The two things which air conditioner reviews usually take into account are BTU and EER.  Both BTU and EER are important factors for getting a great review on an air conditioner.

BTU - British thermal unit. The higher the BTU of an air conditioner; the more powerful the cooling system is. BTU is calculated by multiplying the square foot area of the room by 35.

EER - Energy Efficiency Ratio. These are numbers which gives information about energy consumed. The greater the EER of the air conditioner, the lower the energy required to run it and the higher the saving on electricity bills.

The brand leaders in the air conditioner market are:

•    Carrier
•    Panasonic
•    Sanyo
•    Carrier
•    Airedale
•    Trane
•    IMI
•    Stulz
All these brand products are available in a wide range of BTU and EER ratings. Carrier air conditioners have quick cooling, an extremely low noise function and a long life of compressors and condenser. Newer versions of Carrier models have replaced harmful environmental gas Freon-22 with Puron.

There is a tremendous amount of competition in the air conditioning market.  Currently, each brand spends millions of pounds in research to introduce and perfect new features. Many companies use dehumidifiers and fragrances in their air conditioning ducts to give their product an added appeal.

Efficiency, performance and look are three things to consider when purchasing an air conditioner. Poor quality air conditioners will produce constant sound that can be irritating. Pollutants are also emitted from inefficient units, which can create health problems. So you should go for branded units even though they will cost more than generic units. Air conditioners come in a variety of styles and sizes so you can easily purchase a suitable one.

BTU (British Terminal Unit) and EER (Energy Efficient Ratio) are the other key factors that should also be considered for choosing an air conditioner. For good efficiency of the unit, EER value must be seen. The unit should not make irritating sounds. For better ventilation system, variable speed control must be checked.

After purchasing and installing an air conditioner, clean it regularly. This will help to keep your family away from any kind of health problems. Remember that without optimum servicing, your air conditioner will not work properly. See to it that the contractor will offer you full service, which will be cost-effective.

In basic terms, an appliance designed by using a refrigeration cycle in order to extract heat from an area is an air conditioner. They are used in cars and homes to provide comfort and cooling during hot weather.

A heat pump is present in the air conditioner, which transfers the heat into a higher temperature heat sink from a lower temperature. The heat then flows in the opposite direction. A refrigerator too works in the same manner. The air conditioner in a house as well as in a car uses electric fan motors for circulation.

Air conditioners use a compressor to change pressure between two compartments that condense and pump refrigerant around because when heat gets absorbed, evaporation takes place and when heat is released, condensation occurs. The low pressure and low temperature cause the refrigerant, which is pumped into the cool compartment, to evaporate.

Later, in the other condenser, the vapour is compressed and is forced through another heat exchange coil, because of which it gets condensed into liquid.

One of the worst problems with window air conditioners is that it gets iced up. When such a problem occurs people think it is because of a fault in the air conditioner. The main purpose of a window air conditioner is to de-humidify and not to refrigerate the room air.

An air conditioner removes the moisture from a room and provides us with the feeling of comfort. For doing this, the temperature of the cooling coil should always be higher than the room’s dew point and if it drops below the dew point then the air conditioner starts to produce ice.

Reasons why window air conditioners get iced up

1. Uncleaned filter.
The filter should be cleaned every alternate week during cooling seasons. To clean the filter, one has to remove it from the air conditioner, wash it and after drying fix it back in place.

2. Blocked cooling coil.
While cleaning the air condition the cooling coil should be washed and degreased to remove accumulated dirt.

3. Dirty condenser coil.
The condenser is situated outside the home and is exposed to dust. Since the airflow direction in the condenser is from inside to outside, the inside surface gets dirty.

4. Oversized air conditioner.
If air conditioners are too large for the room size it can result in icing up. Even if it runs constantly it will give poor cooling.

If you face similar problems with your air conditioning system then you should seek the services of a professional air conditioning maintenance and servicing company

Following are the aspects to keep in mind before buying a central air conditioning unit.

Central air conditioning has two types:

• Split system
• Cabinet based

The split system basically has two parts; an indoor part that consists of an evaporator coil and furnace, and an outdoor part that consists of a condenser and a compressor. Inside the room, the indoor part is mounted and the outer part is placed outside the building.

All the components that are placed in one cabinet are present in the cabinet based central system. It is either placed in a cabinet or a window. They are small in size and can perform the cooling process for small buildings very well.

Central air conditioned systems are much better than the room air conditioners. Your electricity bills will be reduced if you use centralised conditioning systems. The conditioning unit performs better if the BTU or British thermal unit count is less. The desirable BTU count on the basis of per ton of capacity is 12000.

