Summer is here and the hot weather has already arrived. There’s nothing worse than not being prepared for the summer, and not being able to stay cool in your own home. A great way to cool down a room is with a room air conditioner. Not only are they inexpensive, but they are also highly efficient, making them a perfect alternative to central air conditioning for cooling down a room or two.
There are a number of different types of air conditioners that you can purchase from various brands, in different sizes, and with different cooling capacities. As a result, you may be lost when deciding which is the right one for your needs. The process doesn’t have to be too difficult if you just follow these tips on how to choose the right air conditioner for your room.
Choosing Power (BTU’S)
The most important decision to make when choosing an air conditioner is deciding how many BTU’s you need. BTU’s stand for British Thermal Units, and are the measurement of cooling capacity, where the more BTU’s it has, the more space it can cool down. Obviously, a larger room will require more BTU’s than a smaller room, but using an air conditioner without the proper BTU capacity can lead to some issues. Many people think they are better off buying a larger air conditioner because it will provide better cooling. However, an oversized air conditioner is actually less effective and wastes energy. Meanwhile, one that is too small will run too much and may never make the room feel cool. Therefore, a properly sized air conditioner is critical, and will remove humidity effectively as it cools.
Room Size
In order to make the right decision it is important to measure your room where the air conditioner will be used. The BTU capacity needed will be directly related to the area that needs to be cooled. If your room is 100 to 150 square feet, you will need an air conditioner with approximately 5,000 BTU’s. Please refer to the chart below for a reference of square feet to BTU’s needed.
Other Factors That Impact BTU Choice
Besides the room size, there can still be other things to consider for deciding BTU’s. If your room is heavily shaded, you won’t need as much, so you can reduce the capacity by about 10%. However, if you room is typically very sunny, then you should increase capacity by 10%, as you will need more power. If more than 2 people usually occupy the room, then add 600 BTUs for each additional person. Finally, if the unit is being used in a kitchen then you should increase capacity by 4,000 BTU’s, as kitchens tend to heat up from appliances.
Wall Fit - Friedrich WS10C30
Air Conditioner Type
The next important decision you must make is what type of air conditioner you need. At Mrs. G TV & Appliances we carry all types of air conditioners including portable, wallfit, window mounted slider, and packaged air conditioners from various brands like Frigidaire, GE, Friedrich, and Danby. A window air conditioner is common for cooling a single room, and is put in a window or wall. A packaged air conditioner is a good option for cooling a large space or multiple rooms at once.
Window Mounted Slider - Frigidaire FRA103KT1
Energy Efficient
Another factor you should consider when making a choice is energy efficiency. By choosing an energy star qualified air conditioner, it would prevent 1.2 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent emissions from 100,000 cars. Many times these Energy star qualified air conditioners include timers for better temperature control, allowing you to use the minimum amount of energy you need to cool the room.
One Energy Efficient Option: GE Energy Star AC - AEM18DQ
Additional Features
The most important factors to consider are the ones discussed earlier, like power and type. However, you might also want to consider different features when finalizing what type of air conditioner you want to buy. Some features to consider are heating and cooling, electric remote controls, manual controls, auto-restart, and more. These extra features come down to preference and what exactly you are looking for in an air conditioner, and will vary by brand and model.
Choosing the right air conditioner can be confusing, with so many options and different BTU’s. Hopefully these tips will make it easier to decide which type is best for cooling your room. Visit mrsgs.com to view all of our air conditioners and read more detailed information about each one. If you have any questions about air conditioners and all the available types and features, please feel free to call the store at 609-882-1444 to talk with a salesperson, or stop in to find out more.
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