In older homes, the ability to install central air can be tricky, costly, and near impossible. However, living in Miami means you have to certainly have some sort of air flow--enter the window air conditioner. While these are more commonly seen in cities up north, such as New York, they can be just as effective in South Florida if they are installed properly.
There are a few things to know before you pick up a wall air conditioner to ensure you've got the right one for your home. Choose the right size (you can take the square footage of the room and use that information on a trip to a Home Depot or Lowe's), and you'll be sure to know how many BTUs you need to adequately cool off a room. You also want to open the window to see how high it can go, because you don't want to pick an air unit that is taller than that--it won't be able to fit.
Try to place the unit in a window that isn't in direct sunlight, which will keep it from having to work too hard.
Wash the window before you put the unit in, and make sure there isn't any peeling paint around the interior frame. Also, you want to place the unit near a three prong plug so that you don't have to use an extension cord--an extension cord will make your air unit a fire hazard.
When you install it, make sure it isn't tilting downwards--this can result in problems with drainage. Be sure to put foam at the top and at the bottom of the raised unit to prevent hot air from seeping in/cool air from seeping out.
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