House – Stuff!

DIY: Portable AC Dual Hose Window Vent Mount

written 6/27/25, updated 6/27/25

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What

A do-it-yourself single or dual hose window mounting thing

Why

Had a portable AC unit and wanted to mount it to the window

Time and Effort

Time: ~1.5 hours

Effort: Easy-moderate

Materials and Cost

Material

Foamular XR 1″x2’x2′ Rigid Foam Board

HVAC Aluminum Foil Tape

Double Reflective Insulation 24″x10′

Cost

$9.97 (x2 for dual hose setup)

$9.88

$11.97

TOTAL: $41.79

Optional: Removeable Window Sealing Tape (~$10-12)

Note: as of this writing, a dual hose window kit on Amazon will cost you about $33.99; from Home Depot is $37.18. However, you can also buy foam inserts that fit into them for $35.99 because, apparently, the kits don’t keep out heat as well as you’d think.

Owned Supplies

Masking Tape

Painter’s Tape

Tape Measure

Sharpie

Scissors

Foam Knife

Utility Knife

Square

Vent Template

Process

Measurements

Orient the AC unit and figure out how hoses should be placed to figure out how much of the opening you’ll need to fill will the vent mount. Take your measurements which will tell you how much material is needed.

My window is 31″ x 58″ (W x H), with each opening about 28″. I’m working with an Ecoflow Wave 3 for which the hoses have 2 slightly different opening sizes. After orienting the machine and hoses for the space available, I knew that I needed the window to be open about as much as it can be.

NOTE: For a dual hose unit, try to place the exhaust hose higher than the intake hose since heat rises, and air under the hotter expelling air should be cooler. For a single hose unit, you won’t need to open the window as much

Materials

Gather any owned equipment, then procure necessary tools and materials (I ran out to Home Depot)

Note: My window has a screen, so I left it down and placed the vent hoses on the other side. If yours does not have a screen, it would probably be a good idea to factor in a mesh screen to prevent bugs entering the hoses when not in use. Products like Fiberglass Mesh Rolls, or Vent Mesh Rodent/Bird Screens are options.

Fitting

With supplies in hand, test the Rigid Foam Board on the window. Mine was best sitting inside the lip of the window jamb. If more material is needed, measure and mark with the Sharpie. Secure the foam board in place (either lower the window onto it, or use masking tape), then place each vent hose in its desired spot and trace with the Sharpie

Cutting

Time to make cuts! Depending on cutting location, make sure to put down a drop cloth, newspaper, or other covering for easy cleanup. The foam pieces will get everywhere

First off, I put together the main window panel by cutting the piece to make it whole using measurements (in my case about 8in). I used a Square and a Utility Knife to score both sides, then all that’s needed is a little bit of force to snap the piece off (I just used the edge of a chair for leverage)

Next are the holes! My Ecoflow happened to come with a Vent Hole Template, so I used Masking Tape to adhere that to each traced hole

I’m sure a jigsaw would be the easiest and cleanest way to accomplish this, but I wasn’t about to shell out another $200 for that (maybe at some point in the future).

So, I used a Utility Knife to cut the circular shape. Because the foam board was too thick for just the utility knife, I poked holes with a random tool (can be a screwdriver) and connected the lines with a Sharpie.

Then with the utility knife, I cut the round pattern and a cross pattern on either side to facilitate removal

At this point you can use any variety of methods to chip away at the foam (e.g. mallet, screwdriver, knife). I ended up using a Craft Knife to deepen the utility knife cuts all the way around, and it was excellent for smoothing out the holes

Mallet

Craft Knife

Super easy to trim any excess pieces this way

Assembly

Back upstairs! First up: making sure the main panel pieces fit into the window. Next, dry fit the hoses. Used the craft knife to make some adjustments.

Another dry fit of all pieces. Looks good!

Had the hoses oriented the wrong way at first

Now to connect the two pieces of the main panel with the HVAC Aluminum Foil Tape. I’ve never used that kind of tape before. It’s like putting on a vinyl where you have to peel away the backing. When attached, the hold feels extra strong, so be careful not to rush and mess it up.

After another dry fit

Moving on: now to adhere the Double Reflective Insulation. This really is an optional thing, but I wanted to do this because manufacturer wording on the rigid foam boards notes that its only rated to 75F. Given the beating sun and 100F heat, I wanted something else to both block heat and afford a little more weather resistance to the panel.

