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Air Conditioners

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Essential Facts

If you're looking for a break from the summer heat, an air conditioner is wonderfully effective. Before you invest, you should know what you're buying. This guide will give you the basics of window-units, and help you sift through the jargon and the junk so you can find just what you're looking for. * '''Efficiency rating (EER)''' The legal minimum is 10. Higher EER ratings equate to lower long term costs but a higher initial purchase price. * '''BTU '''(British Thermal Units) reviews/index.html'>ConsumerSearch.com recommends:

Buying an A/C Unit

Dealing with the summer heat is a lot easier if you have air conditioning. If you're searching for an A/C online, you're probably looking for a window unit. (Central air conditioning needs to be professionally installed.) Here are a few tips to find the air conditioner that best suits your needs!

BTU, What Does It Mean?

* Air conditioner cooling capacity is measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units). * An air conditioner's price is closely correlated with its BTU rating. * Bigger is not necessarily better - you don't want to buy an A/C that is too powerful for the space you are cooling. ** It will be more expensive than necessary, as well as too cold! ** An overpowerful A/C will also make a room feel uncomfortably clammy.

How Much BTU Do I Need?

* From SoYouWanna.com, here are some tips on how many BTUs you need: ** Find the square footage of the room you are trying to cool and multiply by 35. This will give you the ballpark BTUs you should look for. ** Shady room? Decrease that number by 10%. ** Sunny room? Increase that number by 10%. ** Add 4,000 BTUs if you are putting the A/C in the kitchen. ** If more than two people will be in the room regularly, add 600 BTUs per person. * You might also want to consult this handy page from Energy Star.

Lend Me Your EERs

* EER stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio. A higher number indicates a more efficient unit. * A higher EER is better (costs less to operate) but units w/ high EER are generally more expensive. * All air conditioners made after 2000 have an EER of at least 9.7. * An air conditioner that receives an Energy Starrating has an EER of at least 10.7. * An increase in EER by one point can save you roughly 10% on your energy bill. Use this estimate when gauging whether a more expensive model will actually save you money in the long run.

Window Size and Installation

* Before you start shopping for an A/C unit, measure your window two or three times for accuracy. * Make sure that the air conditioner you want will fit in your window. * Even the lightest air conditioner might weigh more than 40 pounds, and a large unit might be close to 100. Keep this weight in mind when you make plans to install it. (You'll probably want to invite a friend or family member to help you.) * Models that come with a slide a framework is installed in the window first, and the heavier air conditioning unit slides in easily. ** This installation takes a bit longer than the conventional air conditioner, however. * Throughwall air conditioners require you to cut a hole in your wall; this is more difficult and is, of course, a permanent installation.

Noise

* Some models run Major Manufacturers * Carrier * Fedders * Friedrich * Frigidaire * GE * Kenmore * LG Electronics * Whirlpool

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