Frigidaire Window Air Conditioner

With summer on the way, it’s time to start thinking of ways to keep cool. If you aren’t planning on setting up a tent next to the refrigerator, it pays to make sure that you have the most efficient air conditioning system for your needs to keep both the temperature and the bills as low as possible. There are a number of different types of air conditioners on the market today so we’ve put together a helpful guide to buying a new air conditioner to help you stay cool while shopping.

There are basically two general categories of air conditioners, namely room air conditioners and central air conditioners. Before beginning your search it’s important to decide which option best suits your needs. The main difference between them is already discernable in their names. A room air conditioner cools only one room at a time, whereas a central air conditioner provides centralized air that is delivered to each room through a system of ducts, thus cooling the entire house at once. If you live in a small house or apartment, or are renting, room units are the best option, however if you have a large house and are operating on an equally large budget, a central air conditioning system is probably for you.

Here is a break down of the pros and cons of the different types of air conditioners to consider:

Window Air Conditioners:
These are the most popular and economical option on the market. The majority of us are most familiar with this type of air conditioner where the unit is mounted directly in a window. Window air conditioners are by far the cheapest units on the market and they are relatively easy to install even by yourself (depending on the weight and size of the unit) or with the help of an untrained handyman. Simply screw in the brackets provided by the manufacturer, hoist the air conditioner onto the window sill and secure. It’s that easy.

One of the negative sides of window air conditioner units is that they are fairly noisy, making them undesirable for use in a bedroom. Before purchasing one, it pays to try it out in the store since some items are louder than others. Furthermore, all room air conditioners use up a large amount of energy and are not particularly efficient to run. Nonetheless, they are substantially cheaper to run than central air that has to cool an entire house. Some people also prefer built-in units since window air conditioners have to be removed each winter and stored away until the next summer. Finally, and most importantly, window air conditioners require a window—so anyone without a properly situated window in the room they seek to cool, can rule out this option. They also block up part of your view and add a bulky look to the room. Window units have also been known to provide easy entrance for burglars, so it’s important to speak to a security expert in your area to discern if this will pose a problem for you.

Wall Air Conditioners:
A wall air conditioner is essentially the same thing as a window unit, except that it is permanently attached to a hole in the exterior wall of the home. This requires some renovation work to install, and should you ever desire a different type of unit in the future, it will demand renovations to repair the alteration to your home exterior. This being said, a wall unit has all the advantages of a window air conditioner in addition to a sleeker built-in look, without some of the cons such as winter storage, burglar access, and window blockage.

Portable Air Conditioners:
Portable air conditioners are smaller versions of window and wall units that come on wheels so that they can easily be moved from room to room. They include a hose that vents hot air exhaust out the window. Portable air conditioners are a great option for someone renting who only needs to cool one room at a time, although they are at times more expensive than window units.

Mini Split Air Conditioners:
Mini split air conditioners or ductless air conditioners are substantially more expensive than window/wall/portable units, but are cheaper and less intrusive than a full central air conditioning system. Mini split air conditioners provide virtually silent air by splitting the air blower and the compressor, which is stored outside the house, in a similar manner to a central air conditioner. Air can be distributed into up to four rooms from one compressor, providing each room with its own individual air blower that can be adjusted or turned off at will. Ductless air conditioners are also more efficient than any other type of air conditioning since the hot and cold are separated and cold air isn’t lost while traveling through expansive duct networks.

Central Air Conditioner:
Central air conditioners also split the compressor and the blower like a mini split, but the air travels through a system of ducts until it reaches vents placed throughout the house. For anyone who can afford it, central air is a luxurious option, with no bulky units disturbing the décor of the house. If your home already has a forced-air furnace and ductwork, installing a central air system will be much cheaper. Once installed, central units are virtually maintenance-free and will require much less attention than a room unit. They may even save money over the lifetime of the unit.

Cooling Capacity:
After deciding which type of air conditioner is right for your house, it’s important to determine how powerful a unit you need. The more accurate the measurement, the more efficient your machine will be. Studies show that more than 1/3 of home air conditioners don’t work at maximum capacity because they are not sized correctly. Buying a machine that is not powerful enough will obviously not achieve maximum temperature control, however even if the machine is too powerful, it will also not achieve the desired results. An oversized unit will cycle on and off too frequently costing more money and won’t remove humidity from the air.

