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The room air conditioner is an efficient and affordable solution for those who don’t have a central air-conditioning system. These air conditioners are made to be energy efficient, so you don’t have to worry about high electricity bills. There are many manufacturers as well as many models in the market to keep you cool. Unfortunately, all are not designed with the same quality and that’s why it is hard to choose the best conditioner. In this post, we mentioned some important factors to consider before buying an air conditioner. We also recommended some air conditioners which are currently best in the market.

For choosing the best air conditioner for home, select the type according to your house construction. Every type has different pros and cons which we mentioned below. Consider how much energy it uses. The good quality air conditioner may be expensive initially but in the long term, it saves money on electricity bills and leaves less carbon footprint. Features of the air conditioner are another factor to consider. Sleep timer and setting can help in saving a lot of energy. An electric ionizer is a good option for those with allergy as it keeps the air clean.

Best Air Conditioners for home 2019

Check out our recommended list of the best air conditioner for home. We selected all these models based on our extensive research. All these fulfill out criteria for research such as for energy-efficient cooling systems,  cost-effective and user-friendly.

The best rated Air Conditioners for home 2019 are as listed below:

1. SPT Window Air Conditioner WA-1211S
2. LG LW8015ER Window Air Conditioner
3. Keystone KSTAW05B
4. GE AEM05LX
5. Frigidaire FFTA1233Q1

You can check more details from the Amazon link provided after each air conditioner unit below.

SPT Window Air Conditioner WA-1211S

SPT Window Air Conditioner WA-1211S has 12,000 BTU capacity. This is suitable for medium to large size room of area between 350-650 square feet. This a/c has 3  fan speeds and 5 different modes to adjust airflow and feel according to your wish.

 SPT Window Air Conditioner WA-1211S is energy efficient and even received an Energy Star award. It has the EER of 10.8 and makes the noise of about 51 decibels. You can expect the yearly cost of electricity around 88,8 dollars according to the manufacturer.

This a/c comes with a digital display and remote to put your favorite setting conveniently. 

 LG LW8015ER Window Air Conditioner

 LG LW8015ER  has 8,000 BTU capacity. This is suitable for rooms with the area up to 350 square feet. This a/c has the airflow of 220 cubic feet per minute and energy efficient with a rating of 12.1

LG LW8015ER is heavier than similar models and weighs around 54 pounds. It is also a higher upfront cost but an estimated yearly cost of power consumption is 60 dollars. This a/c can remove 2,2 pints of moisture per hour which is an important factor to consider if you have a humid climate.

Keystone KSTAW05B

If you are looking air conditioner for smaller rooms ( up to 150 square feet), then we would definitely recommend this one. This a/c is compact, light weighted and energy efficient. This a/c consume low power and have EER of 11.2

Keystone KSTAW05B has BTU of 5,000 and airflow of 129 CFM. It also has limited directional air flow and hence suitable for only smaller rooms.

It comes with a remote and features such as dehumidifier mode, auto mode, sleep mode, and programmable timer. It weighs only about 54 pounds and can be easily installed. According to manufacturer estimated yearly operating cost is about 40 dollars. This a/c unit comes with 5 years warranty of compressor.

GE AEM05LX

This window air conditioner is suitable for small to medium size room for up to 260 square feet. GE AEM05LX has a good energy efficiency rating of 10,7 and cooling capacity of 5200 BTU. The estimated yearly operating according to the manufacturer is $41.

GE AEM05LX has 4-way directional louvers for efficient air circulation. It is easy to install because of its size and weighs around 46 pounds.

It has less airflow of 145 cubic feet per minute and comes with the warranty of 1 year. GE AEM05LX also lacks in features such as sleep mode, auto-restart, and dehumidify-only mode. 

Frigidaire FFTA1233Q1

This air conditioner is an excellent choice for in-wall AC. Frigidaire FFTA1233Q1 is packed with features and has the cooling power of 12,000 BTU. It can easily cool room with the area of 550 Square feet. 

It comes with a variety of features to control temperature. air flow and fan speed. This air conditioner has a high airflow of 305 cubic feet per minute. With this ac, you can control airflow intensity with its 3 fan speed option.

It doesn’t have the de-humidify only mode but can remove 3,3 pints of moisture per hour. 

To save energy Frigidaire FFTA1233Q1 has a programmable timer, sleep mode, and multi-speed fan.

Types of Air conditioner units (Pros and cons)

Following are the major type of air conditioner system you can choose from. Choosing the right system will depend on your budget, house construction and for how much area you want to cool. We also mentioned the pros and cons of each type below.

  • Window Air Conditioner
  • Split Air Conditioner system
  • Portable Air Conditioner system
  • Central Air Conditioner system

Window Air Conditioner

In Window Air Conditioner, all the components such as the compressor, expansion valve, condenser, and cooling coil are enclosed in a single unit box. They are easy to install and don’t require modification such as installing ducts or making holes in walls.

