How I Made My Ragtag Band of Window ACs Smarter Than Central Air
It is a timeworn custom of mine that, after enduring a few weeks of the inferno that is high summer in New York City, when the scorched streets shimmer with heat and a funky reek blankets the air, I tear my hair and rage at myself for not living in a place with central air conditioning. Like many other city dwellers, I depend instead on a ragtag band of window air conditioners, but running from room to room turning them on and off all day and night in hopes of not being bankrupted by the power company is a full-time job. As with many other modern conveniences, however, it turns out that you can use a few easy smart-home tricks—automated actions like Routines and Schedules—to make these machines more efficiently and comfortably cool your home by mimicking a whole-home system. (And yes, you can enlist Alexa’s help, too.)
If, like me, you already own several window units, the quickest path to smartening them up is simply to buy a smart plug-in outlet (also called a smart plug or smart switch) for each unit. You can find tons of models to choose from, but be sure to buy only the kind that is capable of handling the often high amperage draw of an AC unit—we like Wemo smart plugs for that reason (and a lot of other reasons; you can see them all in our guide to the best plug-in smart outlets). Once you set your smart switches up with your smartphone, you plug your ACs in and turn them on—and then the smart-home magic begins. At the most basic level, you can turn any or all of your ACs on and off, from anywhere you like, using a smartphone app. In fact, you can also use your voice to do that, via your phone or any smart speaker—Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, or Google Nest. You can’t adjust the temperature or change the cooling modes this way, but you can preset your ACs to a specific setting so that they cool each room to its own temperature. (That’s usually impossible with central air, but a mini-split system can pull it off.)
You can also have all your switches react to the same command at once by going into the smartphone app and connecting them together as a Group; or you might even make a few Groups, called Upstairs and Downstairs, for instance, or Bedrooms. That way you can turn a select bunch of devices on or off all at once rather than individually.
A step up from controlling your ACs one at a time or as a Group is to automate your plug-in outlets so that each AC runs more or less on its own, without your needing to turn devices on and off at all. Using the smartphone app (or a compatible smart-home platform like Alexa, Apple’s HomeKit, or Google Assistant, among many others) you can create a Schedule, which is like the digital version of a traditional lighting timer: You set the switch to turn on and off at specific times throughout the day. That way you might have one Group of ACs turn on during the day, have the Bedroom Group of ACs turn on an hour before bed, and then have them turn off again in the middle of the night. But wait—we’re just getting started!
Things get even more sophisticated if you incorporate Routines (using Alexa) or Automations (using Apple HomeKit), which are automated actions based on a host of other factors: the time of day, the temperature, motion, other smart devices, your location, and so on. Using the Alexa app or Apple Home app, in about a minute you can set things up so that your smart switches turn off when you leave the house and turn back on when you return. Using Alexa you can create custom voice commands, as well. When I walk in the house and it’s hotter than Hades, I can choose the nuclear option: I bellow “Alexa, chill this house out,” all four AC units kick on, and Alexa responds with “Keeping things cool like Fonzie.” Correctamundo!
Smart plugs are the simplest option, but for a more permanent setup you might consider installing a smart electrical outlet, which functionally works the same but is more streamlined and less likely to get unplugged accidentally (we don’t have a pick in this category yet, but we have used an iDevices model with both Alexa and HomeKit, and it works well).
And if you haven’t already purchased a window AC or are looking to upgrade, you can now find several models that have smart capabilities built in. We especially like the Midea smart window AC, which you can fully control— including altering the temperature and cooling mode—by remote through its smartphone app but also through voice or Routines in Alexa. See our guide to the best air conditioners for a full rundown of its performance.
Mentioned above
- Our firsthand tests have found air conditioners that will keep you cool, quietly and efficiently.The Best Air Conditioner
- A smart plug boosts the IQ of un-brainy devices like lamps, fans, or string lights, letting you schedule or control them by app or voice commands.The Best Smart Plugs
- Amazon’s Echo smart speakers are the best option for bringing Alexa into your home. We’ve got picks for nearly any setup and situation.The Best Alexa Smart Speakers
- Apple’s second-gen HomePod sounds good and works well, but its high price and Apple-exclusive constraints give it more-limited appeal than other smart speakers.Apple’s HomePod Is a Good Smart Speaker. But the Mini Is Better for Most People.
- The Google Nest line of smart speakers makes it easy to access music, audio, trivia, and in some cases video, all by voice commands to Google Assistant.The Best Google Nest Smart Speakers
- Everything we know about ductless mini-split heating and cooling systems after interviewing installers, manufacturers, and homeowners with systems of their own.The Best Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner
Further reading
The Best Google Assistant–Compatible Smart-Home Devices for Google Home
by Thom Dunn
Get the most out of your Google Assistant speaker with these smart-home devices designed to work with it.
The Best Portable Air Conditioner
by Thom Dunn
A good portable AC is hard to find, but our picks provide year-round climate control that’s quiet and efficient.
The Fire Extinguisher, Smoke Detector, Carbon Monoxide Detector, and Other Safety Essentials You Need in Your Home
by Cey'na Smith
Here’s what you need at home to prepare for seriously bad (but entirely plausible) scenarios.
GE’s Smart Air Conditioners with HomeKit, Workout Headphones, and the End of Apple’s AirPort: New This Week
by Michael J Kennelly
We prefer to wait for a manufacturer’s announcement to add our first take on something new to a guide. But GE’s smart ACs with HomeKit were a unique challenge.