The cooling power of an air conditioner is measured in BTU/hour. The higher the BTU, the more power it has. It is important to measure the length and the width of your room accurately to make sure to purchase the right machine. A room that is 100 to 150 square feet (length x width) needs 5,000 BTU, 300 to 350 square feet needs 8,000 BTU, and 700 to 1,000 square feet needs 18,000 BTU. These figures will differ slightly (by around 10 percent) if the room has tall ceilings, is heavily shaded, overly sunny, or is occupied by more than two people on a regular basis. Similarly, a unit in a hot kitchen will require an additional 4,000 BTU’s.

Make sure your new A/C has the Energy Star Logo

Environmentally Friendly:
It is also essential nowadays to make sure that your air conditioning unit is environmentally friendly, possessing an Energy Star label. If every room air conditioner sold were ENERGY STAR qualified, it would prevent 800 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually, equivalent to the emissions of more than 66,000 cars. All new units sold in the US must clearly display the EER (energy efficiency rating). The higher the EER, the more efficient the model and hence the lower your energy bill. Each digit increase represents a 10% increase in energy efficiency. For example a model with an EER of 10 should use about 20% less energy than one with an EER of 8. Ozone-depleting R-22 and other HCFC refrigerants are being phased out by government restrictions and are being replaced with a more eco-friendly R410A. It’s important to make sure your air conditioner is built according to the latest environmental standards to ensure that it will continue to meet regulations in the future. Not only will an energy efficient model help save the environment, it will also save you money!

Electrical System
Verify that your home’s electrical system can meet the unit’s power requirements. Room units operate on 230-volt circuits and may require a dedicated circuit with a Circuit Breaker Switch known as the Mechanical Circuit Breaker (MCB), which protects the wiring from getting burnt by switching off the air conditioner. Power outages are hard on compressors. An auto-restart feature allows the air conditioner to restart after a power failure without harming the unit.

Additional Features to Consider:

• Low Profile Window Air Conditioners – Some window models hang below the window, minimizing the amount of view and sunlight that is blocked.
• Thermostat Sensitivity – It is important to check with the salesman to see how accurately the unit can maintain temperature.
• Air Flow – Some models have motorized louvers to blow cold air around the room. If the air conditioner will be mounted in the corner of a room, look for a unit with airflow in the desired direction for your room layout. If you need to mount the air conditioner at the narrow end of a long room, it is important to buy a model with “Power Thrust” or “Turbo” that sends the cooled air farther into the room. Remember when deciding where to place your air conditioner that cold air does not usually travel around corners.
• Electric Controls – Most units have timers to turn on or off on a schedule so that you can cause it to go on before you come home from work or turn off at night. Make sure controls are well positioned and easy to work. Sleep or Energy Saver modes keep the room comfortable while saving energy costs
• Remote Controls - Some models come with remote controls so you can activate the unit from across the room

We hope these tips will help you to buy the air conditioning system that’s right for you. With the right unit, your house temperature and electric bills will reach a record low so that your summer can reach a record high!

Friedrich M09Y1F Ductless Split System

With spring finally here, summer is just around the corner. Summer brings back hundreds of pleasant memories—barbeques, days at the beach, vacation time, etc. There’s really only one drawback with the summer—the heat! Thanks to air conditioners we can get through the summer without loosing our cool. When it comes time to buy a new air conditioning system for the house, it’s important to know all the options out there in order to make the best, most informed decision possible. Most people are unaware of a great new alternative to central air on the market known as mini split air conditioners or ductless air conditioners. Although popular for years in Europe and the Middle East, mini split air conditioners have only recently made it to the stores in North America. Here is a list of pros and cons to help you decide if a mini-split air conditioning system is for you.

The PROS:

Quiet

Mini split air conditioners are similar to central air conditioning units in that they are both made up of an outdoor compressor and an indoor air-handling unit. The outdoor and indoor units are linked through a conduit which holds the electrical cable, condensate drain, as well as refrigerant and suction tubing. This conduit runs through a small hole that is drilled into the external wall of the building. Since the compressor is placed outside, as far as 50 feet from the air vent, running the machine is very quiet.

