that it leaves marks in the metal.
Just loop it loosely and use a zip tie to hold it together. Do not wrap it tight. Do not pinch it. Do not let it dangle and get caught on things.
The cord is the most vulnerable part of the whole unit. If it gets cracked or frayed, the whole thing becomes a fire hazard.
Listen, I Am Not Your Dad
I am not here to lecture you.
I am just a guy who runs a storage place and sees people make the same mistakes over and over again.
Clean the filter. Dry it out. Keep it upright. Do not seal it in plastic. Tuck in a dryer sheet. Store it somewhere dry and cool.
That is it. That is all you have to do.
If you do not have room at home, bring it to us. We will keep it safe. We will keep it dry. We will make sure no mice move in while it is sitting there.
But the oil thing? That is on you. I can not fix that for you.
Just keep it upright.
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