The weather outside bas been quite hot as the temperature has been reaching and exceeding the 30’s lately. Your electrical bill is probably rising with the temperature as well. Now is the time that many people start visiting stores in search of an air conditioning unit. This is a great way to cool down your home, but if your home’s electrical system is not prepared for the electrical load or you purchase the wrong unit, you could be left sweating more money than you expected.
Types of Air Conditioning Units
Window-Mounted Units
Window-mounted air conditioning units are quite common to see in bedrooms or living rooms. These can be purchased from any local home appliance store. These units are mounted in the window and secured. These units pump in cold air and exhaust hot air to the outside – great for rooms that are frequented and difficult to keep cool.
Portable Air Conditioners
The small units can also be purchased from your local appliance store. These smaller units cannot cool the same amount of area as a window-mounted unit, but can do the trick for small areas that you want to keep cool. The advantage of these is that you can move them from room to room quickly with little setup and takedown. One disadvantage of these units is that they tend to be quite noisy.
Central Air Conditioning
You may be fortunate enough to have one of these installed in your home. Central air units can be connected by ducts throughout the house and regulate the temperature set in the home. A central air unit is great for getting a consistently cool temperature in any room in the home while also keeping the noise to a minimum. One trick when it comes to central air is to ensure that you get a unit that matches the square footage for your home. If your air conditioning unit is too large for your home it may not properly dehumidify your home and run on short cycles.
Purchasing & Preparing for an Air Conditioning Unit
When purchasing an A/C unit you want to ensure that you have a timer and energy-saver option. This will help keep your monthly electrical bills down. Energy efficient units will use less electricity and timer options can prevent the units from running when they are not needed. You also want to make sure that the unit is the appropriate size for your room or home. If the unit is too large it will cycle off quickly and can freeze air moisture without removing it, which can lead to a higher electrical bill.
If you are in the market for a new air conditioning unit for your home, make sure you do adequate research to ensure you are purchasing the right unit at the right size. Read the package for the required voltage and wattage. If you are adding an A/C unit in your home you could overload electrical circuits that are no prepared. If you have questions about your home’s electrical efficiency in the summer, call Expert Electric at 604-681-8338.
