Come summers, as the mercury shoots up, heat and humidity make living unbearable and an air conditioner becomes a must to beat the heat. Lower air temperatures reduce dehydration due to sweating and also improves air quality. But from the plethora of choices available, which air conditioner to buy? Buying an air conditioner has many intricacies to it. Here’s a checklist to go through before you zero down on the perfect fit for your requirement.

Decide the tonnage

An air conditioner takes air from the room, passes it through an evaporator to cool it and circulates it back into the room. The size of the room decides the quantity of air in the room. This is why the tonnage of the AC is calculated. Measure the length, breadth and height of the room and divide it by 1000. That will be your tonnage. (10 foot x 10 foot x 10 foot/1000 = 1 ton). The number of windows in the room and the direction they are facing also matter. North-facing windows receive the least solar radiation and the room will require lesser tonnage in comparison to a room with south-facing windows.

Energy efficiency

Cooling costs and can sometimes double the energy bill of the home. This is where efficiency comes into play. More the number of stars an AC has, more the efficiency. An AC with lower efficiency will cost less but add to the energy bills month-over-month. On the other hand, an AC with higher efficiency costs more but reaps rewards in the future.

Right Type

• Split AC: Split ACs have an advantage when it comes to energy efficiency as it consists of two units out of which one is installed outside the home and the other inside. The installation costs are higher as compared to the other ACs.
• Window AC: Window ACs are cheaper but not as efficient as split ACs. They are easy to install.
• Portable AC: The biggest advantage is as the name suggests, that they can be moved from place to place.

Technology

• Reverse Cycle: This one has both heating and cooling abilities. These come in handy for extreme climates.
• Inverter: A non-inverter air conditioner cools the room with the same tonnage irrespective of the size of the room. Inverter air conditioners vary the tonnage depending on the size of the room and are more energy efficient.
• Smart ACs: In the age of IoT, your AC can be connected to the home network so that it can be controlled through your smartphone.

Protection plan

A protection plan ensures quick AC repairs by trusted technicians in case of break-down of the AC in the future. Explore the OneAssist HomeServ plan for getting your air conditioner and many other home appliances protected.

Live Assisted. #StayProtected.

OneAssist for Home