Room Air Conditioners
Window Air Conditioners and Portable Air Conditioners
Looking to cool down a hot summer day? Room air conditioners can be
a good solution for homes situated in cool or temperate climates where
air conditioning is required from time to time. They are also a
great option for cooling one or two rooms — such as a bedroom or
a home office. With the flick of a switch, a room air conditioner
can turn a hot and muggy room into a cool, peaceful retreat.
Individual room air conditioners are inexpensive alternatives to central air conditioning systems for cooling one or two rooms. Most models are designed to fit through a double-hung window while others are designed for through-the-wall installation. A room air conditioner contains an outward-facing compressor, a fan, and a condenser as well as an inward-facing evaporator and a fan. Common features include adjustable louvers for directing air flow, ventilation settings for exchanging interior and exterior air, timers and fan controls for saving energy, and digital temperature displays.
You have probably seen the letters BTU associated with room air
conditioners, and perhaps you have wondered what these letters mean.
Well, BTUs are British Thermal Units, and they measure the ability of an
air conditioner to remove heat from a room. In other words, an air
conditioner's BTU rating corresponds to its cooling capacity. As a
rule of thumb, air conditioners with higher BTU per hour ratings can cool
larger rooms, while those with lower BTRU ratings are best for smaller
rooms. When selecting a wall or window air conditioner, remember
that a unit rated at 5,000 or 6,000 BTU/hour will cool a 100 to 300 square
foot room, a 7,000 to 9,000 BTU/hour unit will cool a 300 to 600 square
foot room, and a 10,000 to 12,000 BTU/hour unit will cool a 600 to 900
square foot room. Air conditioners with a high Energy Efficiency
Rating (EER) and frequently cleaned filters will operate more efficiently.
Room air conditioners qualify for the Energy Star label if they meet the strict energy efficiency guidelines established by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy. These Energy Star qualified models use less energy than conventional air conditioner models, and they often include fan and thermostat timers.
Most of today's room air conditioners are very simple to use, and are
equipped with a thermostat that allows you to easily regulate the
temperature of your room. In most cases, it's as easy as turning
your air conditioner on and setting it to the desired temperature.
Most air conditioners can be programmed to turn themselves off when they
reach the desired temperature, as well as turn themselves back on when
the air temperature exceeds the programmed temperature. Room air
conditioners generally require little maintenance. Clean your air
conditioner's filter periodically, and your unit may very well give you
years of good service.
This site, RoomAirConditioners.us, enables visitors to access room air conditioner dealers, installers, and consumer information as well as manufacturers of air conditioners, heat pumps, and other HVAC products.
Shop for Room Air Conditioners
- ABT Electronics - Air Conditioners
Offers a broad selection of portable window, casement, and wall air conditioners.
www.ABTElectronics.com - Find Air Conditioning Professionals
Get matched to prescreened, customer-rated air conditioning and heating contractors in your local area!
www.ServiceMagic.com
Room Air Conditioner Manufacturers
- Carrier Room Air
Leading manufacturer of quiet, efficient room air conditioners.
www.Carrier.com - Airwell-Fedders
This air treatment solutions provider offers air conditioners, air cleaners, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers.
www.Fedders.com - Friedrich
Texas-based manufacturer of quality residential air conditioners.
www.Friedrich.com - GE Appliances
Find room air conditioners, buying tips, parts & accessories.
www.GEAppliances.com - Whirlpool
Offers designer, value series, thru-the-wall, and sliding window air conditioners.
www.Whirlpool.com - Panasonic
Manufactures a wide range of portable room air conditioners.
www.Panasonic.com
Air Conditioner Consumer Information
- Top-Rated Room Air Conditioners
EER (energy efficiency ratings) from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
www.ACEEE.org
Related Climate Control and Air Quality Sites
- Air Purifiers - improve indoor air quality.
- Central Air Conditioning - HVAC systems and installation.
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