Efficiency

In central air conditioning systems, the cold air passes from the air handler through ducts until it reaches the individual vents in each room. Since it takes time to travel through the ducts, they result in more than 30% of energy consumption, especially if the ducts run through an unconditioned area. Ductless air conditioners are, you guessed it—ductless–and therefore avoid the energy loss common with central air conditioning.

Another major advantage of split air conditioners is their ability to heat or cool individual rooms to a custom temperature. Some ductless air conditioners can have as many as four independent air handling units connected to one outdoor compressor. Since each of the split air conditioner zones or rooms will have an individual thermostat and independent controls it is only necessary to condition the areas with people in them, saving energy and money. Central air conditioners, on the other hand, keep the entire home at the same temperature which uses more energy because the unit has to overcompensate for some rooms that tend to be warmer than others. Cooling an entire house is much more expensive than cooling just one room. Window air conditioner units are also inefficient since the cold air passes through the exact same proximity as the hot air, getting heated up in the process. Although mini splits are usually fairly expensive, it’s possible to gain back much of the difference in costs over the life of the unit through the money saved on energy bills.

Easy Installation

Mini split air conditioners are much easier to install than central air conditioners, and sometimes even through-the-wall units. Connecting the outdoor and indoor units generally requires only a small hole through a wall for the conduit, no more than three inches wide. They are also safer since there is only a small hole in the wall so they don’t provide easy entrance for burglars as through-the-wall and window mounted air conditions do. There’s also no expensive, messy and disruptive duct construction, as with central air. Most mini split systems can be up and running in less than 4 hours.

Flexibility

Unlike traditional window air conditioners, ductless air conditioning systems leave window views unobstructed and they’re also permanent, so there’s nothing to remove and store for the winter. Mini split units usually come with various size chords to make it possible to locate the outdoor unit as far away as 50 feet from the indoor evaporator for cooling rooms on the opposite side of the house from the compressor.

They also offer flexibility in interior design, since the internal unit can be suspended from any wall, high or low, or even from the ceiling. Floor standing models are also available. Most models also come with remote controls with a 24-hour and sleep timer providing easy access to units placed high up on walls or ceilings. Auto-swing flaps can also be operated by remote control to keep cool air circulating throughout the room. When not in use, auto flaps close shut, maintaining a sleek appearance. Most models also come with built in heat pumps for use as heaters in the winter, making them a great choice for anyone without central heat.

Eco-Friendly

Central air conditioners have a tendency to emit toxic chlorine gas as well as other gasses that are damaging to the ozone layer during the cooling process. They also waste energy both by cooling off the entire house, as well as through cold air lost in ducts. Mini split air conditioners on the other hand, are generally more efficient and environmentally friendly.

The CONS:

Cost

The primary disadvantage of mini split air conditioners is their cost. They are substantially more expensive than window or through the wall units, as much as twice the price, and at times even more than central systems (not including the expensive cost of installation and ductwork). They need to be installed professionally by an HVAC professional which is also costly, although much less than installing a central air system.

Installation

In addition to having to pay for a professional to install the unit, it’s also necessary to consult a professional before purchasing a mini split to ensure that you buy the right size unit for your house and that each air-handler is placed in the correct location. An incorrectly located air-handler often results in short-cycling, which wastes energy and does not provide proper temperature or humidity control. An oversized system is also more expensive to buy and operate and an undersized one obviously will not have enough power to cool off your space.

Appearance

Although mini split air conditioners are more attractive and much less obstructive than a window or through-the-wall unit, they do become a noticeable presence in the room. Some people therefore prefer the fact that central air systems are almost completely hidden.

Summary

In conclusion, a mini split ductless air conditioner is a great option for anyone who wants the convenience of central air, without the greater installation costs and inefficiency. A through-the-wall or window air conditioner is still a much cheaper and easier option but it doesn’t come with all the perks such as quiet, efficiency, multi-zoning, heat option, and stability. A mini split is the way to go for anyone looking for a middle ground between central air and movable units so that you can stay cool all summer.