Fun Note: The material is just like sunshades for a car. One of the favorite things I’ve ever bought are custom driver and passenger window shades for my car, and it literally uses the exact same material except with an edge liner to look pretty

To attach the insulator, use Masking or Painters’ Tape (painter’s is easier to remove) to adhere the material to the foam board, then cut to size. Then, use the HVAC Tape to secure it to the foam board.

Make sure you’re applying it to the proper side!

NOTE: This will add some width to the foam board, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if it’s too tight, you may have to trim some off the foam. I left mine the way it was and just jammed it in there. It was a tight fit, but that works for sealing out weather and bugs. It is foam after all and will compress a little.

Cut the vent holes out with scissors. I left a little bit of excess material around the opening for a little more bug/weather barrier.

Later, I ended up securing each hole with 4 pieces of HVAC Tape because I realized that air movement might balloon out the space between the insulation and the foam board.

That little space between the foam and the insulator is just asking for air to flow into it, billowing things out

Finishing Up

We’re pretty much done at this point! Go ahead and place it all into the window, place all the hoses, and check out your handiwork!

You can see the window screen I left in place to help with bugs

The only thing left to do is to seal the cracks around the foam board and the vent hoses.

I used Masking Tape for easy removal, but if you want something better, buy some Removable Window Sealing Tape (XFasten brand on Amazon is $11.99, appears to be based in Florida).

DONE!

When you want to remove it quickly, just pull the masking tape

Notes

The whole system works well, and removal is as easy as removing tape
Sound is a problem, though. I can hear everything outside. Like birds in the morning. When you’re getting your best sleep. I considered some soundproof paneling to put in front of it but then realized that I don’t use the unit too much unless there’s a heat wave. Not only that, but the panels are pretty expensive.
It also makes my room smell like an attic with all the outdoor smells. Perhaps it would be different if I’d used the Window Sealing Tape?

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DIY: Bed Canopy Frame with PVC

written 6/17/24, updated 7/28/24

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Overview

What

Making a DIY canopy frame over a bed with PVC

Why

Cooling. To trap A/C from floor register underneath a canopy during summer. Room is top floor of a 3-story townhouse. Can be useful for trapping heat in the winter, too.

Time and Effort

1 person project, 2 would be helpful

Time: 1 hour

Effort: Easy

Materials and Cost

4ft 1″ PVC Pipe (your choice of PVC size and height)

PVC Fittings (depends on how many connections you want)

Canopy Material

Fabric Fasteners (ties/clips/hooks/attachments)

Temporary Securements (optional, but recommended)

$93.99 (20 piece)

$24.86 (14 total)

$39.99

$14.99 (25/pack)

$15.98 (Qty: 4)

Other Supplies: Ratcheting PVC Cutter ($14), Driver, Drill Bits

Total Cost: $189.81

PVC Fittings

For this 6′ x 4′ x 6′ canopy, I bought 4′ long PVC at 1″ width (you can choose other sizes and lengths) and used the ratcheting PVC cutter to cut the pieces to 2′ to create 6′ lengths. T

Fittings needed for the 1″ PVC

FORMUFIT, a company that specializes in furniture-grade PVC sells all of these plus more options in many colors. 100% USA made. I bought everything but the 3-way elbows at a local big box store in the PVC aisle because FORMUFIT’s products come in packs of 10.

3-Way Elbow (4 qty)
90-Degree Elbow (4 qty)
External Coupling (4 qty)
Standard Tee (4 qty)

Optional Footers

I didn’t do this, opting for crossbars favoring stability, but using a Reducer Coupling can work as pipe feet

Schematics

Here’s a hand-drawn diagram showing dimensions. This is 6′ x 4′ x 6′ (L x W x H) or 72″ x 48″ x 72″.

For reference:

Bed Size (USA)	Dimensions (L x W)
Twin	75 in x 38 in (6¼ ft x 3⅙ ft)
Twin XL	80 in x 38 in (6⅔ ft x 3⅙ ft)
Full	75 in x 54 in (6¼ ft x 4½ ft)
Queen	80 in x 60 in (6⅔ ft x 5 ft)
King	80 in x 76 in (6⅔ ft x 6⅓ ft)
California King	84 in x 72 in (7 ft x 6 ft)

Why 4′ width when a twin bed is only 3⅙’ wide?

In this instance it’s to try and capture the cool air blowing from the floor duct register, under the overhanging side

This is a Register Booster Fan

Cutting the PVC

There are many options! And they mostly depend on what’s available in your house, how much you want to spend, how much time you mind spending, what mess you want to make/clean up, and future usefulness of any newly bought tools (or will it just sit in a box somewhere for the rest of your life). Options include anything that cuts from manual saws to powered saws to dedicated PVC cutters.

