Before You Buy: 4 Things to Consider Before Choosing an A/C Product
With rocketing temperatures setting new records throughout Europe, it’s no surprise that households, businesses and organisations throughout the UK are investing in air conditioning like never before. However, with all of the choices on the market, specifying the perfect system can present a challenge. With this challenge in-mind, we’re highlighting 5 key points to consider when buying an air conditioner. Read our free advice below - you can thank us later!
It’s true: summers are getting warmer, and air conditioning is in higher demand than ever before. Whilst sales of air conditioning units to domestic households have risen by 1,420% over recent weeks, employers are legally required to ensure temperatures don’t reach extreme levels under Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
1. Before You Buy: See Our Advice on Air Con
Depending on the scale and nature of your building, as well as your operational requirements, a suitable air conditioning unit can cost hundreds, or even thousands. Before parting ways with that amount of cash, it pays to ask yourself some key questions - especially when it comes to energy efficiency, ease of installation and maintenance requirements. Before you click ‘purchase’, make sure you’re familiar with the key considerations below
2. What Kind of Energy Efficiency Will My A/C Unit Offer?
This is perhaps the most important question you should ask yourself before buying an air conditioning unit. With rising electricity prices and a worsening cost of living crisis, it is a bare essential to buy a unit which can provide the most cooling power whilst consuming the least amount of energy.
There’s a few ways to ensure you’re going for an energy efficient system. Firstly, you’ll want to search for a unit with Energy Star Certification, which uses 10% less energy than standard models. It also helps to pay close attention to the unit’s Energy Efficiency Ration (EER) measurement, which tells you how many British Thermal Units (BTUs) are used per watt of power.
Higher energy efficiency means lower bills. Make sure your purchasing decision takes account of this!
3. Think About Capacity
So - you’ve found an air conditioning unit that ticks all the boxes: one that is energy efficient and cost effective. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s going to fit into the room or house you’re thinking of. Indeed, whilst the size of the room or house and the limit of cooling will determine the size of the air conditioner you want to buy; specifying the right size of air conditioning unit will play a huge role in not only how efficient the system is - but how long it will last.
Before deciding on a unit, calculate the tonnage or BTU that’s appropriate for your home. You should decide your capacity based on the following factors:
- Room size
- Room location
- Number of occupants
- Quantity and size of windows
4. Think About the Type of A/C Unit You Need
This point may sound like a no-brainer. However, we’re regularly approached by customers who haven’t considered what type of A/C unit they need. So - what do we mean by ‘type’? It’s simple. There are 3 basic types of air conditioner, and their varying features will determine where you can use them and how you need to install them.
Ducted: Suitable for use in larger settings, these products are supported by a central unit that is connected by various ducts, air outlets and sensors. It is operated via a control panel, allowing you to set target temperatures in various zones of the space.
Split systems: Spit A/C systems are comprised of two parts - an indoor unit and an outdoor compressor unit. These products can normally cool spaces to around 60 square metres in size.
Multi-split: These products are ideal for cooling two, or even three rooms and are especially useful when split and ducted systems aren’t possible due to space limitations.
Think carefully about which of these A/C types applies to your space before getting your wallet out!
Plan for Installation & Maintenance
Last but not least - you’ll want to give some consideration to how your air conditioning unit will be installed and maintained. This is especially important, as improper installation can detrimentally impact the efficiency, as well as the components of the air conditioner.
When it actually comes down to doing the job, it’s essential that your unit is installed by a qualified engineer. Whilst this will help in avoiding faults, it will also save you a lot of time and hassle.
When it comes to carrying out maintenance work on your A/C unit, you’ll need to ensure that it can be easily accessed and opened. This will help in identifying potential health and safety risks and will fundamentally increase the lifespan of your air conditioner over time.
Still Undecided? It’s Time to Talk to Alpha
Are you still undecided on what kind of air conditioning unit is best for your home or business? Don’t stress - call on Alpha Wholesale. As a leading UK supplier of air conditioning products, our expert team is on-hand to provide free, expert consultations, helping you identify the best product. To get started, view our full range of air conditioning products or contact us today.