When buying an air-conditioner, you must ensure a few things including your room size and the ability of the AC that you intend to buy. This article will help you buying an air-conditioner that fits your need.
First thing you need to know is BTU. BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a measure of energy. BTUH stands for BTU per hour; it is a measure of power of AC. The BTUH rating of an air-conditioner tells you about the cooling capacity of an AC. One ton of capacity equals 12,000 Btu/h. Also, one Btu/h is equal to 0.293 watts. So, one ton = 3.516 Kilowatts.
Room Size vs. Air-Conditioner Capacity
Do the square feet calculation of your room. And determine what size of air-conditioner you need from the following data.
a. Room area up to 100 Sq.ft. requires 6000 to 8000 BTUs.
b. Room area 100 to 180 Sq.ft. requires 7000 to 12000 BTUs.
c. Room area 180 to 270 Sq.ft. requires 10000 to 15000 BTUs.
d. Room area 270 to 400 Sq.ft. requires 12000 to 18000 BTUs.
However, the required BTUs of Air-Conditioner may vary depending on other aspects of your room. For example, your house’s geographical location, number of occupants in the room, kitchen distance etc. Please, consider the following factors:
a. If your room is on top floor, that is, directly under top roof of the building – you need 4000 more BTUs in your AC.
b. If your room is adjacent to the kitchen of your house, consider 4000 more BTUs.
c. If your room is in east or west side, where it receives a significant amount of sunlight and heat, consider buying an AC with 4000 BTUs more.
d. Consider 600 BTUs more per person over two during cooling period.
e. Consider 1000 BTUs less in your AC, if your room is on the shaded side of the building.
Smaller capacity AC is ineffective and Bigger Capacity AC is not better
Generally, an AC’s cost rises with more BTUs or more Ton capacity. But, buying a smaller capacity AC to lessen the cost will leave you with an ineffective solution; while buying a bigger capacity AC won’t give you any better performance. So, try to calculate your required BTUs or Ton of AC according to above data and before buying it.
What features to look for in your ac
You need to make sure it is energy efficient, not noisy (better yet, if it has a quite mode functionality), and that it has a self-timer. Your air-conditioner should have a digital display, and a remote control. It should have auto-swing functionality. And an Air filter and purifier.
Buying a Secondhand airconditionar in Bangladesh: Bangladesh government has increased the tariff associated with electricity consumption. It is effected from February 1st, 2011. The new rate per unit (1 kilowatt) is 2.63 taka. But from August this year, it would be 2.8 taka per kilowatt of usage. So, before you buy a new or secondhand airconditioner in Bangladesh, you better calculate if you can afford the electricity bill every month.
A 1.5 ton ac would use 5.3 kw of power per hour. However, in energy saving mode (more likely) an AC may use half of it. So, if you run your ac for 12 hours every day, and it uses 2.6 kw of power per hour. The total kw it will use is about 31 kw. Now, since 1 kw of usage per hour costs 2.8 taka. So, you may have to pay additional 2600 taka per month.
Well, you are warned! If this additional bill is not a big deal for you and you want to buy a new or secondhand airconditioner, follow the above tips and surely you’ll get a good one. A new 1.5 ton window type AC by Samsung, LG, Singer, General, Carrier etc may cost you from 31,000 to 55,000 taka; while split ac may range from 50,000 to 75,000 taka. Don’t forget the installation cost (if any).
Installation cost is about 1000 to 2000 taka.
A secondhand window ac may cost you 12,000 to 22,000 plus installation cost. You should get a very good condition ac at a price of 18000 taka. If your budget is less, the condition may reduce, and if your budget is high, you’ll get even better one. In case of a used split ac, you may need a budget from 22,000 to 35,000 taka.
However, I recommend buying a secondhand or used air conditioner, only if it has never been to a workshop and is available at half the price.
Best place to buy a secondhand ac is www.bikroy.com
Is this calculation applicable for Bangladesh?