Monday 30 April 2012

Energy Efficient AC


The scorching heat spares nobody in this age of global warming. Even the most modest of cars in the country now come with air conditioners. Most homes have at least one in the bedroom and almost all small and large offices have them. Today you might be online in order to browse through AC reviews and air conditioning systems companies’ websites, to get a better idea of what the ideal air conditioning for you may be. But chances are that you already have one old air conditioner at home. And chances are that it works just fine. And so you are looking to buy another one for another room, and since it has been quite a few years since you bought your last unit, it seemed like a good idea to check online for viable options. This scenario is fairly common among buyers these days. The only problem is that the best thing to do would be to get rid of that old unit and replace it with an energy efficient AC.

Not convinced? The fact that your old AC was bought years ago should be reason enough. Just take a minute and think about the technological advances made in the field of electronic appliances in the past few years. You most likely bought that unit when there were only a couple of companies that made air conditioners in the country. In comparison, a simple light browsing through the Internet for AC companies or even a trip to your nearest mall can get you quotations and a long list of companies producing all types and sizes of air conditioning systems today. If you are still in two minds about chucking that old AC, do yourself a favour and check the units of electricity it consumes. This factor is surely going to change your mind. It is time you move on from old to new and from energy guzzler to energy saver. In fact, you can even find a company that will take in your old unit and in return, give you a good discount on the new system you buy. There are many companies that offer a special discount for customers that buy multiple units.

When out shopping for a new AC, you may realize that a large number of options that seem to fit your criteria of unit size, desired features and AC type are in the same cost range. However, the trick to finding the ideal air conditioner for your requirements does not end here. The main factor you need to consider is how energy efficient the product is. There are two major reasons to buying a unit that is highly energy efficient. First of all, an energy efficient unit will save you a considerable amount of money in electric bills over time. You will no longer worry about how long you have kept the AC running or how it is going to run up the electricity consumption. Secondly, it gives you the satisfaction of doing something for the environment. After all, in this age of depleted fuel reserves and environmental distress, every bit of energy saving is important.

All energy efficient AC are rated according to their Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). It is imperative that you check the energy rating of the unit you consider buying. All you need to do is look for the energy-rating label on the product, which uses stars to rate the level of efficiency. The more stars, the lower the electric bills. You can also find units that boast five star ratings. These may be a bit expensive, but are worth it. Most even have an energy consumption box on the label.

Looking Through AC Reviews

Summer’s here and no matter what part of the country you live in, you need an air conditioning system. Some of you may be considering just one ac for your bedroom, others multiple to keep the whole house cool. Well, these days there are so many different types of air conditioners available on the market for sale that it is difficult to zero-in on the one that is ideal for your cooling needs. So how do you decide on what to buy? A good start can be to check out some models at your local electronic appliances store or the nearest mall. Once you are familiar with a few brand names and know how some of the systems look, try searching online for some AC reviews. Reading AC reviews can give you a clearer idea of what brands to consider, what to look for in a cooling system, how energy efficient the various brands are, what are the latest features some companies offer in their products, and so on. You may have to go through a few reviews to get all the facts, but you are bound to be thankful you did so.

Reviews can definitely give you a rough idea about the products and brands, but it still won’t point out exactly what you should buy. That is a decision you will need to make on your own. Many buyers even go through review after review and come out more confused than ever. Probably because they have no idea what aspects they need to look for in an air conditioning system. Here’s where it gets simple. All you need to do is follow the tips below.

The first thing you should do is take measurements of where you want your AC to be fit in the room. If you are unclear about the precise location, at least have a rough idea. The size of the unit and its capacity should be top priority when looking at any prospective model. This also means you will need to decide beforehand whether you expect the AC to cool just the room it is fit into, adjoining rooms as well or even the entire house. It may be wise to realize that the wrong size can be a disaster in this case. If you get a small unit for a big space, you will end up keeping it on for longer and run up your electric bills. On the other hand, if the unit is too big for a small space, it can make give a damp and humid effect rather than cool and crisp. To know the size best suited for your requirements, take the cubic metres measurement of the entire room (floor, ceiling height, and window areas) and ask an air conditioner sales person what size unit you might need.

Second on your priority list should be the cost factor of the unit. The price competition in the market is fierce, so do not be surprised if the difference in price between two similar products is not great. Also beware not to base your decision entirely on this factor. You may want to consider the brand name and reputation. You could also make a few calls and ask friends or family what brand they swear by. In case you are not totally sure about your choice, go to the official online website of the company and compare prices, services, features, etc before you buy.

Another aspect to take under consideration when reading AC reviews is the energy efficiency of the unit. Nowadays this is represented by stars on the product. A five star AC is the best, as it saves you energy and in turn money in the long run.

