How Portable Acs Can Save Your Power Bills?
When you buy an A/c unit you are always concerned about its efficiency. It is not enough to select a cooing unit only on the basis of its cooling capacity. It should have a reasonable operational cost. Portable air conditioners are selected by consumers today for many advantages such as portability, easy installation, cheaper prices etc. One of the benefits that portable A/cs offer is preventing your bank account from sweating out. Let’s see how these portable units are able to cut down your energy cost-
• In homes fitted with central A/cs all the rooms that connected to the cooling unit with duct work get cooled, no matter whether they are occupied or not. In such situation more than half of the cool air produced by the machine goes into sheer waste. But it is not so in case of portable air conditioner. If you and your family are occupying only one of the rooms of a big house, then you can carry the A/c there to cool the particular room solely. This saves both energy and money. According to 2013 reports from the “Rapid City Journal,” running a portable air conditioner needs one-eighth of the electricity required to run a central air-conditioning unit. This also translates to one-eighth of the cost.
• In houses equipped with an HVAC unit, it takes some time for the cold blast to cool the rooms. This is because the air is being dispersed in the entire house. A portable air conditioner can provide that quick blast of cool air directly where it’s needed the most. As a result the machine does not need to run long to give you the prefect temperature for comfort. This also makes a difference in utility bills.
• If you are particularly anxious about not paying extra money on utility bills on account of you portable A/c then you should select the right size. Never buy an A/c that is too big in size as it will cycle on and off very frequently. This will bring skyrocketing power bills. Also do not go for an undersized unit as it will work harder to cool the rooms which will generate fat power bill. To decide the size of your portable cooler, determine the square footage of the room. Select the capacity of the air conditioner according to the size of the room. Here is a quick look at the required capacities of A/cs according to a room’s dimension-
o Small Spaces less than 250 sq. ft. — 7,000-8,000 BTUs
o Mid-Size Spaces ranging from 300-425 sq. ft. — 10,00-12,000 BTUs
Some additional tips to make rooms cooler with portable air conditioner-
You should always keep your ceiling fans functional when powering on you portable air conditioner. The fan can make the rooms cooler by 4 degrees. However your fan should run counter clockwise to push all of that cooled air down. A fan running clockwise will pull the air up into the ceiling.
When the summer is over, clean the machine thoroughly and store it in warm place. It will keep it in good shape for the next year. It’s best that you store it in a warm space so that any water that may remain inside won’t freeze in the winter and cause damage to the unit. Also consult the maintenance tips of the manufacturer that will vary from model to model.