Portable Air Conditioner Vented Through Wall With Stealthy Magnetic Cover Hose too short or no window? Hang in there, and keep cool!

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Portable Air Conditioner vented through wall

Air conditioner vent hose too short? No window? No Problem!

Extending the exhaust hose can overheat and ruin these expensive coolers. Vent your portable AC through the wall, with a stealthy magnetic interior cover.

Make a simple and discreet magnetic cover to hide the interior vent hole when not in use. Insulate the wall passage to eliminate drafts and heat loss in the winter. Keep bugs and critters outside with a louvered exterior vent cover.

 

The problem:

Our house is cooled by an evaporative cooler (aka swamp cooler). It keeps the main floor of the house comfortable, but doesn’t reach the office. It gets really hot in there.

Our portable air conditioner is a great one. It’s a Honeywell 10,000 BTU and we love it, but like most portable ACs, it MUST be vented to function properly. And like most portables, it comes with a very short exhaust hose that won’t reach the only window in the office.

I thought the simple solution was to add an extension hose, but my dreams of simplicity were shattered. It turns out that extending the hoses on these machines creates too much back pressure and can quickly overheat and kill them. Not good…

Now what? Suffer in the heat? Only use the office in the winter?

Home office with caution tape and "closed for season" sign

“It’s too hot in here!”

Closing down a sweltering room for the summer is not really an option…

Home office with caution tape and "closed for season" sign

“It’s too hot in here!”

Closing down a sweltering room for the summer is not really an option…

 

The solution:

The only way around the problem was to go through it! (The wall, that is…)

Poking a hole through the wall might seem like a huge job, but it’s actually pretty easy. My biggest concern was having an open vent, and all the expensive heat blowing out of the house (and my wallet) in the wintertime. Another issue was having a gaping hole in the wall creating an eyesore.

The solution is to make the vent easy to seal off and insulate. The eyesore concern is solved by making a magnetic cover that snaps over the hole when the AC is not connected and in use. It’s not much more visible than a light switch or outlet cover. And, it can be made from just about any type of material or painted to match your decor!

The video below shows the steps in detail to make this a project that just about anyone can manage. 

 

Chameleon looking at vent cover, saying "not too shabby"

Magnetic vent cover blends in when portable air conditioner is not in use

 

Summary of Steps:

  1. Determine placement of vent
  2. Cut inside hole
  3. Build simple wooden duct box to go through wall
  4. Cut outside hole
  5. Make a magnetic cover
  6. Embed window vent faceplate into wall
  7. Attach air conditioner hose to vent
  8. Enjoy your cool, comfortable room!

Show us your vent!  Now you can share photos in the comments below! 

 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, I may earn a small commission on items bought using them. These are the same recommendations I would make regardless of any compensation. For products that I have older versions of, I recommend the items that I would replace them with if I were buying them new. 

Resources for Portable Air Conditioner Vent Through Window

These are the tools I used in this project. You do not need all of them, so feel free to substitute with tools you have available.

Skil 7-1/4″ Circular Saw with Single Beam Laser Guide

From Amazon
Lightweight, reduces fatigue. Dust blower keeps sightline visible.

1-1/4″ Electric Brad Nailer

From Amazon
For assembling wood frames. Alternative to air compressor/pneumatic nailer

3 Gallon 1/3 HP Air Compressor

From Amazon
Light duty compressor, perfect for brad nailers, tires, etc.

18GA Pneumatic Brad Nailer

From Amazon
Inexpensive alternative if air compressor available

Bora WTX Clamp Edge Straight Cut Guide for Circular Saws, 50″

From Amazon
Clamping aluminum guide rail for clean, straight cuts

IRWIN QUICK-GRIP Bar Clamp, Medium-Duty, 12″

From Amazon
For supporting cross braces while attaching, as shown in video

Frost King Magnetic Vent Covers 3-pack, white

From Amazon
8″ x 15″, can be painted, stenciled or wall papered to match

 

There are more DIY projects in the works, so stay tuned to Uncharted DIY. Feel free to comment, post photos of your Portable Air Conditioner project or ask questions.

Uncharted DIY is for DIY enthusiasts tackling uncommon projects, utilizing common tools and often on a limited budget

Uncharted DIY is for DIY enthusiasts tackling uncommon projects, utilizing common tools and often on a limited budget