Our month of June feels more like mid-July with the tremendous heat and clammy humidity, doesn’t it? Like barbecues, air conditioners must be selling like hot-cakes! 

As it’s usually the custom, when a subject such as air conditioning becomes a hot subject, you usually tend to hear comments of all kinds.  The ones who own an air conditioning device often complain about the performance.  Others wish to purchase one but simply do not know where to start.

Now, if you are anything  like me, you may have no idea of what size to buy or how many BTU’s you need your unit to have in order for it to be profitable.  I honestly thought the term BTU was strictly used in the barbecue business!

I recently found out through Energy Star that many elements can be taken into consideration to help you choose the correct air conditioning.   For instance, did you know that the total square footage of the area you wish to cool is essential?

Also, here are some elements you may need to consider to help you make the smartest choice:

If the room is heavily shaded, reduce capacity by 10 percent.
If the room is very sunny, increase capacity by 10 percent.
If more than two people regularly occupy the room, add 600 BTUs for each additional person.
If the unit is used in a kitchen, increase capacity by 4,000 BTUs.
Consider where you install the unit. If you are mounting an air conditioner near the corner of a room, look for a unit that can send the airflow in the right direction. 

I also encourage you to visit the following site in order to view the chart that will give you a better indication of what type of strength your unit should be in order to be effective.
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized

Happy shopping and may your summer be a little less sticky!

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