Summer does not usually have mercy and hot days accumulate one after another, so the need for a breath of fresh air becomes essential, especially when summer is spent in the city. The hottest season of the year coincides with the high season of air conditioning purchases, as they are the quintessential solution to the ravages of high temperatures.
Its use in the home, which has spread considerably in the last decade, implies taking certain considerations before acquiring the equipment: From the type of air conditioning to the refrigerators, there are different parameters to consider before choosing the correct option and not die of heat in the attempt.
A very small piece of equipment can operate in a forced way, spending a lot of electrical energy and, consequently, generating a greater economic cost. The solution is not to choose a very large piece of equipment either because reaching the programmed temperature very quickly can make it start and brake all the time.
To know how many fridges the air conditioning has to be, you have to multiply the cubic meters of the room (m2 * height) by 50. Example: a 20 m2 room with a height of 2.5 m has then 50 m3. That room would need an air of 2,500 fridges: 50 m3 x 50.
Before launching into the first offer you find, that there are at this time of year, we leave you a series of tips so you know which AC unit is the one that best suits your needs.
-The types:
The so-called split is the most common for installation at home. Their preference is based not only on their very good performance but also that they are the easiest to install since the internal and external units are easy to mount and only a small hole in the wall is required to pass the pipes of the refrigeration system.
There are also so-called window or compact air conditioners, more and more in disuse because their installation is somewhat more complex, due to the extra cost that a masonry work requires since the external and internal units are part of a single module. Their performance is less than that of the split and their technology is somewhat more outdated, making it less and less frequent to see them in homes.
A third option for the home environment are portable air conditioners, which need a window for the hose and are usually much louder and less powerful. There are several types, some include condensation air outlet and water evacuation in the same tube; others eject separately, and some add an outdoor unit. The tubes must be connected to the window to expel the hot air, for this purpose, a kit is usually included that makes installation simple, sealing the opening and preventing it from re-entering the room.
-The fridges
When choosing a piece of equipment, it is important to pay special attention to the fridges, since these allow you to have a reference to the unit’s cooling capacity. It is usually used as an equivalent of a negative kilocalorie since it measures the absorption of heat. It is worth noting that in other countries the BTU (British Thermal Unit) is used as a measure, which is equivalent to 0.252 kcal: a frigory (or kilocalorie) is equivalent to about 4 BTUs.
A quick calculation to know the approximate number of refrigerations necessary for the refrigeration of a room is to take its cubic meters (length x width x height) as a base and then multiply it by 50. For example, a room 4 meters wide, by 5 long and 2.5 high results in 50 cubic meters; therefore, a minimum of 2,500 fridges will be needed to optimally refrigerate it.
-Inverter?
The Inverter is an electronic component that alters the speed of the compressor. This technology allows you to reach the desired temperature more quickly (the motor works up to 30% above its power in this phase) and regulates the compressor so that it slows down to the minimum necessary to maintain these values, making it possible greater energy savings. Thus, the temperature fluctuations are reduced and a margin between + 1ºC and -1ºC is maintained. Whenever the budget allows it, it is convenient to choose a unit equipped with an Inverter, since it guarantees better performance and lowers energy consumption.
-Consumption
The consumption of the air conditioners is estimated through the EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio); the higher the number, the greater the efficiency and the lower the unit’s operating cost. This index is also reflected in letters, with A being the most efficient and G being the least efficient. Today, practically all splits are in the A and B range for cooling and A, B, and C for heating. It is important to take this index into account to be sure that the equipment purchased guarantees efficient consumption.
Finally, do not fall into the temptation of equipment on offer that does not satisfy our needs 100 percent; Fortunately, reviews, and forums abound on the internet with information on almost all the equipment available on the market, so it is good to research and know the product well before making the final decision. An extra tip: It is always better to go ahead and buy in winter when prices are usually lower.