How to Choose an Energy-Efficient Air Conditioner

Choosing the best energy saving aircon for your home can be trickier than expected. Apart from deciding the right aircon type and size for you, there’s also the added consideration of picking the most ideal energy-saving features for your living space.

Luckily, we’re here to help and make your next aircon purchase a whole lot easier!

In this guide, we’ll show you the many factors to include and consider on your checklist purchase — from choosing the right unit all the way to the best energy-saving AC features.

What to Consider When Choosing an Energy Efficient AC Unit

If you want to make the best possible choice for your next energy efficient air conditioner unit, here are a few key factors you should consider:

The ideal size for your space - Size should always be your top priority when choosing an air conditioner. For example, an extremely large unit can do more harm than good as it can leave your space exceptionally cold yet damp and clammy. On the contrary, a smaller than ideal unit can have a hard time filling your space with cool and comfortable air.

Temperature settings - While almost every air conditioner these days comes with programmable temperature settings, it’s still important to make it as one of your considerations before making any purchase. A precise temperature control panel can make your life easier by letting your unit cool your space intuitively and manually — all based on your desired temperature settings.

Energy-saving features - When looking for energy efficient AC units, this one’s a no-brainer. The unit that you’re eyeing must have an energy-saving feature or setting that will allow it to preserve power and energy. This can help improve the unit’s overall performance and also lower down your electricity bill as well.

High EER and SEER ratings - EER (Energy efficiency rating) and SEER (Seasonal energy efficiency rating) — always be on the lookout for any of these two energy efficiency ratings when choosing your next unit. They are specifically created to measure an AC’s efficiency based on BTUs or British Thermal Unit. Remember: higher rating means greater efficiency!

ENERGY Star Certification - Another industry certification that you can count on when choosing your next unit is the blue ENERGY STAR® certification. A unit that has this stamp of approval means that it has met or even exceeded higher efficiency standards compared to other models.

Wi-fi connectivity - These days, a lot of smart aircons are equipped with wi-fi connectivity and other smart home integration features such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home. Once connected to the internet, these units can be adjusted via a Wifi-enabled thermostat on your smartphone. This modern feature can be a great way for you to maximize and customize your unit’s energy efficient features to your liking.

How to Determine Your Air Conditioner Size

As the most important factor in choosing the right AC, how do you really determine the perfect unit size for your space? Here’s how:

The most accurate way of choosing your AC size is by calculating for the unit’s BTU or British Thermal Unit value.

So how do you determine your BTU?

First, measure the length and width of your room using the unit of ft. Afterwards, multiply the length with width — this will give you the area in square feet.

Then after getting the calculations, multiply it with 25 BTU to get the room’s minimum cooling capacity.

You can also consult an air conditioner BTU chart to compare the most common room sizes and BTU values for easy reference.

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How to Read an Aircon’s Energy Guide Label

Another way to learn more about an AC unit’s energy-saving capabilities is to inspect the yellow EnergyGuide label. This label is present in almost every major home appliance from every manufacturer. It’s intended to provide any consumer with the appliance’s energy consumption and how it compares to other models.

Choosing the Best Air Conditioner Type for You

Aside from choosing the perfect size for the unit, you will also need to determine what’s the perfect type to go along with your space and cooling needs. For example, if you live in a hot and humid location, then the split air conditioner is an ideal choice. Are you living alone in a small space? Then the window air conditioner is the only way to go.

Here are the different types of AC units to help you decide better:

‍Split air conditioners - Split AC units normally come in two pieces — an exterior outdoor compressor unit and an interior unit system. The outdoor unit pushes the cool into the indoor unit inside any room or home.‍
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Packaged air conditioner systems - Packaged AC systems are also considered central air and often comprises a dual heating and air-conditioning system — more famously known as HVAC. This is the most efficient and affordable choice for residential buildings and areas with existing forced air heating inside.‍
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Window air conditioner units - A window unit is more of the standard choice for people living in small spaces and houses. This self-contained machine usually comes in a wide range of sizes and iterations.‍
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‍Ductless mini-split units - Ductless mini-split units are naturally quiet and energy-efficient. What’s great about them is they can be installed in residential areas without any need of dealing with the expensive process of retrofitting ductwork.‍
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Portable air conditioner units - Portable AC units are wheeled machines that are perfect for any type of space. In order to make them work, they just need to be connected to any exterior point leading outside the house. There’s no more need to have them installed and contained in a special casing for that matter.
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‍Smart air conditioner units - Wifi-enabled or smart AC units are specially designed to give you the most intuitive and personal cooling experience possible. They allow you to achieve maximum energy efficiency by adjusting the temperature and thermostat via apps and smart home integration features.‍
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Inverter air conditioner units - Inverter air conditioners use less energy than other traditional air conditioning units and are even known to cool a space more efficiently. However, these units also come often at a very steep price.‍
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Solar air conditioner units - These units are powered entirely using solar energy or the power acquired through the sun’s heat rays.

How to Maximize Your Energy Efficient AC Unit

Once you’ve made your AC purchase, it’s now up to you to take good care of the unit! This will help in keeping it in tip-top shape — saving you from unnecessary breakdowns and expensive repair costs.

During the summer season, program your settings to the ideal thermostat temperature of 25C to better manage your cooling experience and cost.

Let your air conditioner rest by using an electric fan or opening the windows instead. Alternatively, you can also opt to use ceiling or electric fans for the most part during the day for your cooling needs.

When not in use, turn off lights and appliances. Without knowing it, they also affect your AC’s performance as they generate heat that the unit has to remove.

When no one is home, set your thermostat to increase the temperature by a few degrees. This will help reduce the workload on your AC.

Make sure to seal every air entry point inside and outside your house. This will help the AC achieve instant cooling.

Schedule regular cleaning and maintenance fixes on your air conditioner to avoid running the risk of major breakdowns or issues in the future.

For central air conditioning, make sure all air ducts are clean to eliminate and prevent mold and bacteria growth and improve overall unit efficiency.

Improve Your AC’s Performance With Quality Repair and Cleaning

Looking for a fast, easy and professional AC service provider for your AC unit? Give us a call here at Luce! Our team of friendly AC experts and technicians are here to help you with every step — whether it’s cleaning, washing, maintenance or repair!