Air Conditioning Repair

While cooling a home is typically done by a central air conditioning unit, individual rooms, apartments, dorm rooms, or smaller spaces the better choice is with a room air conditioner.  Years ago, these units were not well made and therefore, the results were poor.  However, today room air conditioners are highly efficient, designed with better technology and features.

The most important thing is to choose an air conditioner that has the proper BTU needed.  Air conditioner BTU, which stands for “British Thermal Unit” is an international measurement used for energy.  When looking at a standard refrigerator, on the inside there is a type of evaporator coil that works by keeping the inside of the unit cold while the condenser coil is designed to push hot air outdoors.  Using a pump designed with tubes that run through the two coils along with a fan is what makes the unit work.  Air conditioner BTU works in much the same way.

Before going out to buy a new unit, it is most important to learn everything possible about air conditioner BTU.  Heat needed to raise a single pound of water by just one degree is the description for BTU.  Therefore, when referring to air conditioner BTU, the amount of heat the unit removes from the room or space is measured.  Now, there are many different sizes, weights, and prices for a room air conditioner with the units with the higher BTU being the largest and most expensive.

An air conditioner BTU starts at 5,000 and works its way up to 24,000.  One of the keys to choosing air conditioner BTU is going with one specific to the room size.  If the unit is too large, the room would be way to cold and uncomfortable.  However, if the air conditioner is too small, not only would it be hard to keep the room cool but the unit itself is running much harder than it should, meaning a lot of pressure is being placed on it.  Specific factors associated with air conditioner BTU include:

• EER – This is the acronym for “Energy Efficiency Ratio”, which is determined by taking the unit’s BTU by the number of watts.  In this case, a higher EER is most efficient.  As mentioned, just as a unit with higher BTUs, one with a higher EER is going to be the most expensive.  For this reason, it is important to understand the exact size needed so people are not paying for something they simply do not use.
• Thermostat – To adjust air temperature coming from the air conditioning unit, the thermostat senses heat.  With the air conditioner BTU unit, a person can adjust the temperature using the thermostat manually or simply place it on the temperature they prefer to maintain for the room.  Many units come with an adjustable thermostat, which works along with a variable speed fan, making the air conditioner highly efficient and effective.
• Fan – The air conditioner BTU unit will also have a fan that works to move the air so the room or space is cooled evenly.  While there are many different model options on the market, we strongly recommend one with up and down or right and left louvers that can be adjusted.
• Filter – While some air conditioner BTU units have filters that can be cleared or replaced with little effort, not all do.  Therefore, to make sure the room or space is cool and the unit lasts for a long time, going with an air conditioner that has easy to work with filters is the best option.
• Packaged Terminal Heat/Air Pump Conditioner – If the air conditioner BTU is large, one that is actually installed in the wall rather than being placed in the window, then the unit is known as a packaged terminal heat and air pump conditioner.  For people who travel for business or go on vacation have seen this type of room air conditioner in the hotel room where they stayed.
• Chassis – The smaller air conditioner BTU units have what is known as a fixed chassis, which is what make the unit easy to take in and out of the window.  However, for the larger units such as those used in hotel rooms, a slide-out chassis is used since these units are installed in the wall.

When shopping around for the right air conditioner BTU, it is important to start by knowing the room or space’s square footage.  However, along with this, other factors come into play to include the number of people who are commonly in the room (since body heat will make the room warmer with more people), the number of windows, the height of the ceiling, and even the direction in which the room faces.  To make the air conditioner BTU planning easier, the following can be used as a good reference:

• 100 to 150 square foot – 5,000 BTUs
• 151 to 250 square foot – 6,000 BTUs
• 251 to 300 square foot – 7,000 BTUs
• 301 to 350 square foot – 8,000 BTUs
• 351 to 400 square foot – 8,000 BTUs
• 401 to 450 square foot – 10,000 BTUs
• 451 to 550 square foot – 12,000 BTUs
• 551 to 700 square foot – 14,000 BTUs
• 701 to 1,000 square foot – 18,000 BTUs

A very important note when shopping for air conditioner BTU – the larger more expensive unit is not necessarily the better choice.  Again, one that s too big is overkill, cycling on and off too many times, which is hard on the unit.  Therefore, the key is to stick with the BTUs according to square footage primarily, resulting in a comfortable cool room and a unit designed to last for years to come.