Tuesday 24 April 2012

How to Choose a 5 Star AC


Most people choose their air conditioners based on television and magazine advertisements, or by scanning the local mall for available options. These may be the same people you later find complaining about the hiked electricity bill or other functional problems with the product. Air conditioning has become a need of the hour in today’s day and age, but with so many choices and brands in the market consumers are bound to be confused. This is why a majority of smart buyers do their research online and get all the information needed to help them make the right decision. In view of the fact that most buyers nowadays look for energy efficiency in electronic product, the 5 star AC is fast-becoming the most popular choice regardless of the company name or reputation. Of course there are those who club the best star ratings with other features that make their air conditioner a real asset.

Energy efficiency is definitely a valid point to consider, but should it be the only criteria for you? Well, no. While you are better off buying a five star AC, there are some questions you need to ask yourself in order to zero in on the right product. Such as: what is your budget? Where are you located, meaning what is the climate of the place where the system is going to be used? How many star rating are you willing to settle for? How many months in the year will you be using the system? Where are you going to mount the AC and whether the building or residential society will have any objection or restrictions against installation of the system? How big is the room you wish to install the AC in? What is the right size of AC for your needs?

There are two types of air conditioners readily available. These are the Window air conditioners and the wall mounted split air conditioners, but these days the split air conditioners are most widely used in homes as well as offices that do not have a central air conditioning system. This is because of many distinctive reasons. First of all, while the split ac is more costly than a window air conditioner, it is by far the most efficient room air conditioner system on the market. Such systems also do not require any window for installation, and provide quieter cooling compared to other AC types. If you are more inclined to buying a window air conditioner, there are some things you could keep in mind. It is imperative that you choose the right size of AC. Getting a system that is manufactured for a larger room translates into wasting energy without any underlying benefits. On the other hand procuring one that is too small will not be able to cope with the size of the room and in turn not be satisfactory.

No matter what type of air conditioner you choose, you have to make a list of requisites the system must fulfill. These may include things like bringing down the temperature in a fixed amount of time, not increasing your electricity bill too much even if the usage is high, the system being safe and environmentally friendly, durable, etc. Today you can find a perfect 5 star AC system beforehand by simply checking out your options online. Most air conditioning companies have their official websites providing comprehensive information about all the products they sell, the technologies they use, the working of the system, ecological impact, and the like. Some company websites also feature testimonials or blogs written by their happy consumers, which may give you a good insight about how users feel about the product.

Air Conditioner Reviews

If you are out shopping for an ideal air conditioner for your home or office set-up, in addition to checking out various company websites you should also go through some air conditioner reviews online. Doing so will not only give you an idea of what you should be looking for in your air conditioner, but also inform you of the latest technologies, useful features and the different models out in the market. The main aspects to take under consideration in order to find the best air conditioning system for you are as follows. First is the amount of money you are willing to spend on the unit, then the energy efficiency of the system, the type of air conditioning that suits you best, the unit’s star rating, the square feet area in which the air conditioner is going to be installed, the noisiness of the system, whether it can provide effective and fast cooling, installation problems that may be faced, the size of the air conditioner, environmental impact of the system, easy maintenance of the system, and safety and durability.

While the price of the unit may be important, it is important to realize that there is no point in buying an air conditioner that is priced low, if it is not energy efficient and will run up your electricity bills. This scenario can spell trouble, especially as time goes by. Thus, it should be looked at as a temporary drawback. After all what is the point of buying an air conditioner if you constantly have to worry about how much electricity it consumes. This is the reason why more and more smart buyers have changed their priority from price to energy efficiency, even if they have to pay a little extra for the unit. The energy efficiency factor of the air conditioning system also helps in the being a bit more environmentally friendly, as it emits less carbon dioxide into the air, which is the gas most affecting global warming. But how do you know which of the air conditioning systems is more energy efficient?

With the cost of technology falling, you can take advantage of new innovations that are revolutionizing appliances to suit your every requisite. These days there is a star rating system that can tell you exactly how energy efficient the product in question is, meaning how much it will cost to power the unit. This star rating is now used for almost all high energy consuming electrical appliances readily available in the market such as fridges, air conditioners, etc. The energy efficiency of any air conditioning unit depends on its cooling capacity, which is measured in BTU and its power consumption, which is measured in watts. The higher the star rating, the more energy efficient and in turn cost effective the product is.

Your focus while reading several air conditioner reviews and browsing through different AC manufacturers’ websites should be to zero in on a product with a five star or at least four star rating, regardless of its cost. You must also look for product sizes that are in accordance to the room size that you wish to install the unit in. Another thing to ensure is whether the unit can bring down temperatures in a short span of time without being too noisy. And lastly, you should make certain that the product is high in quality and has a long lifespan. There are many options that may fulfill all the above requirements, therefore rest assured that you will find that perfect air conditioner. Once you have figured out which one you want, all you have to do is take a trip down to your favorite appliance store and make the buy.