There is nothing worse than buying a window unit air conditioner and finding out that it is inadequate to the task at hand. Sometimes it’s a close thing and you end up with a small AC that will cool but it takes an extremely long time. So, how do you avoid this when shopping for a small unit? In this article we are going to discuss the merits of simply starting out with a 25000 BTU air conditioner as well as explain how to determine exactly what size you need if you feel that 25000 is a bit of overkill. Let’s talk about keeping cool.
Size matters
Why are we advising that you jump straight up to 25000 BTUs? Well, mostly because of the number of factors that need to be considered. Is there poor insulation at home, for instance? What about the space? The BTU number is important for this as it is an indicator of the type of performance that you can expect with your Air conditioner.
What does BTU mean for an Air conditioner?
BTU is short for ‘British Thermal Unit’ and despite how iy might sound, this description is quite common for heaters and air conditioners all over the world. With a heater, the BTU is an indicator of how much heat energy it can produce. With an air conditioner, it is a measurement of how much energy it will take the compressor to remove heat. The higher the rating then the more powerful your heater or air conditioner is going to be.
How do BTUs work with the space measurements for the area I am cooling?
This is where knowing the BTU rating of a system is going to help you to determine exactly what you need in your air conditioner. Typically the rule is going to be that you need 20 BTU for every square foot of area which you need to cool. There are other factors to consider, as well, such as:
- If the room gets a lot of sunlight then you will want to increase the required capacity by 10 percent
- If the room is very dark and shaded, required capacity may be reduced by 10 percent
- If the unit will be used in a kitchen area, add 6000 BTU to the capacity required
- For each additional person in the room you will want to add 600 BTU requirement for the projected capacity
Koldfront WAC25001W 208/230v 25,000 BTU Heat/Cool Window Air Conditioner 
Our first entry is the Koldfront WAC25001W and this is both a heater and and air conditioner. For cooling, this model is rated for 1500 square feet and for heating it performs best for 700 square feet. This unit fits windows ranging between 31 and 42 inches wide and comes with 4 operational modes
(including an energy saver mode) as well as a 24 hour timer that you can use to power it off without fussing with it. The energy saver mode is optimal for sleep, as it will adjust the temperature periodically for a window of 6 hours while you are sleeping deeply in order to keep you cool while still saving energy. This unit comes with a remote control so that you can control it from anywhere in the house as well as a digital thermostat and display so that you can set your required temperature with ease. They also throw in a 2-year in-home warranty which definitely makes this unit a bargain at $729.
Frigidaire FFRH2522R2 25,000 BTU Window-Mounted Room Air Conditioner
Our second entry is from AC and refrigeration giant Frigidaire. The Frigidaire FFRH2522R2 has both air conditioning and heating functions, delivering 25000 BTUs in air con mode and 16000 BTUs in heating mode. This should cool a room of up to 1600 feet quite comfortably. Like the Koldfront, this model has energy saver and sleep mode available but it also conserves power on startup. It doesn’t seem like a lot but those little bits add up and there is a definite difference in the electric bill without these features. This unit comes with 3 fan speeds, 3 AC cooling speeds, and 3 heating speeds for you to use and has a washable mesh filter so that you can keep your AC running at peak efficiency. This unit also has a built-in timer and you can even set it to turn on and off in half hour increments if you like, which we thought was a nice feature. It includes a remote and fits windows from 26.5” to 40.5” in width and come with a standard issue limited 2 year warranty with another limited 3-5 year warranty on the sealed portions of the unit. Not bad at all for $799.
Frigidaire FFRE2533U2 25,000 BTU 230V Window-Mounted Heavy-Duty Temperature Sensing Remote Control Air Conditioner
Our last entry is the Frigidaire FFRE2533U2 and while it is the priciest it does have a number of nice features. This unit, like the FFRH2522R2, will cool up to 1600 square feet of space but it also comes with a temperature sensitive remote wihich will allow you to accurately gauge the temperature from any place in the room and then set it to what you would like. This unit also offers 3 different cooling speeds and the 8-way “comfort control system” allows you to control the airflow to really customize the cooling. This Frigidaire also offers the energy saving and sleep modes as well and tops the list in price at $950, all with a 2 year limited warranty for general issues and a 3-5 year limited warranty on the sealed components.
In Closing
We hope that we have helped you in making the decision for your next air conditioning unit. Unless you really need the temperature sensitive remote, we found the Frigidaire FFRH2522R2 to be our favorite among the selected three. Summer is coming soon, folks, and we hope that for you it will be a relaxing and a cool one.