Room air conditioners cool rooms rather than the entire home or business. If they provide cooling only where they're needed, room air conditioners are less expensive to operate than central units, despite their efficiency generally being lower than that of central air conditioners.
Smaller room air conditioners can be plugged into any household circuit that is not shared with any other major appliances. Larger room air conditioners need their own dedicated circuit. The largest models require a dedicated circuit.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS
A room air conditioners’ efficiency is measured by the energy efficiency ratio. The EER is the ratio of the cooling capacity to the power input
The higher the EER rating, the more efficient the room air conditioner. When buying a new room air conditioner, look for the ENERGY STAR label.
SIZING AND SELECTING A ROOM AIR CONDITIONER
The required cooling capacity for a room air conditioner depends on the size of the room being cooled -- room air conditioners generally have varying cooling capacities
Proper sizing is very important for efficient air conditioning. A bigger room air conditioner is not necessarily better because a unit that is too large will not cool an area uniformly. The oversized room air conditioners will also cool the room to its thermostat set point and shut down prior to properly dehumidifying the room, leaving the area feeling damp or "clammy." A small room air conditioner running for an extended period operates more efficiently and is more effective at dehumidifying than a large room air conditioner that cycles on and off too frequently.
Other important factors to consider when selecting a room air conditioner are room height, local climate, shading, and window size.
Other room air conditioner features to look for include:
- A filter that slides out easily for regular cleaning
- Logically arranged controls
- A digital readout for the thermostat setting
- A built-in timer.
Remember that efficient operation of any room air conditioner system relies on a properly insulated and air sealed home. For more information, call us today: 3324 8318
