A reliable air conditioner is a must-have on hot summer days. Simpler and (much!) cheaper to install than an HVAC system, a window-mounted unit is one of the easiest and affordable ways to effectively ...

Midwest summers are a hot, sticky affair, and my old house was never outfitted with an HVAC system. So, I have to rely on window and portable air conditioners to cool this 4,000-square-foot space.

Q: I am renting a small, old home without central air conditioning. I have a window air conditioner, and the past few years I’ve awkwardly filled in the space around it with a large piece of plywood.

First it was toilet paper and hand sanitizer, then hair dye and webcams. Now, the latest pandemic “must-have” appears to be an air conditioner. Many Americans who thought that working remotely would ...