Homes in more extreme climates are subject to larger fluctuations in temperature, which typically results in higher BTU usage. For instance, heating a home in Alaska during winter, or cooling a home during a Houston summer will require more BTUs than heating or cooling a home in Honolulu, where temperatures tend to stay around 80°F year-round. Other Factors

The Midea U also uses inverter technology, which helps better regulate energy flow to the unit based on demand. It received an extremely high 15 CEER score, which is incredible considering that most efficient units score an 11 or 12. Lastly, the Midea U supports smart home features so that you can set recurring schedules—and it’s compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to turn the unit on or off with your voice. The color of the roof. A darker surface absorbs more radiant energy than a lighter one. Even dirty white roofs (with noticeably darker shades) compared to newer, cleaner surfaces, can result in noticeable differences. Why it made the cut: The Frigidaire FFRE053WAE offers quiet operation, a programmable timer, and impressive energy efficiency at an affordable price.Multiply the dimensions (in feet) of the room by five. So for a room measuring 15ft x 10ft x 8ft, you would calculate 15 x 10 x 8 x 5 = an air conditioner of 6,000 BTUs.

The following is a rough estimation of the cooling capacity a cooling system would need to effectively cool a room/house based only on the square footage of the room/house, as provided by EnergyStar.gov. Area To Be Cooled (square feet) They come in various shapes and sizes, but are often described in terms of their BTU (British thermal unit) output. However, if you do decide to use a portable air conditioner, there are things you can do to make it more efficient:Size of air conditioning condenser. Units too big cool homes too rapidly. Therefore, they don't go through the intended cycles they were designed for. This may shorten the lifespan of the air conditioner. On the other hand, if the unit is too small, it will run too often throughout the day. Along with the factors discussed above and their effect on BTU usage, there are other factors to keep in mind: Before you get a portable unit, there are some more sustainable options to cool your home that you can try beforehand, such as using an electric fan or closing curtains. Portable models extract hot air from your home and push it outside through the attached hose. A reliable model will cool the room you're in, but don't expect it to push cold air down the hallway or into another room.

Need to be permanently mounted on an outside wall by a certified professional, so involves structural work to your home. After adding 10%, you will have a better estimate of the cooling power you will need for this space. This is due to the added ambient heat added due to the environment. This may mean going up to the next available cooling power.

AC BTU Calculator

Although square footage recommendations are typically correct, there are some other confounding variables that you should pay attention to when looking at the BTU’s of your air conditioner. Unsurprisingly, a smaller room requires fewer BTUs to cool/heat. Typically, BTU usage is measured based on the volume of the space.

Portable air conditioners also use refrigerant gas to help cool your room. This can come in the form HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), a greenhouse gas that when emitted can contribute to global warming. If yours is working properly, it shouldn’t release any HFCs. However, if the unit leaks or is disposed of incorrectly, that’s when harmful greenhouse gases can be released. Adjustments for more than 2 people and kitchen are not really relevant for this smallest size of air conditioners. This is not exclusive to portable AC units, either. The same goes for all AC units, including the popular window and central air conditioners as well. Too Little, Too LateAlso known as fixed air conditioners, these are comprised of two parts: a condensing unit (mounted outside) and an evaporator (mounted inside). Both parts need to be connected, so installation is far more complex compared with a portable model. In theory, the higher the claimed BTU, the more efficiently it can cool a room. As a general rule, 5,000 to 8,000 BTUs is adequate for most living rooms or bedrooms. Use this calculation to work out what BTU is right for you: Using a portable air conditioner with not enough recommended BTUs will keep you from reaching your desired comfort level. The heat load will be too much for your unit to handle. This will cause your AC unit to run continuously and never reach your set temperature level. Not to mention shorten its lifespan. But no air conditioner is completely silent, even on sleep mode. In fact, you're better off pre-cooling your room before you go to bed, rather than attempting to sleep with one running. Timer