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!

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