What Size/Type of Air Conditioner should I Purchase for my Home?
What Size/Type of Air Conditioner should I Purchase for my Home?
Before you get into the business of looking for an aircon installation company, it is best to choose the type and size that will be installed. There are numerous options available in the market thus you need to get the one that will work best in your home. Below you will find a simple guide that can be used to determine the ideal conditioner.
Air conditioner capacity Vs room size
It is recommended that you always match the size of the room to the air conditioning unit. Bigger rooms should always get bigger and more powerful units to meet its needs successfully. This is because units that are underpowered will end up wasting a lot of energy since they have to really work hard to cool off the room. At the same time the overpowered units usually bring about unnecessary expenses.
The next thing you need to think about and can also be discussed with the aircon installation professionals is the capacity that you will get. Most units are rated by British Thermal Unit (BTU) while kilowatts (KW) are used to measure the output. There is a simple formula that can be used to determine the capacity that will be needed in the home. Experts advice that 0.080KW (80 Watts) can comfortably serve a square meter. This means that you can get about 1.28 KW of the air conditioning unit for a room that measures 16m squared. It is important to note that proximity to appliances and the kitchen tend to require more cooling.
Once this has been established, it is time to ponder on the type of air conditioner that the aircon installation professionals will be responsible for installing. Some of the options you have include,
Ducted- this are used to cool a number of rooms via a large fan that is installed outside and pumps the cool air through ducts to the rest of the buildings. These ducts are normally hidden in cavities found in the ceilings.
Windows unit- these are normally mounted on the windows and sometimes wall. They are ideal for smaller rooms.
Split system- with these systems, you will find the fans mounted on the inside while the cooling unit is found on the outside. Aircon installation experts recommend this to be used to cool one or two adjoining rooms.
Multi-split system- this is where a single door unit is used featuring numerous fans that are located inside to cool several rooms in the home.
Portable- these are usually light, small and as the name suggest mobile. They can be moved easily from one room to another and are ideal for renters and apartments. They however tend to have a low power output that is mostly suited for small rooms.
Evaporative coolers- these appear like substandard versions of the portable options. These however use a water cooled filter system and not the normal refrigerant technology.
Once you have settled on the size and type of air conditioner to buy for the home, it is important to ensure that you get aircon installation professionals to do the job so that the unit can be used effectively.
