Choosing an air conditioner can be surprisingly challenging. You can opt for a window unit, something centralized, or add a split A/C to specific areas of your home.
Your journey toward selecting one that makes sense for your home depends on the size of the space you intend to cover. British thermal units, or BTUs, are used by manufacturers to show how much heat gets removed from your area. A higher number indicates you can manage the temperatures in a larger room.
If you shop for a window A/C for your home, the choice is relatively straightforward. First, you must measure the opening where the unit sits and find one with enough BTU power to handle your environment.
- Rooms of up to 350 square feet require an 8,000 BTU air conditioner.
- A room of up to 550 square feet requires a 12,000 BTU unit.
- If you have a great room of up to 1,000 square feet, your A/C must support 18,500 BTU.
- Rooms of up to 1,600 square feet need a 25,000 BTU product.
As the BTU numbers rise, so do the size and weight of the air conditioner. That’s why a window unit may not be your best option. In addition, you’ll need to have the A/C installed correctly to meet coding requirements in NYC and other urban areas.
Could a Different Air Conditioner Be Better to Use?
Window air conditioners are small, light, and affordable but don’t always cool an entire home. You’d get one comfortable room where everyone would want to be instead.
That’s why different A/C options are available for your home. Could one of these selections be a more viable choice for your needs?
1. Portable Air Conditioners
This A/C unit works for a home where the building code or regulations don’t allow a window unit installation. This is because they use more energy, cost more than window units, and take up some space in your home. The larger models tend to weigh up to 80 pounds, although the wheels on the bottom allow you to push the unit to where it needs to be.
2. Spilt Air Conditioners
When you need to provide air conditioning to a few rooms without opening the walls to install ducts, this A/C option is a faster way to be comfortable. It provides more cooling power without the remodeling work a centralized system would require. Many operate quietly and produce more cold air than window or portable units.
3. Central Air
If you want a whole-home solution for your air conditioning needs, a centralized system that distributes the A/C to each room is your best option. It’s also the most expensive choice because you may need to route ductwork throughout the house to complete the installation. Unless it is already present in your home, one of the other models will be cheaper.
What to Consider When Buying an Air Conditioner
When shopping for an air conditioner today, look for Energy Star products. These A/C units come with better insulation and clear instructions to ensure a proper seal occurs to stop or limit leakage.
Noise is another factor to review when purchasing an air conditioner. Whether buying a window unit or having central air installed, you’ll need to think about how loud the A/C is when you’re trying to hold conversations or fall asleep.
Most air conditioners excel at blowing the colder air in a single direction. However, creating a more comfortable environment inside may be problematic if your window isn’t centered on the wall. This issue affects split A/C installations that require an off-center installation because of the home’s structure. Rooms get cooled more efficiently when air blows toward the center of that space.
It helps to review where the filter is for your new air conditioner during the unit’s initial setup steps. You’ll need to clean this item repetitively to have this investment working as efficiently as possible, which means it should be accessible.
Don’t Forget to Install Your A/C Correctly!
At King Installation, we can help you to manage your A/C installation so that you can enjoy the cooler air without dealing with the hassle of hooking everything up to work.
As part of the installation process, it is essential to remember that most A/C units are meant to operate in a double-hung window. If your home uses the casement style instead, it may be easier to go through a wall.
We’ll ensure your unit is level, drains correctly, and is away from heat-generating appliances.
Hot days can happen at almost any time of the year. But, when you choose the right A/C for your home, the weather inside can still be comfortable.
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