Finding The Right BTU For An Air Conditioner

There is no single best air conditioner. The right one will depend on where and how it will be used. The size of the room is a major consideration. If the room is fairly small, then installing a large powerful unit will be overkill. If the room is too big, then a modest unit may be inadequate. The BTU rating will provide buyers with an objective measure of cooling capacity. Measure the length and width of the room to get the floor area in square feet. Then purchase a model with the recommended BTU for this size.

What Happens If the BTU is Too Low?

If the BTU is too low, then the unit will be hopelessly underpowered for the job. It will work hard to try and expel the heat from the room but it might never be able to provide the desired cooling effect. This is especially true for those residing in places with a warm climate. Instead of bringing relief, the unit will only bring frustration to the inhabitants of the house. What’s more, the energy bill might soar and the AC might break down quickly because it is working nonstop to try to reach a setting that it will never reach.

What Happens If the BTU is Too High?

If the BTU is too high, then the unit will be too much for the task at hand. The room will drop to the desired temperature rather quickly. While this may seem to be a good thing at first, people will realize that it has its own drawback. A fast cycle time means that the unit will turn itself off right away without having been able to lessen the humidity inside — something that takes a while longer to do. This makes the room not entirely comfortable as well. Of course, buying a unit of unnecessarily high BTU is also a waste of money.

Finding the middle ground is crucial in getting the best performance at a reasonable price. When shopping for an air conditioner how many BTU is has is an important question. BTU and room size should be matched. If you’re not sure how to do this, call us to learn more about air conditioner sizes and efficiency.