Air conditioning makes life more comfortable in a lot of parts of the United States. There are even some areas where life would be nearly impossible without air conditioning. Not every home is suitable for a full heating and air conditioning system. For many homes, the best option is an indoor air conditioner. These are great for smaller apartments or parts of a house that are not a part of the HVAC systems, such as an attic space, basement or apartment above a garage. Here are some things to consider when you are looking at an indoor air conditioner to cool your space.
1. Look at the size of the space. This is the most important thing to look at when you are looking to buy an indoor air conditioner. You want to be sure you have a large enough unit to cool the space as you want it to, otherwise there is no reason to have the unit at all. At the same time, you do not need an air conditioner that is too large for the space. If your unit is too big, you will waste money and energy. The measurements used for this are British Measurement Units or BTUs. Measure your room and then use this chart:
- Up to 200 square feet, you need 8,000 BTU.
- Between 200 and 300 square feet, you need 10,000 BTU.
- Between 300 and 400 square feet, you need 12,000 BTU.
- Between 400 and 450 square feet, you need 13,000 BTU.
- Between 450 and 500 square feet, you need 14,000 BTU.
2. Think about where you are going to put your indoor air conditioner. These air conditioners are not ductless air conditioners. There is heat from the unit that will need to be vented to the outside. As a consequence, you need to place it near a window so you do not end up heating and cooling the same space at the same time. Most indoor air conditioners have a kit to connect it to a window where the warmer air can be vented to the outside. The closer to a window you can place the unit, the better, although there are kits out there to let you vent to other areas so if you cannot place it near a window, you can still cool your home.
3. Think about maintenance. All electrical appliances need some maintenance at some point and indoor air conditioners are no different. These units remove water from the air and this needs to be removed from the indoor air conditioner. There are a few ways to do this. You can attach a hose to remove the water either through gravity or with a pump. Another option is to use the pan that comes with the unit and manually remove the water. The only other maintenance you will need to do is clean the filters. That will keep your unit working more efficiently and effectively.
4. Keep in mind they do make noise. Because the entire unit is in your room so all of the noise that comes along with cooling that space remains confined to that area. Whenever air is moved around it makes noise. When you are looking at different makes and models you should ask about the decibel level of each. Make sure you find one that is not too loud for your liking if you are going to use this in your sleeping space.
5. Look for energy efficiency. There are ratings you can check to make sure you get the most energy efficient. These kinds of appliances are measured by the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER). The conversation for this rating is the number of BTUs that are consumed per watt. Get a model with a high EER.
Most American households have some kind of air conditioner. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry is huge. It is worth about $71 billion every year. It has created about 301,123 jobs around the country. This industry grew about 4.1% between 2009 through 2014. Most people agree that life throughout the United States is a lot better with air conditioning. When you cannot cool your home with traditional HVAC systems, indoor air conditioners can offer a way keep a home comfortable.
andnbsp;
andnbsp;
andnbsp;
