How to Size a Window Unit

How to Size a Window Unit

December 28, 2018

Given that we’re in the dead of the colder winter months, an air conditioner probably isn’t high up on the list of things you’re concerned about. But when the Florida heat and humidity comes back in full force in just a little while, you’ll be glad you had it all sorted out.

Although window units aren’t as effective as central heating and air is, these appliances can be a major help when we’re desperate for some much-needed comfort. But how do you know what size to get? There are a lot of different ones out there, and installing the wrong one can actually be more problematic.

The pros at Acree Plumbing, Air & Electric have a simple and quick guide to sizing a window unit that will hopefully make the process a little bit easier.

Time for Some Math!

To find out what window unit you’ll need, you’ll have to flex those math muscles. We know, you got done with school a long time ago and thought you were done with math forever – but this is important!

What you’ll need to do is measure the dimensions of the room you’re trying to put a window unit in. Take the length of the room and multiply it by the width to find the square footage, then divide that number by .05 to find the amount of BTUs needed to provide air to that room.

Um, BTUs?

Right. BTU stands for British Thermal Units, and they’re the unit of measurement you use to identify how much power you need out of a window unit. A BTU is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature in a pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit, and a BTU rating tells you the amount that a window unit can remove from the air in a room in an hour.

It’s just a simple way of determining the power every window unit has, really. Once you know what BTU rating your room requires (by finding the square footage), you’re golden.

Why Does It Matter?

That’s a valid question. On the surface, it might seem like you can just purchase any size of window unit and assume it will work, but that’s not the case. If the unit has too high a BTU rating, then it’ll be too powerful for the room and it’ll think it’s reached your desired temperature before it actually has.

And too low of a BTU rating won’t get the temperature anywhere close to where you need it to be. Both options create an inefficient system in the room, which is why it’s important to get the right size.

Anything Else?

Actually, yes. Depending on certain characteristics in the room you’re trying to size a window unit for, you may need to adjust the BTU rating you’re searching for by a bit.

For example, if the room gets a lot of natural sunlight, then you’ll need to add roughly 10% more BTUs to the rating, and an excessively shady room will need about 10% less.

Also, the suggested BTU rating is designed for a room that will hold two people. If more people are planning to occupy that room, then you’ll need to add 600 or so to the BTU rating for every additional expected person.

Acree Plumbing, Air & Electric Is Here to Help!

That might’ve been confusing and seemed like a lot of information, but we promise it’s not that complicated! Acree Plumbing, Air & Electric has years of experience in sizing window units for rooms of all shapes and sizes, and we’d be glad to help you out as well.

Give us a call at 800-937-6736 and we’ll help make the process as smooth and easy as possible!

SCHEDULE SERVICE

Please fill out the form below so that we can better assist you.

Do Not Fill This Out