Air Conditioning Repair

One of the best ways to cool a smaller space or room is with window air conditioning.  Today, there are a number of great choices for energy efficiency but also conditioners that are designed to cool even larger spaces than ever before.  Of course, with any window air conditioning unit, the most important decision is choosing the right size for the indoor space needing to be cooled.

With window air conditioning, there is an evaporator coil that coil that cools the room while the condenser coil works by eliminating hot air.  Then, some type of refrigerant is used, which pushes through a pump that goes from one coil to the other.  The cool air produced is then moved out into the room with the use of a fan.  With a little education, choosing window air conditioning does not have to be a painful process.

BTU

First, it is important to understand British Thermal Unit or BTU, which is a type of energy measurement used around the world.  In simple terms, BTU is a measurement of heat needed to raise a single pound of water by just one degree.  The BTU works by measuring heat that the unit is capable of removing from the room.  The higher the BTU the more expensive the unit but also the higher level of performance.  Typically, window air conditioning units with high BTU ratings are heavier and larger in size as well.

Typically, window air conditioning units will provide between 5,000 and 24,000 BTU.  With this, it is vital to coordinate the requirements for BTU with the size of the room.  If this is not done, then the room will not cool off efficiently and the air conditioning unit has to work too hard, which can cause wear and tear, as well as a higher monthly energy bill.

EER

This acronym stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio, which for window air conditioning is a number calculated by dividing BTUs by the number of watts.  In this case, if the EER is high, the unit is very efficient.  Again, a window air conditioning unit with a higher EER will cost more but it will save a tremendous amount of money month, which allows the owner to recoup the investment over time.  The goal here is to choose a rating of 8.0 to 10.0 with the higher number better for hot regions.

Thermostat

A window air conditioning unit will have a thermostat, which is what adjusts the air temperature.  Depending on the model of air conditioner, some thermostats are manual and others automatic.  With this, there is also a fan that has variable speeds.  The result is much more effective and efficient cooling.

Filter

Obviously, having a window air conditioning unit also needs to produce clean air.  The last thing anyone wants is to have polluted air from the outside being pushed indoors.  Therefore, the filter is very important.  We strongly recommend that people look at air conditioning units that have a filter that can be replaced or at least cleaned quickly and easily.

Fan

To move air out into the room, keeping it clean, the window air conditioning unit has a fan.  As mentioned, some are variable speed, which means there is a low, medium, and high setting depending on how hot the room is on a particular day.  The best type of air conditioning unit is one designed with adjustable louvers, those that can be moved left or right, as well as up or down.

Chassis

With a window air conditioning unit, there are different options for chassis.  For instance, a lightweight, small unit would have a fixed chassis.  The benefit here is that during the winter months, the window air conditioning unit could be removed from the window with little effort.  Another option, which is used for wall units, is the slide-out chassis.  The purpose with this design is making it easier to replace parts or provide scheduled maintenance.

Terminal Heat Pump

In some cases, a window air conditioning unit will also have a heat pump.  With this, cool air is produced during the hot summer months and then during the cold winter, the same unit can produce heat.  Typically, these units are a little more expensive but they definitely have a market.

Most importantly before heading out to buy a window air conditioning unit is to take accurate room measurements and consider budget.  Knowing the room’s square footage will ensure the right unit with the proper BTUs is purchased.  Of course, some of the other factors that would come into play when choosing a window air conditioning unit include the number of windows, the direction in which the room faces, the number of people who commonly use the space, ceiling height, and so on.