Guide to Buying your Air Conditioner
The primary factor for choosing the best room air conditioner is the square footage of the room to be cooled.Air conditioner cooling capacity is measured in BTUs (British Thermal Unit), as is the heating capacity of room heaters.How many BTUs you need to cool a room depends on the square footage, plus to an extent the sun exposure, enclosure and ceiling height of the room to be cooled.Other factors that need to be considered are whether your outer walls are insulated, whether you have additional floors, or insulated ceilings and crawl spaces above or below the room.Most air conditioners specifications mention their EER rating (Energy Efficiency Ratio). This can be easily calculated by dividing BTUs by Watts. The higher the EER, the more energy efficient the air conditioner is.Some air conditioners feature built in dehumidifiers and/or heaters, making them an all-season room climate solution.Room square footage is the room length x the width and most manufacturers size suggestions are based soley upon this factor. Remember though, that sun exposure, ceiling height and the level of surrounding insulation can also affect how much cooling you need.General Guide for Determining BTUs Needed by square footage- 100 to 150 square feet require 5,000 btus
- 150 to 250 square feet require 6,000 btus
- 250 to 300 square feet require 7,000 btus
- 300 to 350 square feet require 8,000 btus
- 350 to 400 square feet require 9,000 btus
- 400 to 450 square feet require 10,000 btus
- 450 to 550 square feet require 12,000 btus
- 500 to 700 square feet require 14,000 btus
- 700 to 1,000 square feet require 18,000 btus
- A kitchen usually requires an additional 4,000 btus to compensate for the heat produced by appliances.
- For high ceilings or non-standard floor plans, increase the btus by at least 10%, in most cases purchasing the next size up.
- Those in warmer climates usually need 10-20% more BTU capacity, again usually one size up.
- Rooms with masonry, or uninsulated outer walls usually require another 25 to 30% BTU capacity, on average a 2 size increase.
Most buyers know that an air conditioner that is too small will not adequately cool a room. What many people do not realize is that buying too big a unit is not good either.- An AC unit much bigger than required will cycle on and off too frequently.
- This results in moisture not being properly removed from the air.
- Excessive cycling also wastes energy and causes excess wear and tear on the electrical system.
The most basic types of air conditioners are portable floor based units that can usually be rolled from one spot to another as desired, and window air conditioners that are made either for standard double hung windows, or casement windows. Air conditioners are also made for in-wall installation. At this time, we carry both portable and standard double-hung window units.Some AC units require special dedicated AC outlets.- A dedicated circuit means nothing else shares the circuit breaker with that outlet.
- Air conditioners drawing 7.5 amps or below usually only rquire a standard 115 volt outlet, although they should be the only appliance plugged into it.
- 115 volt units drawing over 7.5 amps require the dedicated outlet.
- Larger AC units may require a 230 volt circuit.
- The detailed product description of air conditioners we carry should specify the unit's voltage.
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