The window air conditioner is an ideal choice if you are in the rented apartment. You can install and remove it whenever you change your apartment. They are designed and works best for rooms with a smaller area. But now day’s high capacity window AC units are available which can be sufficient for the area up to 650 square feet. Its water drains do not need to be emptied as they are outside.

The drawback of the window air conditioner is that they are not as quite other systems. They are heavy and you may need help while installing and removing them. If you install them directly outside the window, then it limits the use of that window.

Split Air Conditioner system

The split air conditioner consists of two main parts: the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. The outdoor unit of a/c is kept on or near the wall outside of the room. The outdoor unit houses components such as the compressor, condenser coil, and the capillary tubing.

The indoor unit is comprised of the cooling fan and evaporator. Copper tubing system provides the connection between the indoor and outdoor unit.

This type of air conditioner is suitable if you don’t want to limit your window usage by using the window air conditioner. With this, you can adjust room temperature according to individual rooms. They are highly recommended if you want to save on energy and want to cover spaces where another system is not possible. The main problem with this system is the appearance of the indoor unit on the wall. You have to mount a big indoor unit of a/c on the wall which some people don’t find visually appealing.

Portable Air Conditioner system

Portable Air conditioner is made with a moveable single unit, positioned on the floor of the room. They are easy to set up and can be moved to different rooms easily. Portable a/c system sucks the ambient room air and vents out warm air through exhaust outside. Some additional features like dehumidify help in removing humidity in the room.

Even though portable a/c system is inside the room, you will still require an area to discharge warm air. This can be done using window or sliding doors. They are noisy and not as efficient as other air-conditioning systems.

Central Air Conditioner System

In this system, big compressor unit is placed outside and cool air is provided using vents on the wall. In this system, air flows in ducts from the compressor to vents. This system requires huge upfront cost but saves much more energy as compared to regular individual a/c units for the room.

This system is extensively used in apartment building, hotels, gyms, movie theaters, and industries. You will require a professional and permit (depending on your region) before installing this system.

Central A/c system is almost hidden behind walls except for the vents in the room.

How to choose the right size (capacity) of the Air conditioner

Selecting the right capacity of an air conditioner is important as it affects both upfront and regular electric bills. You should avoid buying both under power and overpower air conditioner system.

There are many factors which to consider for determining the right capacity. But the most important is the floor size. Other factors are ceiling height, sun exposure, and the number of people usually using that area.

Problem with overpowered a/c system is its upfront cost. It will cost you more and will lack control of comfortable climate. It will cool the area of the room at a much faster rate while unable to control the moisture.

According to The Exhaustive Guide to Heating and Cooling Your Tiny Home, every one point increase in your EER equates to about a 10 percent reduction in cooling costs.

As for underpowered a/c unit they are simply unable to give you the desired temperature. They may be cheaper in starting but eventually, you will end up paying the higher cost for electricity.

Calculate the required capacity according to your room size

The cooling capacity of the air conditioner is measured using BTU (British thermal unit). You can easily calculate the BTU required for your room by following method.

Length of room (in feet) X width of the room (in feet) = Area of the room (in square feet)

Area of the room (in square feet) X 25 = Minimum BTU required

For Example width of your room is 12 feet and length is 12 feet.

So the area of your room will be 12 x 12 = 144 Square feet.

Now multiply 144 with 25 which is equal to 3600.

Hence you for this above-mentioned size room you will require best air conditioner capacity should be more than 3600 BTU’s.

Recommended BTU’s according to room size

Check out the following table to select the required BTU for the best air conditioner according to your room size.

Room size (square feet) BTU’s required
Less than 150 5,000
150-230 6,000
230-300 7,000
300-350 8,000
350-500 10,000
500-650 12,000
650-870 14,000
870-1100 18,000
1100-1300 21,000

Factors to consider when choosing the air conditioner

There are several factors to consider for choosing the best air conditioner.

Type of air conditioner: We have mentioned all the major types of air conditioner system above. You can choose the one which suits you the most.

Room size: We have mentioned the above cons of both under power or overpowered air conditioner system. You need to measure the size of your room and then choose accordingly.

Energy efficiency rating: It is mandatory to mention EER (energy efficiency rating) of the air conditioner in most of the countries. Select the one with higher EER as they consume lesser energy.

Vent: Make sure vents of the air conditioner are adjustable.

Remote control: Most manufacturers provide remote so you can easily adjust the temperature and other features easily.

Additional features: Now day’s air conditioner comes with many features. They are designed to give you a most comfortable environment. Features such as electric ionizers keep the air fresh. The dehumidifier helps to control the humidity of the room. Auto on and off timer and other settings make air conditioner more energy efficient.

Noise: Another important factor to consider is the noise it makes when it’s on. The level of under 50 decibels is recommended.

Warranty and customer service: Check warranty of the air conditioner and customer services. Carefully note which part of the unit is not covered under the warranty period.

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