First, a large air conditioner may or may not be the right thing to cool down a room even if that room is in Largo, Florida. Indeed, an air conditioner that’s too large for a room merely costs the homeowner money and is inefficient because it will tend to keep coming on and shutting off.

What Size Air Conditioner?

The best way to figure out what size air conditioner is right for a room is to call in an HVAC specialist and let him or her figure it out. The amount of cooling a room needs depends on how cool the homeowner wants the area to be and whether it’s going to cool off one room or be expected to cool down several rooms. It also depends on how much sun exposure the room gets, how well the room is insulated and how many doors and windows it has.

Other considerations include how much heat is put out from any machines or appliances in the room and how many people are going to regularly use the room. Cooling a room comfortably is also dependent on any hot spots that are in the room and the height of the ceiling. Rooms with ceilings over eight feet high generally need more cooling.

Air conditioners are rated by British thermal units, which is the amount of heat that’s required to raise the temperature of a pound of water one degree F. Some HVAC contractors calculate that the first room to be cooled needs an air conditioner with about 6,000 BTUS. 3,500-to-5,000 BTUS will be needed to cool any other rooms. If the homeowner wants to cool more than one room with one air conditioning unit, he or she might want to put it opposite a door and have a fan that can blow the air.

Besides the BTUS of an air conditioner, the homeowner will need to check its energy efficiency rating. The higher the air conditioner’s energy efficiency rating, the less power it will need to use. The air conditioner will also come with installation instructions. The HVAC contractor is the best choice in mounting a unit in a window because it’s heavy and a bit awkward to maneuver. He can also make sure that any air leaks are sealed.