Shannon Stapleton / Reuters If you’re on a tight budget, sweating out the summer with no air conditioning may sound like a good way to save money. But a sizzling June brought record highs to more than 40 U.S. locales, and a heat wave is gripping much of the nation. So if you feel your willpower starting to melt, here’s how to find an air conditioner for less. Let’s start with the basics. The first thing to note in an air conditioner is its cooling capacity, which is measured in BTU, or British thermal units. The size of your space determines how much cooling capacity you need. Budget air conditioners range from 5,000 BTU, which can handle about 150 square feet, to 12,000 BTU, enough to cover about 550 square feet. Naturally, air conditioners with higher capacities have higher price tags. But beware of buying less (or more) than you need; you’ll pay the price in performance and efficiency. This government chart can help you determine the right size for you. Another thing to look for is an Energy Star label, which signals that an air conditioner is at least 10 percent more efficient than the minimum standard set by the federal government.

While an Energy Star model can cost more than a conventional air conditioner, the savings on utilities should make up any difference. Buying an Energy Star appliance can also qualify you for a rebate, sales tax exemption, or tax credit. parts of window air conditioner unitsCheck the Energy Star website for offers in your area.ac unit window cover Even low-cost air conditioners come with plenty of features, such as electronic controls and a remote control. how to buy window ac unitsA timer lets you set the air conditioner to turn off in case you forget or turn on before you expect to be home so the place is cool when you arrive. An energy saver mode strategically cycles the fan on and off, using the compressor only when necessary. Sleep mode gradually increases the temperature a few degrees while you sleep, conserving energy and keeping you from waking up cold in the middle of the night.

Below are Cheapism’s top picks in a variety of sizes: The 5,200 BTU Kenmore 70051 (starting at $150) has all the features of a bigger, more expensive air conditioner. It comes with an Energy Star label, three fan speeds and cooling modes, a remote control, a 24-hour timer, energy saver mode, sleep mode, and an indicator light to alert you when the filter needs cleaning. According to reviews, it’s easy to use and install. With 6,500 BTU, the Frigidaire LRA074AT7 (starting at $159) is big enough to cool up to 250 square feet. This Lowe’s model comes with a five-year in-home warranty and a full set of features that impresses users posting reviews. The LG LW8011ER (starting at $199) features an Energy Star label, three fan speeds and cooling modes, a remote control, a five-year in-home warranty, and a 12-hour timer. At 8,000 BTU, it has the cooling capacity for up to about 350 square feet. All that power generates a few complaints in reviews about noise, but overall consumers are pleased with this model’s performance.

The Frigidaire FRA106BU1 (starting at $237) boasts a cooling capacity of 10,000 BTU, enough to handle about 500 square feet. The remote control is equipped with a thermostat to monitor the temperature elsewhere in the room and adjust the AC accordingly. In reviews, users praise the air conditioner’s high quality and durability. Best cheap air conditioners Best cheap fans under $40 Where to find cheap sandals for womenWritten I'm positive that you've probably already found a solution in your search for a portable air conditioner but some answer is better than no answer I suppose.Your best bet for finding a local store that sells portable air conditioners is probably the Lowe's on Bay Shore Blvd. There might be some small mom and pop type places that sell portable AC's but I'm not finding any easily on any sort of listings in your area.Alternatly you could always order online and have a portable AC at your door in a matter of days. We can typically have a unit delivered in about 3 days.

/porta...Best of luck finding a portable AC if you haven't already.Coventry is set for some hot weather this summer, so you need to get to grips with it to avoid being caught hot under the collar when the temperatures get high. If you find the heatwaves too hot to handle, you need to invest in a desktop fan or mobile air conditioning unit. They are available everywhere this season, and cater for all budgets and sizes, from pocket-friendly offerings which you can take to the office with you, or high-tech and high-powered ceiling fans. Three years ago, they sold out throughout the United Kingdom and were being sold for silly sums on online sites like eBay. Stock up while you can! Where can I buy a fan this summer? Curry's offer fans to help cool you down, as well as Tesco's at the Ricoh Arena Retail Park. You can also find fans of all shapes, sizes and powers at John Lewis, Maplin and Argos. Where can I buy a mobile air-conditioning unit this summer? Your best bet is Argos, with the city centre outlet in Coventry offering you a variety in different shapes and sizes.

