Introduction
The one gadget that has become a part and parcel of our daily life is the Air Conditioner.
It protects us from many menaces of scorching heat. It also provides us great comfort during unbearably higher temperatures.
However, when you decide to buy a suitable AC, you often get confused. The market is flooded with a variety of ACs with every seller claiming their ACs to be better than the others.
There are varied factors like cooling capacity, price, size, noise level, and other features that can influence your buying decision.
There are various factors like cooling capacity, price, size, noise level, and other features that can influence your buying decision. Then, once you have selected your unit, you will need to ensure you schedule regular AC maintenance in Salt Lake City, UT, or wherever you may be located. It is equally important to take of this equipment so its functions flawlessly.
Well, to help you out in choosing the right AC for you, we are sharing here some important tips you should consider before buying the most suitable AC for your need.
BTU (British Thermal Unit)
BTU rating is one of the most important factors to consider while selecting an air conditioner. This is the factor that will decide the cooling effectiveness of your room.
BTU or British Thermal Unit is a rating that defines the heat removing capacity of an AC. Tonnage is the other term normally used to define AC cooling capacity. Ton is equal to 12,000 BTU/hr.
The higher the rating the more is its capacity to remove heat from a room. It means that you require higher BTU AC for larger room sizes.
The following table depicts the BTU rating for different room sizes:
| Room Size in square feet | BTU Rating |
| 150 to 350 | 5,000 to 8000 |
| 350 to 550 | 8,000 to 12,000 |
| 550 to 1050 | 12,000 to 18500 |
| 1050 to 1600 | 18,500 to 25,000 |
To find out the BTU rating required for your room size, you should measure the length and the width of your room and calculate the room size in square feet.
Based on the square feet area, you can decide the suitable AC as per the above table.
This relationship of BTU rating and the room size is only a guide value. A few other factors may also influence the BTU rating requirement for your room:
- The type of roof. Whether it is shaded or not?
- Direct sunlight coming inside the room,
- The number of occupants, and
- The number of different items/ appliances in the room, etc.
EER (Energy Efficiency Rating)
Technically speaking EER or Energy Efficiency Rating is the ratio of BTU and the Power Consumed.
AC with a higher energy rating would consume less power in removing the same amount of heat per hour compared to low rating ACs. Thus, higher EER indicates higher efficiency.
The number of Energy Stars on the energy rating label indicates the EER of an AC. AC with high EER gets more Stars.
So, if you want to save on your power bills you should opt for an AC with more Energy Stars.
However, you should keep in mind that an AC with more Energy Stars would generally be costlier than the AC with less Energy Star.
Noise Control
If you want to execute a task where you require a high level of concentration you would want to have an environment that is calm, quiet and soothing. Also, to have a sound & refreshing night sleep you would prefer similar surroundings.
And you would want your AC to be the last thing to disturb you while you are involved in any such activity requiring silence.
Moreover, even during routine activities, exposure to higher noise levels for longer durations can cause hearing impairment and in some extreme cases even lead to stress & irritation.
Therefore, the Noise Level of an AC is a very important criterion for selecting an AC for your room.
Decibel or dB is the unit to measure the noise level. You should select an AC with noise levels under 50 dB.
The fan, compressors and the blowers are the components responsible for causing noise in an AC, those are the ones you need to check when you troubleshoot your AC capacitor.
In Split AC, the fan and the compressor are kept outside the room and therefore the noise level inside the room is much less as compared to the Window AC.
However, the cooling efficiency of a Split AC would be slightly lower than the Window AC.
Installation
Proper installation is an important factor contributing to the cooling efficiency of an AC.
The window AC comes as a compact unit. You have to attach the unit to a window. This makes the installation of these ACs much simpler.
However, you must ensure a leak-proof installation of the AC.
Split AC has two different units. One of the units is mounted on the wall inside the room while the other one is placed outside the room.
You should take the help of professionals in installing these units for better performance.
Some ACs come with a complete installation kit. While buying an AC, you must also consider these installation kits coming with the AC.
Size
The size of the room and that of an AC are somewhat interdependent.
The size of the room defines the BTU rating of an AC and the BTU rating decides the size of the appliance.
So, generally, the larger is the size of the room, the bigger would be the size of the air conditioner. The weight of these ACs too would be more as compared to the smaller ones.
What Types of Air-Conditioners Are On The Market?
There are broadly 3 types of ACs available in the market:
Both have distinct advantages over the other.
Window ACs,
- Has a single compact unit
- Are cheaper
- Are easier to install
On the other hand, Split ACs
- Have a much lower noise level
- Are more aesthetic
- Are available in more designs and energy star ratings
Which one to choose?
There is no universal rule for selecting the right AC for any space. It will depend upon all the above factors. However, you can assess your requirements based on these factors and evaluate which kind of an AC would best fit your needs.
Conclusion
Alright! So, these were some of the most influential features and functionality that you must look for while opting for a perfectly suitable Air Conditioner for battling efficiently against the extreme weather.
Now, go ahead, find your perfect AC and stay relaxed and cool!
