What is the difference between a window and a through-the-wall air conditioner?

A window unit rests in the window opening and is held by the sash and a support bracket, so it can be taken out at the end of the season. A through-the-wall unit slides into a permanent metal sleeve set through an exterior wall, which leaves your window free and seals better, but it has to be framed and installed once. Cooling capacity ranges overlap heavily, so the choice is really about the opening you want to use.

Window AC Units and Air Conditioners

Cool-Only Air Conditioners: Window and Through-the-Wall Units

A cooling-only air conditioner does one job and does it cheaply, which is exactly what most rooms in Florida and Georgia need. BrandsMart USA carries window units, through-the-wall units and quiet inverter models sized from a small bedroom up to a large open living area.

Measure the room and the window before you shop, because both numbers decide what will work. If you also want heat for the few cold nights a Southeast winter brings, look at the wider heating and cooling department instead.

Shop Cooling by Type and Setup

Heat and cool window units. The same size and shape as a cool-only unit, with a heating mode for January. Worth the small premium if the room gets chilly.
Portable air conditioners. For casement windows, sliders and rentals where you cannot mount anything in the opening.
Mini-split systems. Ductless indoor heads with an outdoor compressor. Quieter and more efficient than a window unit, and they leave the window clear.
Fans. A tower or oscillating fan spreads the cooled air and lets you set the thermostat a couple of degrees higher.
Heaters. The cheap way to cover a cold snap if you would rather keep your air conditioner cooling-only.
Air purifiers. For pollen and dust, which a window unit's filter is not designed to catch.

Shopping by brand is straightforward too. Compare Midea air conditioners for inverter models and app control, Frigidaire air conditioners for dependable cooling across every common size, or Friedrich air conditioners for heavier-duty build quality and through-the-wall installs. GE and LG are here as well. See the full brand lineup.

Why Buy Your Air Conditioner From BrandsMart USA

Large showrooms in Florida and Georgia. Find your nearest store to see the actual size and weight of a unit, and hear how loud it really is.
Financing is one of the better reasons to buy here. There is more than one way to spread the cost, and they work differently. The BrandsMart USA credit card carries 0% promotional financing on qualifying purchases, with the length of the term depending on the category and the amount. Katapult lease-to-own needs no credit at all, and you can check your buying power without affecting your credit score. Klarna splits a purchase into interest-free installments with a decision in seconds. Because those are three separate programs rather than one, a route that is not a fit for you does not have to be the end of it.
A clear return policy. Our return and refund policy covers exchanges and refunds, with return windows that vary by product type. Keep the original packaging until you are sure it is a keeper.
Friendly, expert help in the showroom. Our appliance team works with these models every day and will happily walk you through checking BTU capacity against your room and your window or wall opening. No pressure and no jargon: tell them your space and your budget, and they will help you shortlist.
Take it home today or have it delivered. Use in-store pickup for smaller units, or review our delivery and installation details for the bigger ones.
Competitive pricing, and offers worth checking. Our 110% low price guarantee applies if you find the same model advertised for less, and it is worth looking through appliance deals before you order.

What size air conditioner do I need for my room?

Work out the square footage of the room, then match it to the model's rated coverage. About 6,000 BTU suits 150 to 250 square feet, 8,000 BTU suits 250 to 350, 10,000 to 12,000 BTU suits 350 to 450, and 14,000 BTU suits 500 to 700. Add capacity for direct sun, high ceilings or a kitchen, and check the room-size rating on the model before you order.

Is it bad to buy an air conditioner that is too powerful?

Yes, and it is the most common mistake in this category. An oversized unit cools the air quickly, shuts off, and never runs long enough to remove humidity, so the room ends up cold and clammy. It also short-cycles, which wears the compressor. Buy for the room you have, not for the hottest day you can imagine.

Do window air conditioners need a special outlet?

Smaller units, generally up to about 12,000 BTU, plug into a standard 115-volt outlet, and that outlet should be on a circuit that is not already loaded. Larger units usually require a dedicated 230-volt circuit with a matching receptacle, which an electrician has to install. Check the plug type on the specification sheet first, and never use an extension cord.

Are inverter air conditioners worth the extra money?

For a bedroom or a home office, usually yes. An inverter modulates compressor speed instead of cycling fully on and off, so it holds the temperature steadier, removes more humidity and runs noticeably quieter. It also uses less power over a long cooling season, which is most of the year here.

What does ENERGY STAR mean on an air conditioner?

It means the model has been certified to use meaningfully less electricity than the minimum federal standard for its size. Over a nine-month cooling season that shows up on the power bill. Compare the efficiency figure on the yellow label between the models you are considering, and check the rebate center in case a manufacturer or utility offer applies.

