How to choose the right AC

International standards recommend approximately 30 BTU per square foot of the room, but in Gulf weather conditions at least 90-100 BTU per square foot are recommended.

As the heat turns up and thermostats turn down, many homeowners begin the process of choosing a new air-conditioning unit or replacing an old one. And with so many new homes being built in the UAE, the demand for air-conditioners has gone up as well.

Purchasing an air-conditioner in a country such as the UAE, with high temperatures and humidity, is an important appliance decision that affects the entire family or office. "When you buy an AC, make sure the unit is tropicalised (designed for Middle East region's high ambient conditions), the after-sales support is strong, the power consumption and noise level is low, the unit has air-purifying capabilities, the design complements the interior of the room and it matches your budget," says Robin Kadyan, Manager, H.A.Division (S&M), Samsung Electronics.

Air-conditioning is a necessity in the Middle East but cooling is just part of it.

"A majority of buyers tend to choose an AC based on its cooling qualities and ignore the quality of air. Some of the new ACs in the market provide air purifying functions which also removes allergens from the air thereby increasing the quality of air," says Sang Yoon Kim, General Manager, Home Appliances Division, Samsung Electronics. Air conditioners in the Middle East are used primarily for cooling.

"Always consider the following main factors — the cooling requirement, the room size (area, height and exposure to sunlight), the climatic conditions and the number of occupants in the room," says Amit Vardhan of Nikai. The room size and climatic conditions determines the BTU requirement to cool the room.

"BTU stands for British Thermal Unit, defined as the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree. The heat gain added to a room by a person at rest is about 230 BTUs per hour. So a 10,000 BTU air conditioner is capable of removing 10,000 BTUs of heat per hour. The higher the BTU rating of an air conditioner, the easier and faster it is to cool a room," says Vardhan.

International standards recommend approximately 30 BTU per square foot of the room, but in Gulf weather conditions at least 90-100 BTU per square foot are recommended.

Split air conditioner

"When cooling rooms with uninsulated ceilings, great rooms, or southern or western room exposures, step up to the next BTU size," says Vardhan. If a building is not centrally air conditioned, a customer has three options: a split, window or portable air-conditioner.

"A window air conditioner is a single unit with its components housed inside the unit and it requires no inter piping for installation. The AC can be installed through an opening in the wall. The main benefit with this is the ease of installation as the split air conditioner has two parts, the outdoor condensing unit and the indoor fan coil unit. A split air conditioner can be a single split unit where one fan unit is connected to one condenser or multi split unit where one condensing unit is connected to more than one fan unit. Since the split units have an outdoor condensing unit, they are quieter in operation. Portable or self-standing units are small units used in spaces where installation is difficult," says Vardhan.

AC ADVICE
Things to remember

Choose a reputable brand that assures strong service, warranty support and parts availability.

Look into the ease of installation and servicing of the machine.

The operating noise level of the machine should be low.

Rate the performance of the machine by an independent third party, especially in a market such as the UAE, where the ambient temperature in the summer touches 46 degrees and the air-conditioning unit should be certified to operate at 50 degrees or more in order to maintain cooling throughout the year.

Gauge the value you get for the money you spend. Usually the top brands are within the same price bracket. If a particular unit is priced below the general price range, it might be of inferior quality.

Check the operating features – including the ease of the use of the thermostat and filtration options.

- Ramzi Abu-Ghanem, Business Unit Manager – Residential and Light Commercial, Carrier UAE