Buying Your First Air Conditioner: A Complete Beginner’s Guide
If you live in a hot, humid, and excessively sunny place, the most significant purchase you’ll make is an air conditioner. However, with the vast number of air conditioning units in the market, each having its own unique features, picking the right one can be overwhelming. How do you know which one to pick?
Luckily, we’re here to help. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about purchasing your first air conditioner.
Air Conditioner Features – Type
When you’re looking for your first air conditioner unit, you should consider features that will help you make the most out of your unit.
Self-evaporating Technology
This technology enables the unit to evaporate any water accumulated inside it while it is running. As a result, you can reduce humidity in your home without creating extra maintenance issues for you.
Remote Controls
The most modern window-mounted air conditioners have remote controls which are pretty convenient for changing temperature settings from anywhere in the room.
Vented Air Conditioners
These require that you drill holes through the wall then extend the hose out of the window. This type of design is meant for permanent installation, which could be perfect for your needs.
Portable Air Conditioners
They are considered more convenient because they don’t require any permanent installation.
Energy Efficiency
If you want an energy-efficient unit, make sure to look for one that has an Energy Star rating. These models are energy-efficient and can operate for less than half the price of normal models.
In addition to the Energy Star label, check the energy efficiency ratio (EER). This is a measure of how efficiently a unit operates at various temperatures. The higher the EER number (up to 10), the more efficient the unit is.
Air conditioners are rated by the number of British thermal units (BTUs) per hour they can remove. The higher the BTU rating, the bigger the room it can cool. A 4,000-BTU air conditioner can cool about 300 square feet, for example.
The energy efficiency ratio (EER) measures how well an air conditioner uses electricity to cool a room. It’s calculated by dividing the BTU by the wattage. So, an 11 EER is better than a 9 EER because it can cool the same space using less electricity.
How You Use Your AC
Getting the right size of an AC unit for your space is important, especially if you have limited space. An air conditioner that’s too big will cool a room quickly, but it’s going to leave you with damp carpets and a higher electricity bill.
Meanwhile, an air conditioner that’s too small will work harder than it needs to and won’t be able to cool you during the hot, summer days. To find the right size for your space, you need to measure the room’s square footage where you’re going to place your AC.
It should also have at least three feet of clearance in front of it, so take that into account when making space for your new unit.
If you live in a small one-bedroom apartment and only need to cool your bedroom, it’s best to get a window unit for your room. Window units are more affordable and can efficiently cool a smaller space.
You should consider getting a central air conditioning system if you have a larger area, such as a two-bedroom home or an open floor plan. Central ACs are more expensive than window units but will efficiently cool the entire home.
Cost of the Air Conditioner
While other factors are essential to consider, you will need to settle down on the cost of the air conditioner since you cannot spend what you don’t have. Air conditioners aren’t cheap, and if you’re buying an air conditioning unit for the first time, the cost is a very important factor to consider.
Since air conditioners come in various shapes, sizes, and types, the cost will vary based on the product that you choose.
The cost of an air conditioner is affected by its size, energy efficiency rating, and features. This means you need to consider what type of air conditioner you want before knowing its cost.
Maintenance cost is also another need to consider. You want to be sure that the type of air conditioner you have bought will be easy to repair. You can even check around and consult any AC company, such as Direct Air, for any information regarding the best type they can handle effectively.
Warranty
If you buy an air conditioner with a three-year warranty and it breaks in the fourth year, you’re out of luck. If you buy one with a five-year warranty and it breaks in the fourth year, you’re covered.
That’s why, in general, the more extended the warranty, the better. Luckily, you can transfer most warranties, so in the event you sell your house and leave your air conditioner behind, the new owner will have coverage for whatever’s left on the warranty.
Most air conditioners come with a standard one-year warranty. That’s a good start, but you should consider extending the warranty to include coverage for labor and additional parts.
To determine if an extended warranty is worth it, you should calculate how much it would cost to repair your AC unit without the extended warranty, then compare that amount to the extended warranty price. If you think you’ll use it, it’s probably worth buying.
The Bottom Line
Air conditioning has evolved over the ages, allowing buyers to finally pick one that suits their needs and budget. Thankfully, the price tag isn’t nearly as steep as it once was, letting far more people get in on the benefits of air conditioning than ever before.
By following these tips and suggestions when shopping around for your new air conditioner, you should be able to find a model that meets all of your cooling needs.
So, make sure you consider these when deciding on what air conditioner model to get for your home.