The UK government operates an Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme (ECA) which is a funding scheme for air-conditioning systems. This scheme was introduced in 2001. Air conditioning funding includes funding for designing, servicing and manufacturing air conditioning equipment, and also includes funding for domestic air conditioning and commercial air conditioning.

This scheme is an important programme towards managing climate change. The programme encourages organizations to invest in energy-saving equipment, by rewarding businesses and commercial units who invest in energy-saving equipment.

The ‘greener’ air-conditioning systems are more energy efficient when compared to other air conditioning systems, more cost effective and environmentally friendly for places such as underground trains and buildings.

The ECA scheme gives a tax incentive to organizations who invest in equipment which meets energy-saving criteria and enables the companies to get 100% of the cost offset against total capital expenditure versus taxable profits in the same year as the investment is made.  Claims for the ECA can be made in the same manner as capital allowance claims.

The ECA is a tax incentive which is only given to companies who pay income tax. Companies who do not pay regular tax cannot claim air conditioning funding.

Air conditioners have become an integral part of our life. We tend to associate them with a comfortable stay. Installing an air conditioner ensures that the conditions inside the room are bearable. Cool during the summer and warm in winter respectively.

However, air conditioners are no more a luxury than a necessity. Many industries cannot function without air conditioning. In fact, it is actually tough for us to imagine our life without air conditioning – at home or in the office. In other words, air conditioners are more of a necessity than a luxury in today’s times.

There are many types of air conditioning units. A central air conditioning unit is one of them. Depending on the cooling area and requirements, you may opt for central air conditioned systems that might prove to be a better option than the room air conditioners. They are also very convenient to use.

However, it is important to maintain air conditioners properly if you want them to work efficiently over a longer period of time.

The phase of R22 gases in air conditioning and heat pumps was stopped in Sweden. There was a project which was called ‘replacement of R22’ in which new and existing facilities that are more energy efficient and economical was to be implemented . There are certain elements like compatibility, tribology, thermo physical properties, heat transfer characteristics, etc. which determines the suitability of new refrigerants. The main problem with gas replacement in air conditioning is that the new gas is not always suitable for older systems.

Refrigerant machinery was designed by selecting the appropriate refrigerant gas like R22. The introduction of new refrigerants like R410A can replace R22 but the properties and behaviour of the new gas is not suitable for replacing R22 in an older system. On the other hand, it is suitable for newer air conditioning systems. R407C has not entered the market in countries where the phase out schedule for HCFC22 is well ahead which means that some countries are behind in HFC407C technology.

Ozone depletion, global warming and energy shortage are challenging aspects in the air conditioning market. The new refrigerants have an advantage if the charge can be minimized and the design is made so that it can minimize leakage.

Do you have any idea that an air conditioning unit gives out 1.34lbs of carbon dioxide for every kilowatt per hour used? If you change the units, you could save hundreds of pounds of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.

In the above context, you should also know the proper connotations of air Conditioning. It can be well defined as the mechanical way of regulating the temperature, cleanliness, humidity and air flow inside a room.

An air conditioner has to control the ratio of the temperature and humidity in such a way that we are comfortable as well as stay healthy. The filter in an air conditioner cleans the circulating air that contains dust, pollen, soot, etc. but not to the extent of an air purifier. It absorbs the air from a room or a building and passes it across the side of the refrigeration apparatus, which is very cool, and absorbs the heat present in the air. Now the coolness of the refrigerator apparatus depends on how a thermostat is regulated.

Many air conditioners have a heat pump, which reverses the refrigeration cycle. Owing to this, we can still feel warm inside when the climate outside is chilling cold.

Many offices and houses are air conditioned today. The occupants would find it difficult to survive without an air conditioning and depend on them a great deal for their individual comfort and productivity.

There are many types of air conditioners: Window and through wall units; they are the more traditional ones. Evaporative coolers, also known as swamp coolers, are among the most widely used coolers in the whole world. There are some other conditioners also known as Absorptive chillers and Central air conditioning.

Some Split conditioner units have an anti-corrosion body that helps to protect their inner mechanism. Some of the other general features of a split air conditioner are auto restart, timers and air swing. These conditioners are smaller in size as compared to the other traditional air conditioners which is a boon in itself.

Mostly air conditioners for industries come with ‘air condition boosters’. This is to ensure that the air flow remains efficient and constant all over the place. If you compromise on the quality of the air that you breathe then you will also have to endure further expense on the air conditioner and you might suffer from health problems.