How to choose air conditioner or cooler?

This summer proved that air conditioners in Lithuania are still needed at home, not just in offices. When you have to sleep under all the open windows to make the home a little cooler at least at night, you no longer have to - the next summer you have to have air conditioning.

Professional air conditioners are sold and installed by specialist companies. This level of air conditioner is unlikely to be installed because you have to drill through the walls here, which can be really difficult for people living in an apartment building.

How can you cool your home yourself? There are two ways: portable air conditioners and coolers, also known as simply fans. They are freely available in online stores, so we will give you some tips on choosing the right air conditioners and fans.

Let's start with the fans.

5 useful facts about fans / air coolers 

Fan, wind, cooler - a device with a screw that blows air from one place to another. What do you need to know about him?

1. The location of the fan is important. The fan itself does not freeze the air because it has neither a freon nor a specific refrigeration mechanism. A fan simply accelerates air circulation, causes wind and only gives the impression of being cooler. If you want to really cool the room, you have to find the place where the air is coolest and place a fan there.
2. Fan power. The more powerful the fan, the faster the propeller rotates, and the more wind it generates. Look for power if your ventilated space is large, as the wind will need more in large rooms.
3. Movement of the fan head. Inexpensive fans are pretty static. They stand in one place and blow the air. But when the room is large, you need cool air to get to every corner. The head movement function is useful here. Such fans can rotate the fan up to 180 degrees. Some models can also guide the fan up and down.
4. Protection. If there are children in the house, this is not even a consideration - your fan should have protection. And so the grille masses children trying to touch the shafts with their fingers. Be very careful to figure out all the safety features a fan needs.
5. Air cooler without propeller. These are the next generation of coolers that do not have a rotating shaft. This technology is much quieter and safer with no rotating parts. They work in a slightly different way, non-propellant coolers, so some models can not only cool but also heat the room.
6. Some fans are remote controlled. This is convenient when the fan is at work or when it is not possible to quickly reach the unit and set its operation.
7. Some fans already have their own smartphone gadgets, which means they can be controlled directly from the smartphone.

How to choose a mobile air conditioner

Mobile air conditioners are good because they can be built in exactly the room you want to cool, such as the bedroom. Here are some important points to make when choosing the right model:   

1. Air conditioning cooling capacity. The more powerful the air conditioner, the larger the room it can cool. Interestingly, rooms are not measured in square meters, but in cubic meters. For example, an air conditioner with a cooling capacity of 3500 W / h can cool 115 cubic meters. m. premises. This means that it is suitable for rooms with an area of ​​32 square meters. meters if the room height is 3.5 meters. If the room is lower and reaches only 3 meters, the device can cool down to 38 square meters. m. room. This is a small room in an apartment or house. By the way, the cooling capacity is not the same as the electricity consumed. 4 KW / h the cooling capacity device can only use 1.5 kW of electricity. Don't confuse the two, though they are quite deceptive.
2. Air flow. Attention should be paid to the airflow that the air conditioner generates per hour. The higher the airflow, the faster the room is cooled. Again, it all comes down to power, as more powerful air conditioners can drive more air through their machines. For example, a 4 kW power conditioner can blow up to 500 cubic meters. m. air per hour. This means reducing the temperature from 35 degrees in a small room to 20 in a matter of minutes. The lower the airflow, the longer the cooling time. Of course, all of this can be counted in your monthly electricity bill, as it is a device that needs a lot of electricity.
3. 3 functions: cooling, ventilation and dehumidification. Modern conditioners often have all three. If not, ask if you really need them all. Cooling - The air is drawn in and cooled to a fixed temperature by a freon mechanism (similar to that used in your refrigerators and freezers). Ventilation - Cooled air is blown away by a fan to reach all corners of the room. Dehumidification - humidified air is evaporated and condensate is collected in a special container. This function is used when the room is humid. This function is not required if your home is exposed to dry air.
4. Energy efficiency class. Choose energy efficiency class A appliances because Class B and C appliances are less efficient - they consume a great deal of energy, not for their direct purpose, but for heating and cooling their own machinery. In other words, it freezes and heats at the same time.
5. Management. It is very important to choose a conditioner with proper control. Usually all control is on the device itself, but there is often a remote control that can be used to adjust the temperature, turn on the timer, change the fan speed and position, and so on. 

Remember that conditioners have special air filters that purify the air. Over time they become contaminated and need to be replaced. Find out if you will have to go through some suffering paths when choosing one or the other model to get the right filters for it. 

A special accessory you will definitely need is a special window-mounted pocket to extend the conditioner hose to the outside. Without this pocket, the room will fill up with hot air faster than the conditioner can cool it down. After all, you won't make holes in the walls in every room ... This pocket is always sold separately, although the air exhaust hose is usually included with most mobile conditioners. 

Don't wait for next summer, take care of your conditioner right now.

Choose the air conditioner or fan that best fits your needs.

In buyers guide you can also check out our other useful and practical tips to help you choose the technique you are interested in.