Spot cool with a window air conditioner. Central air units are designed to work with your heating vents to supply cool air to every room in your house. Granted, you can turn off the registers to limit or stop the air from entering a room, but the central air unit will still be running at full power. One of the ways to use a window unit, in this instance, is to spot cool a room that is occupied, but they can also save energy, be used for whole house cooling, and even during emergency power outages. Spot Cooling A smaller air conditioner can adequately spot cool a room where people congregate. Since even smaller central air conditioning units draw at least 15 amps or more of power, a window air conditioner that draws less energy, but can cool the room, is an effective alternative. There is no reason to cool off the entire house when only one room is occupied. You can save on energy costs and the wear and tear on your central air unit by using a window air conditioner in this instance. Saving Energy Find the amperage rating of your central air conditioner and install window units that are below that rating.

Cooling off the family room, the kitchen and a bedroom with three window units can save energy and be more cost effective than turning on the central air, provided the total amperage of the window units are rated less than the amperage on the central air unit. air conditioning unit not heatingFor example, window unit for a bedroom that uses 5,000 British thermal units is commonly rated at 5 amps. window mount ac unitAn 8,000 BTU unit for both the kitchen and the family room are rated at 7 amps each or 14 amps total. package ac units wikiIf the amperage draw on your central unit is 20 amps or greater, you save energy by using three window units instead. Whole House Strategically place one or two window air conditioners around your home and use fans to circulate the cool air.

The largest home box fans use less than an amp of power, so if one 8,000 BTU window air unit is placed in the kitchen and one is placed in the living room, you are using 14 amps. Add in two or three fans to blow air into bedrooms, and you have a total maximum amperage consumption of 17 amps. Running the fans on low increases their efficiency. This works because air blowing over your skin makes you feel cooler at any temperature. This is the same principle of a wind chill index. Power Outage Power up a window air conditioner with an electrical generator during a warm-weather power outage. Unless you have a whole-house generator, your central air conditioner will not be usable during a power outage. However, smaller 5,000 BTU window units can be powered by home generators that are able to handle the amperage. If there is an emergency power outage during a heat wave, being able to power a smaller room window air conditioner off of a generator may be a lifesaver. References 1800 Anytime: Air Conditioning Tips & Tricks You Must Know!

Should I get a window a/c for the bedroom even if we have central air? July 17, 2013   Subscribe Air conditioning buying guide Was this guide useful? Designed to keep your rooms feeling fresh and comfortable, air conditioners are available in a wide range of sizes, styles and prices brackets, making it easy to find the unit that’s perfect for your needs at Homebase.What types of air conditioners are there?For the purpose of this guide, when we talk about air conditioners we’re referring to portable appliances that draw hot air in, cool it down and then circulate this colder air throughout a room. Though static units are available that can be built into walls and windows, most air conditioning units in the UK are portable, allowing you to move the appliance to wherever it’s needed in your building. How do air conditioners work?When the appliance is switched on, air is drawn into the unit and passed over a cold evaporator coil, where it’s cooled and some of the moisture removed.

The air is then re-circulated into the room, reducing the overall temperature and humidity.At the same time, a chemical refrigerant in the system absorbs the heat from the warm air before venting it to the exterior of your home via a hose. As the air cools, water is released into the air conditioning system. This either empties away through an external drain or is collected in a tank that you can remove and empty when full.How cold can I make a room?All Homebase air conditioning units have a minimum cooling setting of 16˚C or 18˚C and a maximum setting of 32˚C or 35˚C.Though an air conditioner’s effectiveness will depend on the size of the room it’s placed in and the conditions, in general, this should be enough to maintain your perfect temperature, keeping you cool and comfortable whatever the weather.How can I ensure my air conditioner is working efficiently?Ensuring your air conditioner is working efficiently will not only help it to cool your home or office more quickly, it will also keep your energy bills down.

When installing your unit, it’s sensible to make sure that the hose expelling the warm air goes directly to an exterior window. If the air escapes inside your home, then your unit won’t be able to cool the space as efficiently.Closing windows and doors will also help to cool your space more efficiently, while keeping blinds and curtains drawn will prevent your interior being heated by the sun.What features should I look for in an air conditioner?Adjustable thermostatAn adjustable thermostat allows you to have complete control over the temperature of your room while the unit is operating, which is really important for maintaining a constant, optimum room temperature inside your home or office.1-12 or 1-24 hour timerA timer will allow you to select a specific operating period. Once this period has ended, the air conditioner will switch itself off, reducing wastage and saving you money.Washable pre-filtersWashable pre-filters remove dust, dirt and hair from the air being drawn into the filter, improving the air quality of your home, and preventing your air conditioner from becoming clogged up and working less efficiently. 

These filters can then easily be removed, cleaned and replaced.Mode settingsSome air conditioners have up to four different mode settings, allowing you to either cool, dehumidify, fan or heat the air as needed – making them suitable for use whatever the temperature.Energy efficiencyAs with many household appliances, air conditioners are given an energy rating to show their efficiency. A’ rated units are the most efficient and ‘G’ are the least, and the better the efficiency of your air conditioner, the less money it will cost to run.When browsing our great range of portable air conditioning units, you’ll notice that all appliances carry a British Thermal Unit (BTU) rating. This rating gives an indication of how much cooling the machine is capable of, and the higher the BTU rating, the larger the volume of air the unit can cool.For a general guide on air conditioning costs, the first number of the BTU rating will refer to how much an appliance costs to run per hour in pence. For example, a 9,000 BTU air conditioner will cost 9p per hour to run, and a 12,000 BTU air conditioner will cost 12p per hour.