How to Buy.....An Air Conditioner

Buying an air conditioner was complicated at one time. Now it is easy, because manufacturers like Sharp, Panasonic, Friedrich and Emerson either have diminished offerings or have exited the category completely. Air conditioners are available in 5,000 to 36,000 BTU.

What you need to know:

EER: Measure of energy efficiency. Anything over 9.5 EER is considered decent and over 10 is excellent. The difference in .5 is 5% per cent

Slide out chassis: Acs with a slide out chassis can be built through a wall

Casement: There are special units for casement windows only

Controls: The better units have electronic or remote controls

Voltage: Bigger units over 16,000 require 220 volts, smaller units are 110 volt

Sizing of acs: The biggest mistake is oversizing acs. A larger unit does not dehumidify properly and the cold air will actually freeze the unit. There are several factors on how to size an air condition. First is the square footage and the height of the ceilings. Secondly, any additional heat sources need to be calculated: extra people, computers, stoves, and exposure of the sun. I have attached a good basic guide to assist.