Tips for Choosing the Right Window Air Conditioner
Window Air Conditioners are definitely going to be a high demand item this year! With the slowdown in the US economy, HVAC Contractors around the Country are all reporting that customers are dedicated to repairing a system, versus replacing it. The biggest issue with this however, are for those who are beyond repair, and cannot afford the high cost of a new cooling unit for their home... they will turn to Window AC Units, to cool their home!
Evaluate Where in the Home You Spend All Your Time!
In my home, we spend about 7 hours a day in our home office. If we were going to add Window Air Conditioners, versus replacing a central ac system, the home office is a definite candidate for a window unit!
Before you go out and buy a window AC, take a few minutes to look at the most common areas of your home where it is needed. In most cases, many of the bedrooms won't need to be cooled, since they are only used to sleep at night, when its cooler and a small window fan can be used instead.
After you know the rooms you feel you NEED to keep cool... you can determine the right size!
Choose the Window AC for the Exact Area it will Cool
I realize this sounds like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised to hear how many of these units are purchased based on having the highest BTU's alone, not taking into account the right size for your room.
For instance, if you have a small 12 x 12 room that is used only during the daytime, you can easily get away with a small 5000 btu unit, and close the door while inside. At night, you can turn it off and save energy. You can safely estimate that you will need approximately 35-50 btus per square foot of floor space in window units.
Ex: 10x10 room = 100 square feet x 35-50 btu/sq ft = 3500-5000 btu Window Air Conditioner
If the room is on the mostly sunny of your home, choose the higher value 5000 btu. If on the side of your home thats in the shade longer, you can choose the smaller sized unit.
What About Multiple Rooms or Larger Areas?
Cooling adjoining rooms with window air conditioners does not really mean you need to get one large unit to cover the entire space! In most cases, you will be better off and save energy by installing two smaller units in the separate areas, and have them cool the area together.
Aside from the more balanced temperature in the large area, you are also ready in case one of the units should fail, and the second unit, while working harder, will be enough to get you through a few days until it could be replaced.
……I am so very sick of cheap products from China. I wanted to buy an American made ac window unit…so, I thought it doesn’t get any more American then G.E. or Frigidaire…how sickened I was to learn that even these companies have sold out to China. I bought a $300 Frigidaire unit to cool a 12×20 room. It is a total peice of crap! A complete and total waste of money! Can anyone,ANYWHERE in America please give me some good advise on buying an American made unit that truly cools? Thank you