Room Air Conditioners in San Diego

While San Diego is hot, heating and air conditioning in San Diego is mainly about the A/C. In this article, we’ll give you the low-down on room air conditioners if you’re unable to install central AC.

Room Air Conditioners

Room air conditioners are the best kind of air conditioners for saving money, as the units are typically made for residences and usually don’t take a contractor to install. This saves you money on labor, and the installations are usually very fast so it saves you time as well!

What are the types of room air conditioners?

Portable air conditioners (much like portable heaters)

• Through the wall (typically up higher and in apartment complexes)

• Through the window (most common)

Affordable – Typically, you can install these AC units yourself or with the help of a burly friend, but they are also extremely cheap to buy at your local Wal-Mart or from a reliable HVAC company throughout San Diego county. If you’re looking to cool down a smaller room, you may spend between $25-$100 on room air conditioners.

If you have to cool a hot room, you’re looking to spend anywhere from $100 and up. Some models have even been known to run upwards of $700! Types of rooms this may include are:

Double parlor/living room situations

• Master bedrooms/bathrooms

• Large and open attics

Energy saving – A lot of newer units now come with the option to save energy and act more efficient than older models. Comparing an air conditioner from the 90’s to an air conditioner now, is like a world of difference. With many units, you can run your AC on a specific temperature and when it gets too cold, it powers itself on low by feeling the temperature of the room. This helps in cutting costs from your electricity bill.

Easy installation and hook-up – As we mentioned in the affordable section, room air conditioners are typically extremely easy to install and hookup. Thankfully, most come right out of the box and can be put directly into your window. Then, all you have to do is simply plug into your wall. Make sure the wattage goes accordingly so you don’t blow a fuse when you have it on high with other appliances or electronics running in your house.

Lets talk about energy

ENERGY STAR is a governmental policy that helps us with efficiency in our electronics; whether it’s kitchen appliances or an HVAC unit to keep your house cool. Modern air conditioners are by law, required to carry an Energy Efficiency Rating, providing you, by numerical value, your ability to save energy. If you have an EER that’s a high number, say above 10, that’s extremely energy efficient! But if you can manage to snag an EER of 11.5 on an air conditioner, you’re going to save a lot of energy and money on your utility bill!

It is also required for an AC unit’s EER to be over 8.0, although you may find a much lower EER on models that are from the mid 90’s and earlier. You don’t have to toss these out, but it’s probably recommended that you buy a new one to start saving, especially with the heat in San Diego, especially in communities such as La Mesa, Santee, Ramona, Poway and Escondido!

In conclusion

We hope this article gave you some insight on room air conditioners for heating and air conditioning in San Diego, their ability to keep you cool and it’s ability to help you save on your utility bill. While many people don’t realize how much money they’re blowing out of the filter with non-efficient air conditioners, staying educated on them is a great way to be a step above.

We're residential Hvac specialists. Heating and air conditioning San Diego is all we do.