Air Conditioner Articles: Glossary

BTU – BTU stands for British Thermal Unit and is the measurement of the amount of heat that is required to raise the temperature of one pound of water (0.45 kg) 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.56 degrees Celsius). 1,055 joules equals 1 BTU and 1 "ton" equals 12,000 BTU. This is a standard unit of measurement with both heating and cooling systems.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY RATING (EER) – This is a number assigned to every air conditioning unit based on how efficiently an AC unit uses up energy. This number is arrived at by taking the unit's BTU/hr divided by its electrical input in watts. The higher this number is, the more efficient the air conditioning unit is (and the more money it wills save you in the long run on your energy bill). Smaller units can have an EER up to about 11 while the most efficient larger model AC's can have an EER rating of up to 13. For example, an AC unit with an EER rating of 10 should use up to 20% less energy than a similar unit with an EER rating of 8.

ENERGY SAVER MODE – This is another feature that is now available on higher-end model air conditioners. Basically, when this mode is activated, the AC fan is cycled with the compressor, shutting off the unit entirely when the compressor stops. When the AC is in its normal mode, the air circulating fan will be left running at all times. This mode may not be desirable on very hot days as it will likely significantly reduce the comfort level by not keeping air circulating in your room. This might prompt you to increase the AC's temperature, thereby eliminating the energy saver's mode ability to actual save you any energy.

ENERGY STAR – Energy Star is a rating system maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency that requires any item marked with its symbol to maintain very strict energy efficiency guidelines. All air conditioning units marked with an Energy Star will be more efficient than those that do not have the symbol. For increases savings on your energy bills across the board, look for appliances marked with the Energy Star whenever you are purchasing new appliances for your home or business.

FAN SPEED SETTING – For basic units, these settings often include: low, medium and high. The more fan speed settings an AC unit has, the more control you will have over both the temperature of your room and your energy bills.

FILTER – Filters are used on air conditioning units to remove allergens, odors, mold and other undesirable elements from the air that is circulated around your home. Filters must be cleaned regularly in order to keep your air conditioning unit working properly.

REMOTE CONTROL – Some AC units come with a remote control which allows you to change its settings from across the rooom, similar to a TV remote control.

SLEEP SETTING – Sleep settings are available on some of the higher-end air conditioners. They allow you to basically put your air conditioner on a timed sleep cycle that will turn up the temperature during the hours that you are asleep and then lower the temperature again and hour or so before you plan to wake up. This can provide a significant savings on your energy bill if you are used to leaving your AC on full blast all through the night.

TEMPERATURE INCREMENTS – Certain AC units allow you to adjust its temperature by increments of 1 or 2 degrees. This will allow you for much greater precision in controlling the comfort level of your room and also prevents a good deal of electricity waste. Air Conditioners with digital systems (as opposed to dials) often allow this sort of temperature increment adjustment.

TEMPERATURE RANGE – This refers to the entire span (in degrees) that your AC unit can be adjusted to. If this span is less than 20 degrees, it may not work well for those that live in particularly hot climates.

TIMER – As with Sleep Setting Modes, timers on air conditioners allow you to switch your unit on and off based on a schedule that you set up specific to your needs. For example, you can set your air conditioner to turn off during the middle of the day while you are at work and to switch back on an hour before you return.