What Cooling Capacity Do You Need From Air Conditioning Unit?

Air conditioners are becoming a part and parcel of our everyday. As the world temperature is increasing day by day the demand for air conditioners are also going up. But before buying an air conditioner, the buyer needs to keep some certain things in mind.

There are several brands and types of air conditioner units in the market. Modern ones claim that they offer cool and quiet technology, power-saving features and most of all, efficient cooling. Buying air conditioners that is proper for your home is important as either it is lower or higher than required capacity it will create inconvenience or will cost extra money. However, how can you be sure that you are choosing the best air conditioner unit for your home?

First, the AC units size matters but it doesn’t automatically mean that a large unit is better than a smaller one. The cooling power of air conditioners is rated by a number called BTU. The BTU or British Thermal Unit is the measure of heating or cooling capacity of a pump or an air conditioner. If you have a small room, at around 300 sq. ft. the floor is, you just need a 5000 BTU air conditioner. A higher rating will be inefficient in terms of humidity and power consumption. Excess BTU can cause a slimy, humid atmosphere inside the room.

You can estimate the appropriate BTU depending on the room’s size. A 600-700 sq. ft. the room requires 10000-12000 BTUs. However, requirements can be higher when the room has more appliances. For example, you need to add 4000 BTUs if AC units will be used in the kitchen. Factors that affect BTU requirement include shading of the room and insulation of the walls. There are free charts on the internet for sizing your air conditioner. You can use those charts to estimate what is the BTU requirement for your house or room?

Before buying air conditioners you should check the capacity of the air conditioners humidity control function. This is because too humid air can make the air more heat absorbent and that will reduce the thermal efficiency of the AC unit.

Next, is not just about cooling capacity. Another important factor is the energy efficiency of the appliance. The Department of Energy has set a standard called SEER(Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating). The minimum SEER set by the government is 13. As of now, the highest SEER is 17. If your old AC has a rating below 13, it will be a good investment to buy one with a high SEER. The unit can be pricey but it will save you thousands per year on your electricity bill.

Centralized AC units can be a good choice if you have a large house with several wide rooms. One strong centralized unit is better than multiple small window type air-cons. Centralized cooling is also less expensive to maintain. Moreover, centralized air conditioners offer overall airconditioning on all the parts of a structure, including walking passage, that is not restricted to some portion or room. This facility makes it even more convenient and offers better controlling of heat and airflow.

Khaled Syfullah is a professional Civil Engineer, worked in many international projects. He is a passionate writer and loves to write about new technology and their application in humans life.