Where does the water go in a window air conditioner?

Outside, as long as the unit is pitched correctly. Window models are meant to sit with a slight downward tilt toward the exterior so condensation drains off the back. If yours drips inside, the tilt is wrong or the drain channel is blocked. Portable units either evaporate the water or collect it in a tank you empty.

Can I install a window air conditioner myself?

Most window units are designed for it, and they come with side curtains, a support bracket and instructions. Get a second person for anything over about 60 pounds, use the bracket, and check the sash and sill are sound before you load them. Through-the-wall installs and 230-volt wiring are not DIY jobs. See our delivery and installation details for what our team can handle.

Should I get a cool-only unit or one that heats too?

In most of Florida a cool-only unit is all you need, and it costs less. If the room gets genuinely cold for a few weeks, or you are in North Georgia, a window unit with a heating mode saves you buying and storing a separate heater. The physical size and window fit are much the same either way.

What if my window is a slider or a casement?

Standard window units will not fit either one securely. Use a portable air conditioner with the vent kit made for sliding windows, or have a through-the-wall unit installed. Do not try to prop a window unit in an opening it was not designed for.

Where can I see air conditioners in person near me?

BrandsMart USA has large showrooms across Florida and Georgia with window, through-the-wall and portable units on display, so you can check the dimensions and controls before you buy. Find your nearest showroom and bring your window and room measurements.

Do portable air conditioners have to be vented out a window?

Yes. A portable air conditioner produces hot air that has to go somewhere outside the room, so it needs a hose running to a window kit, a sliding door, or a vent. A unit running without that hose connected is just moving heat around the room and adding to it. The detail worth knowing is single hose against dual hose: a single-hose unit pulls conditioned air from the room and pushes it outside, which draws warm air in from elsewhere in the house, while a dual-hose unit takes its exhaust air from outside and is noticeably more effective in a hot climate.

What financing options are available on air conditioners?

All of ours apply here, though at this price point the shorter routes are usually the practical ones. Klarna splits a purchase into interest-free installments with a decision in seconds, and Katapult is lease-to-own with no credit needed, so you can check your buying power without affecting your credit score. The BrandsMart USA credit card also carries 0% promotional financing on qualifying purchases, which matters more if the air conditioner is part of a larger order. See the financing page for current terms.

1. Size it by room square footage, and do not round up

Multiply the room's length by its width, then match that to the model's rated coverage. Roughly speaking, 150 to 250 square feet wants about 6,000 BTU, 250 to 350 square feet about 8,000 BTU, 350 to 450 square feet about 10,000 to 12,000 BTU, and 500 to 700 square feet about 14,000 BTU. Add capacity for a sunny room, a high ceiling, a kitchen or a room with several people in it.

2. Understand why oversizing is the classic mistake here

An air conditioner dehumidifies while it cools, and it only does that while the compressor is running. An oversized unit hits the set temperature in a few minutes, shuts off, and leaves the moisture in the air. The result is a room that is cold and damp rather than comfortable, plus more wear from constant short cycling. In Florida especially, a correctly sized unit running longer cycles feels dramatically better than a bigger one.

3. Choose window, through-the-wall or portable

A window unit is the cheapest and simplest option and fits a standard double-hung window. A through-the-wall unit slides into a sleeve cut through an exterior wall, which suits rooms with no suitable window and leaves the glass clear, but it is a construction job the first time. A portable sits on the floor and vents out through a hose, which is the fallback when the window will not take anything. A ductless mini-split is the step up if you want near-silent operation.

4. Check the electrical supply

Units up to about 12,000 BTU normally run on a standard 115-volt household outlet. Above that, many models need a dedicated 230-volt circuit with a specific plug type, and adding one is an electrician's job. Compare the plug configuration and amp draw on the specification sheet against the outlet in the room, and never use an extension cord or power strip with an air conditioner.

5. Compare efficiency, and look at inverter models

The efficiency rating on the yellow label tells you what the unit costs to run, which matters when the cooling season is nine months long. ENERGY STAR certified models use meaningfully less power than the minimum standard. Inverter or variable-speed units go further: instead of switching the compressor fully on and off, they modulate it, which holds the temperature steadier, dehumidifies better and runs much quieter. If the unit is going in a bedroom, that quietness is usually worth the price difference.

6. Plan the drainage and the seal

In a humid climate an air conditioner pulls a surprising amount of water out of the air. Window units are installed with a slight tilt to the outside so it drains away, and a unit set dead level or tipped inward will drip onto your floor. Through-the-wall sleeves need the same outward pitch. Seal the side panels and the gap above the sash properly as well, since warm humid air leaking back in makes the unit work harder than it should.