Method 1

My first go-to was the Cordless Multi-tool I’d bought but had yet to use.

Whoops. Cut line and drawn line are not matching!

VERDICT: It will CUT. But it will also make a mess, create rough edges, time consuming, and requires clamps, and it took me a while to figure out if there’s a best blade to use for PVC.

Method 2

I decided to buy a Ratcheting PVC Cutter for $14

VERDICT: It will KEAL and lacerate the PVC. This method is superior. No setting up, no mess at all, smooth edges, and super-fast. No power source

Assembly

Well. There’s not much to say here. You push the pipes into the fittings and form them into whatever shape you want. The hardest part is holding them in place while you fit more. This is why a 2nd person could be useful. I did it by myself.

Fastening

Now, this is optional, especially if your structure will be a temporary one. Before putting them together, I mulled over this a lot. If the shape you formed is solid, you likely don’t need to secure the parts as they’re pretty tight just dry-fitted. However, you have the option of creating permanent or secure-yet-temporary bonds.

Permanent

Many choices out there, but THIS is your traditional plumbing primer and cement. Simply follow the directions and prime then cement.

Make sure to use in a well-ventilated area and beware the purple staining of objects and flesh

Secure-Yet-Removable

There are different methods of doing this: You can use a screw, you can use wood dowels, I read something about using rubber hosing, heck you can use tape if you want to. I tested out a method that’s similar to the others, just a little fancier.

I opted to try Quick Release Pins. They’re a bit pricey for a project like this that would need many to fully secure, and it was difficult to find a size that would not be too long. In the end I only installed the 2 that I bought.

You also need a drill, drill bit, a stool, and a vacuum because it will make a mess.

Hole through and through (drilled from both sides)

Aaaand it doesn’t actually fit through it.

While the first pin could not fully engage the hole (perhaps I drilled it at an angle instead of straight through), the second one did. Advice: err on the larger side when choosing a drill bit. I had to use the bit to ream out the opening from many angles just to get the pin to fit

The pin secures the pipe to the fitting, ensuring that it will not come apart. The only flaw in this is that if you use many fittings, that’s a lot of securements! I chose the top corners of the frame as it would prevent the ends from bowing out if the canopy material ended up being too heavy for the frame.

Canopy

This part, I’m still not super happy about. It was hard to find any canopy curtain/top/fabric at all, let alone one that appealed to me. Aside from sewing one myself from a chosen, ideal fabric (which I may end up doing in the future), I ended up choosing a canvas tarp. My original idea was to use an old fitted sheet. I didn’t consider how slippery the PVC is and after about 15 minutes of wrangling, I gave up. Plus, how would I secure the fitted sheet? The canvas tarp was not only as thick as I wanted it to be, but it came in a white color. If I want to trap cool air, I don’t want it to absorb heat as a darker color.

White 8′ x10′ Canvas Tarp

6″ Bungee Ball Cords

Assembly

8′ x 10′ seems large, doesn’t it? It kind of is… I thought that having the extra length would make it easier to drape and less likely to slip off. Also, that way, I can let the sides down as I please. Later, I thought about spiders making webs in the folds…

Then a new problem arose:

THE CORNERS

What to do? How to fasten? To this day, I don’t really know the best option apart from cutting it and sewing it together (which would bring me back to square one with the canopy). I just kind of did something.

Does it Work?

After all of that, does the canopy work? Does it trap cool air? I have to be honest, I’m not fully sure! I think there is an improvement, yes, but it’s still not an end-all solution. On the very hot days, I was hot and stuffy and found it hard to sleep. Lowering the sides did make a difference, and I also ended up buying an Airtight Ripstop Nylon Fabric thinking that perhaps the tarp, which was made to be breathable, was TOO breathable.

HOWEVER. I do have a FLIR camera, so here are two interesting FLIR images (note: these images were taken before the addition of the airtight fabric on top):

A/C register behind the bed in the image (where the blue is)

Blue is cool and yellow is hot. The A/C register is on the right side of the rightmost image. There IS a coolness to the canopy compared to the area outside of the canopy. So, yes, in a word, yes, I think it does work.

VERDICT: Yes. It does trap cool air and maintains cooler temperatures than the surrounding air. Having a fan to further direct the air coming from the register might make it more effective at cooling.

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