Air coolers are portable units which can be moved around the house, and they work by using water stored internally. There is no installation costs, and air coolers do not require a hose vent so it is not necessary to place them near an external window. You can also adapt the unit and change its speed, giving you control over the settings and amount of time it is turned on for. You usually get a remote control with it, too, meaning you can alter it from the comfort of your sofa! They are more costly, though, so if you don't think you'll get much use out of it - go for the good, old-fashioned fan. This one from Curry's will cost you under a tenner. Most desk fans come anywhere between £10 and £20, as displayed here. Air conditioning units can reach triple figures, but there's no need when this Premiair model costs just £90. This Koolbreeze model will set you back a cool £499.5 things you need to know (and no one told you) before buying an Air Conditioner. With this summer heat waves, thousands of customers rush into the stores to buy an Air Conditioner.

But, what do we need to consider before purchasing? Users tend to look at the price, the amount of “+” of the energy label, the brand, design, etc. But there are other things to keep in mind that no one usually explains and we want to share them with you. Before buying you Air Conditioner, you should consider where the indoor and the outdoor units will be placed. Remember that the best option is always to ask for advice from a climate professional. Air Conditioner units from 2KW to 3,5KW have an installation distance (tube length between the indoor and the outdoor unit) that varies from 3 to 15 meters approximately. That is enough for the vast majority of installations. Do you know that the longer the distance between the indoor and the outdoor unit, the lower the performance of the system? Compared with a 5 meter installation, a 10 meters installation has a performance loss of between a 3 and a 5 % and a 15 meter installation between a 7 and a 10 %. Do you think a 5% is not that much?

What if you consider the 10-15 years of your AC lifetime? Location for the outdoor unit is another important factor to consider for the AC system performance. Having proper ventilation is essential, so if it is installed near a wall, remember to keep enough distance between the wall and the outdoor unit for the air to flow easily. If we foresee that the system will work in cool mode, we need to avoid direct sunlight to our outdoor unit. Therefore, we need to install it in a shady location. The temperature difference between being under direct sunlight or being in the shade may be from 5 to 10ºC and we need to consider that this 5ºC difference may imply up to a 20% of over consumption. Regarding Split units (the ones visible hanged on the walls), usually users determine their location based on esthetic as, although their design has been improved a lot, they are still bulky devices which usually brake the room or space design line. If we think about energy savings, the best location is the one where the air can reach us directly.

We know most of you reading this article may be thinking that this is Too cold and very uncomfortable! But think it twice: if the air is annoying you because you have too much cold, you will turn the AC unit off as you don’t need it anymore and talking about energy savings, what saves the most is something which is not on. Let’s see it from a technical point of view. Imagine a living room where the air temperature is about 30ºC and in this same room we have heat walls (those exterior walls where the sun hits directly). These walls, as per radiation effect (the same as a heating radiator on winter), are emitting heat constantly. Therefore, if our unit is on, but the air flow is not reaching us directly, the only effect we will see is that the AC unit will cool down the air slowly and even if the ambient temperature reaches 25ºC, we will still have the feeling of being hot as per the heat emitted by the walls. That will make you turn down the set point temperature, which implies higher energy consumption.

Letting the air flow reach us directly reduces the heat sensation and, therefore, we can increase the set point temperature reducing the energy consumption. Another advantage is the use of the AC unit as a traditional fan using the fan function (yes, like in the olden days!), so if there is not too much heat, simply using this function we will have a comfortable sensation at a very low cost. Have you ever been commenting and sharing the set point values for you AC system with your friends? Well, we are sorry to inform you that those comparisons are useless. Because, in order to compare them, they need to be under the same conditions. Temperature probes for indoor units are not identical and you can’t compare different rooms either as per their shape, isolation, orientation, windows, curtains, electric devices present, etc. On the other hand, it is also obvious that the temperature feeling for each person is different. Usually, when we think about temperatures, we think on a number, what does cold and hot mean, or what it is comfort and what is not…

Please, forget about numbers and what do they mean to you! We propose you an experiment. Take a piece of paper and stick it on the set point temperature indicator of the remote controller. Turn the AC unit on and wait for a few minutes (10-15 minutes). If you are hot, reduce the set point temperature; if you are cold, increase it. Repeat this action as many times as necessary until you fill that the room is at the comfort temperature you desire. Ready to see which is the current temperature set on the remote controller? From now on you can start using this temperature as your ideal one. Remember that this temperature will only be valid as long as: you wear the same cloths, the outdoor temperature is the same and also the same amount of light is passing by the window. You can repeat the experiment and determine the ideal temperature for different scenarios, such as day or night. Finally, let us remark that considering health advises, it is not recommended to set temperatures 10ºC higher or below the outdoor temperature.