Air Conditioner Shopping Tips

The following are the most essential tips in shopping for an air conditioner window unit, a duct-free split system or a central air conditioner.

• Avoid buying an oversized unit
• The efficient model is of a good quality
• Check installed air conditioning system properly

Window unit air conditioners – cost ranges from $150 to $800; can be installed simply and certain units have a good deal of multiple cooling selections.

Built-in window air conditioners – cost ranges from $300 to $900; units are installed into the wall. Although built-in units normally consume more energy over window units, they still offer more features like cool/heat selections.

Duct-free split systems – cost ranges from $300 to $2,000; need professional installation but offer silent, duct-free air conditioning for the whole household.

Central air conditioning – cost ranges from $400 to $2,000; cools several rooms simultaneously through your home’s ducts, but some systems sound noisy.

Air conditioning features that consumers should consider:

Make sure to buy a high-efficiency unit (with a SEER of 10 or higher). Although it costs more, it saves more energy bills.
Buy a unit that operates quietly.
A central air system exhibiting a “fan-only” selection so you can utilize the unit for nighttime airing, thus reducing energy costs.
A “filter indicator light” is also a necessity in an air conditioner; this is to ensure regular reminder in changing the filter.
Verify the number of British Thermal Units (BTUs) by measuring its square footage of the room (width x height) first and look for charts that are provided by stores for consumer guide.

Reminder : More BTUs is not always better. If air conditioner has a higher BTU, it will only cost higher energy bill and make a room too cold rather than comfortable.