Are you burning up or being bogged down in the heat and humidity this summer? Before you rush out to Home Depot or Walmart, buy an air conditioning unit, and plunk it in your window, take a moment to consider the pros and cons of that purchase.
Pros:
- They are relatively inexpensive to buy. Unless you are putting one in every single window of your home, the price tag shouldn’t be outrageous.
- A window unit us typically easy to install. We have all seen in a movie or video where a one will fall out of the window and through the windshield of the car below, but after proper installation that is unlikely to happen.
- It cools rooms an average of 100-300 square feet (this might be seen as a negative if you are hoping to cool a room bigger).
Cons:
- A window air conditioner is much noisier.
- They lead to a lack of security. Burglars can remove a window A/C unit from the outside and proceed to enter your home through the window.
- A window A/C reduced the natural light in your home. You have to make a sacrifice and block out the sunshine if you install a window unit.
- The unit only efficiently cools one room. Many people sleep with their bedroom door closed, that means that everyone sleeping in the house would need an a/c unit in the window of their bedroom. That is inconvenient and not very cost or energy efficient.
- They are not attractive. A window air conditioner resembles a largely white, loud brick in the window. Manufacturers choose to make them more for functionality and not for aesthetics.
- Water drains from the unit to the exterior, possibly landing on people below or creating rust or mold on the outside of your home.
- Not all windows will support an air conditioning unit.
A window A/C unit isn’t the only option to keep you and your home cool. Other options include a Ductless air conditioning system. This system is a great option if a central air conditioning unit is out of the question and you still want to be budget friendly. The most energy and cost efficient in the long run is a central air unit. A central air unit will provide better air filtration and cool a larger extent of the home. Whichever way you choose to stay cool this summer, call the HVAC experts at Finken’s for any A/C questions, installations, or maintenance.