When you are purchasing a mini split air conditioner for your home, you must purchase a unit with the correct BTU capacity for the room that you would like to cool. While many peoples understands that they should choose the largest BTU capacity available for their room, they may not be aware that BTU capacity that is too large for the room can cause problem in terms of comfort in that room. If the BTU capacity of the mini split air conditioner is too large for the room that is to be cooled, the mini split air conditioner will cool the air in the room very quick.
After the mini split air conditioner has cooled the room to the desired temperature, however, the mini split air conditioner will shut off. This shutting off of the mini split air conditioner means that it will not have had time to remove humidity from the air in the room, leading to discomfort in the individuals that must sit in a room that is cold but damp. To avoid such discomfort, it is necessary to ensure that the BTU capacity of the mini split air conditioner will allow the air conditioner to run for extended periods of time in order to remove both heat and humidity from the room to be cooled.
How to choose the right mini split size for your room
While the best way to determine the BTU capacity of the mini split air conditioner that you should purchase is to calculate the square footages of the room that you wish to cool, the square footage is not the only factor that you should consider when making such a purchase. Other factors that can play a role in the heat load of a room include the amount of individuals that live in the room, as well as the amount of heat-producing electronics that is located within the room. For instance, if the room has many televisions or other electronic devices, those devices will contribute to the heat load of the room, and indicate that you should purchase an air conditioner with a higher BTU rating then is calculated from the square footage of the room.
Additionally, the climate in which the air conditioner will be used can also impact the BTU requirements of that mini split air conditioner. In climates with high humidity levels, the mini split air conditioner will have to work harder to remove humidity from the air in the room. Thus, in these climates, the BTU requirements for the air conditioner may need to be adjusted according to.
In addition to BTU requirements, another purchasing consideration for mini split air conditioners is the efficiency of the mini split air conditioner. The SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating of the mini split air conditioner represents the efficiency of the mini split air conditioner. Mini split air conditioners with higher SEER ratings use less electricity than mini split air conditioners with lower SEER ratings, which can save money on the electricity costs of the mini split air conditioner over time.
Mini split air conditioners with high SEER ratings often utilize what are referred to as inverter compressors. Inverter compressors are helpful in that the mini split air conditioner can adjust to the environment of the room to which it is connected, rather than merely turning on or off entirely. Thus, these mini split air conditioners can be more efficient than mini split air conditioners that do not use inverter compressors.
However, mini split air conditioners with high SEER ratings can cost more money up front than mini split air conditioners with lower SEER ratings. Another factor to consider is the difference between mini split air conditioner models that have either a single zone or a multi-zone capability. Mini split air conditioners with a single-zone capability will have one outdoor compressor that powers the indoor mini split air conditioner unit.
These systems is typically more efficient than mini split air conditioners that have a multi-zone capability. Mini split air conditioners that have a multi-zone feature will use one outdoor compressor to power multiple indoor unit. This mini split air conditioner model may be beneficial to those who wish to have an air conditioner in each of their rooms, for instance, but it has the disadvantage of being more complexly to install.
Furthermore, if the outdoor compressor for a mini split air conditioner with a multi-zone capability should fail, all of the indoor air conditioning units will no longer be able to provide cooling to the various rooms. Finally, another factor to consider when purchasing a mini split air conditioner is the physical characteristics of the rooms. Rooms that have high ceilings have a greater volume of air to cool than do rooms with lower ceilings.
Thus, a room with high ceilings will require more BTUs to effectively cool the air in the room. Additionally, rooms that have windows that face the sun will allow more heat to enter the room than do rooms whose windows do not face the sun. These windows will contribute to the heat load of the rooms.
Thus, you must account for all of these factors (along with the calculation of the square footage, the number of heat producing electronics within the room, the humidity of the area, the height of the ceilings, and the placement of windows in the room) when purchasing a mini split air conditioner to ensure that you select the mini split air conditioner model that has the correct BTU capacity for your room.