Understanding Your Air Conditioner
James Brown
So many people have them in their homes, but few people truly
understand the basics behind their air conditioning units. They
know enough to switch them on and set the temperature at the
level they desire, but really know little about the parts that
make the unit cool their house down. An air conditioner
regulates the heat and cold in your house by controlling the
humidity and temperature in each room, but do you know how it
does this? Whether you are shopping for a new air conditioner
or interested in learning about the one you have, the best
place to start is with the general terms used to explain the
functions of your unit.
BTU: A BTU or British Thermal Unit is the world wide
measurement for energy. In layman’s terms it is the amount of
heat that is needed to raise a pound of water by one degree of
temperature. When you hear someone talk about BTUs in regards
to air conditioning they are talking about the amount of heat a
unit can remove from a standard sized room. The higher the BTU
rating the bigger, more expensive, and heavier the air
conditioner is. While many people think that bigger is better,
when it comes to air conditioning that is not always the case.
It is more important to correctly match the size of a room with
the required amount of BTUs. Having too many or too few for the
room’s size decreases efficiency and actually hinders the unit
from doing its job.
Chassis: The chassis is simply the guts of your air
conditioner. It is the frame and working parts exclude from the
body of your unit. Smaller units often have a fixed chassis
which is easiest to remove for winterizing. Larger units often
have a slide out chassis that makes repair work a snap.
EER: The EER is simply calculated by dividing the BTUs into the
number of watts. Air conditioners with higher EER numbers should
be the most efficient. While a unit with a higher EER number
will save you money in the long run, it will cost more to buy.
If you don’t live in a really hot area, it might not be worth
it to invest in a unit with an EER over 10.
Fan: The fan in an air conditioner works like every other fan
you have ever seen. Its sole job is to move the air. When it
comes to air conditioners an adjustable thermostat combined
with an adjustable speed fan makes the unit very efficient. In
an air conditioning unit, you want to look for louvers that not
only adjust up and down, but right and left as well.
Filter: Air is surprisingly dirty and a good filter will make a
big difference in the quality of the air you breathe. Clean air
is also a must if you want to get the most efficient work from
your air conditioner. Because clean air is so important to the
operation and maintenance of your unit, it is important to
change or clean your filters regularly. Because you will be
dealing with the filter on a regular basis, it is a good idea
to own an air conditioner that has an easily accessible filter.
Thermostat: A thermostat is simply a device used to regulate
temperature. Thermostats are heat sensing and therefore able to
adjust the output of your air conditioner based on the level of
heat in a room. You can get thermostats that are manual or
programmable, depending on your needs. If you can get an
adjustable thermostat and a variable speed fan, your air
conditioning unit will be very efficient.
Once you have a small understanding of how an air conditioning
unit not only works, but works most efficiently and
effectively, it is a lot easier to find a unit that fits your
unique household needs and understand the most efficient ways
to run it.
About The Author: James brown writes about Home Tips and House
Appliances
http://www.homeappliancesonsale.com
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