Common Room Air Conditioner Terms
You'll Need to Know
Choosing the right room AC for your living space is
easy when you know what to look for. Before you go shopping,
make sure you understand what these 3 important terms mean:
BTU: This is an acronym for "British Thermal
Units" and a unit of energy used in the power and heating and
cooling industries. In terms of air conditioners, this describes a
unit's power and cooling capacity. The higher the BTU rating, the
stronger the air conditioner. Matching Btu requirements to
room size is important. The room won't cool efficiently if the BTU
rating is too low or too high for the size of the room.
EER: This stands for "Energy Efficiency
Ratio." This measures how energy efficient an air conditioner is at
a specific level (usually 95° F), and can be calculated as a ratio
of BTUs to the power input in watts. The higher the EER, the more
energy efficient the room air conditioner.
Auto-Evaporative: A type of technology
utilized by many portable room air conditioners involves evaporating
condensed water and exhausting it through a main venting hose and
through a window, drop ceiling, or wall. A room AC with
auto-evaporative technology does not need to be frequently emptied
(unless used in an extremely humid climate).
For more information on room air conditioners, take
a look at our
air
conditioner buying guide.
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