How To Buy An Air Conditioner

25 Years ago, the standard rule for an air conditioner BTU was square footage times 30. This, of course, is dead wrong.





No two spaces are alike. Here are some general rules..

1. 5000 BTUs is adequate for a bedroom of 175 square feet or less...add 1000 BTU per 50-60 square feet

2. add 1,000 BTU for sunny exposures, add 2,000 to 4,000 for cathedral ceilings and 4000 for a kitchen (hottest room in the house)

3. Do not overcool. The air conditioner will not dehumidify and will freeze (cold air will blow back into the unit itself)

4. Air conditioning does not turn corners well...Buy 2 smaller ones instead of a larger unit

5. EER is a measure of energy efficiency. Each point is a 10% savings in operations. Thus a 10.7 EER ac is 10% better than a 9.7

6. Through the wall acs require a slideout chassis or a liner.