A window air conditioner or a portable one?

If the room has a standard double-hung window, take the window unit. At the same BTU rating it cools better, sounds quieter from the bed or the desk, and costs less, because the compressor and the condenser sit outside the glass instead of on your floor. It also deals with condensate for you: pitched slightly outward, the water drains off the back, and you never think about it again, which is worth something in a climate where a working unit pulls gallons a day out of the air.

Take a portable when the opening will not accept anything else. A casement that cranks outward, a horizontal slider, an awning window, a rental that forbids mounting hardware, or a wall of fixed glass are all real reasons to roll a unit in instead. Accept what comes with it: you hear the compressor as well as the fan, the exhaust hose is a hot pipe crossing the room, and a single-hose design exhausts household air outdoors and draws warm humid air back in through the nearest gap, which quietly costs you capacity. If a portable is the answer, pick a dual-hose model, do not undersize it, seal the window kit properly, and set up a continuous drain rather than emptying a tank all summer.

Cooling-only, or a unit that also heats?

Stay cooling-only. For the large majority of rooms here the season runs from March into November, cool-only models cost less at the same capacity, and the money is better spent stepping up to an inverter unit that holds temperature steadier, removes more moisture and runs noticeably quieter in a bedroom. Nine months of better comfort beats three weeks of convenience.

The exception is a room the central heat does not reach on the cold nights, which comes up far more often in metro Atlanta and north Georgia than in Miami: a garage conversion, a room over a carport, an in-law suite, a bedroom at the end of a long duct run. There a single heat and cool window unit saves buying, storing and dragging out a separate heater every winter, and the cabinet size and window fit are essentially the same as the cool-only version. If it really is only a few nights a year, a portable heater costs less than paying for a heating mode you barely use.

Opening the doors and pulling out the drawers tells you more than any spec sheet, and every air conditioner here can be seen in person. We have eleven showrooms across South Florida and metro Atlanta.

Florida. Miami, Dadeland and South Dade in the Miami area, Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Outlet Center in Lauderhill, Deerfield Beach, Dania Pointe in Dania Beach, and West Palm Beach.
Georgia. North Atlanta, South Atlanta in Stockbridge, and Kennesaw.

Each store page has the address, phone number and current showroom hours. You can also find the store nearest you or order online and collect in store.

Buy it whichever way is easiest. Most air conditioners fit in a car, so you can order online and pick it up in store, have it delivered, or walk into one of our showrooms across Florida and Georgia and take one home the same day. Financing is available on qualifying purchases, including a lease-to-own route that needs no credit. Measure your window or wall opening first, since that decides which models are even an option.

Cool Only Air

Midea
8,000 BTU 115V Smart Window Air Conditioner with Comfort Sense Remote

Frigidaire
8,000 BTU Window Room Air Conditioner with Wi-Fi

LG
12,000 BTU 110-120 Volt 12.1 EER Window Air Conditioner

Friedrich
Smart Chill Premier 12,000 BTU 115 Volt 12 EER Window Cool Only Air Conditioner with Slide Out Chassis

Frigidaire
12,000 BTU Window Room Air Conditioner

Friedrich
8000 BTU 10.9 CEER Slide-out Chassis Window Air Conditioner

Friedrich
Smart Chill® Premier Inverter 15000 BTU 14.4 CEER Window Air Conditioner - White

TCL
10,000 BTU Smart Window Air Conditioner

Midea
5,000 BTU 56dBA Window Air Conditioner with ComfortSense Remote

Friedrich
Chill® Premier Inverter 18,000 BTU 230 Volts 14.4 CEER Window Air Conditioner

Friedrich
Smart Chill Premier 10,000 BTU 115 Volt 12.1 EER Window Cool Only Air Conditioner with Slide Out Chassis

Midea
5,000 BTU 52 dBA 115 Volt Window Air Conditioner

Friedrich
6000 BTU 11 EER Slide-out Chassis Window Air Conditioner

LG
10,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner

Friedrich
Chill® Premier Inverter 24,000 BTU 230 Volts 15 CEER Window Air Conditioner

Frigidaire
10,000 BTU Window Room Air Conditioner

LG
8,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner

LG
10,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner with Cooling System

LG
8,000 BTU Smart Wi-Fi Enabled Window Air Conditioner

Friedrich
18,000 BTU Slide Out Chassis Window AC with Precision Inverter Technology

TCL
5,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner - White

TCL
6000BTU Window Air Conditioner - White

Friedrich
Smart Uni-Fit® 14,000 BTU 230 Volt 9.4 EER Window Cool Only Air Conditioner