Cold Shelter
A few things to look for when buying a used air conditioner
The summer heat has descended upon the city, and the lazy oscillation of the table fan just isn’t enough to cut through the crushing humidity. While thoughts of an air conditioner filling an open window are enticing, the price of a new air conditioner (not to mention all the cardboard, plastic and packing foam that comes with it) to cool a room for a couple of months can seem a little steep.
It’s easy to save a few hundred dollars by purchasing a used air conditioner. 6,000 BTU units, which are good for cooling a room of about 200 square feet, can be found for around $100 used as opposed to nearly $300 new. Be warned, however, that not all units are created equal. A little research will help you keep your cool without generating surprise energy bills.
BTU and You
BTUs (British Thermal Units) are the standard measure for an air conditioner’s cooling capacity. A simple way to figure out how many BTUs you need in an air conditioner is to measure the space you want to cool, then multiply that by 30. For instance, if your room measures 15 feet by 12 feet, you would need an air conditioner with enough power to cool 180 square feet, or 5400 BTUs.
Keep in mind that this calculation doesn’t take into account things like high ceilings, large windows and air leaks. Seal any cracks (which will also help you with winter heating) to keep cool air in the room. If you have high ceilings, look into installing ceiling fans or buying a more powerful air conditioner. Direct sunlight warming the room can be balanced by keeping curtains or blinds closed during the day. In any case, adding 2000 BTUs to your cooling requirements is a good idea, just to be sure the air conditioner isn’t overworked.
Raw Energy
Now that you’ve brushed up on your math skills at home, it’s time to take your calculator into the field. When it comes to energy efficiency, the federal government has made comparing new appliances easy with EnerGuide and Energy Star labeling systems. The energy efficiency ratio (EER) is plainly visible on the unit, and comparing the energy efficiency of similar air conditioners is as simple as looking for the lowest EER number. Figuring out the EER for a secondhand air conditioner is a little more difficult. The label may have been removed, or the unit may have been built before the EnerGuide labeling requirements came into effect.
Fortunately, any electrical device has a label on it somewhere indicating its power usage. The label may be easily visible on the back or side of the unit, or you may have to remove a panel in the front or near the power cord to find it. If that’s the case, it’s a good idea to get the person selling the air conditioner to uncover the label in order to avoid a you-break-you-buy situation.
On the label, look for the air conditioner’s wattage. If the watts aren’t on the label, you can multiply the amps by the volts to get what you need. Divide the air conditioner’s BTUs by the number of watts, and that gives you the units EER. For example, a 6,000 BTU air condition using 840 watts has an EER of about 7. Another 6,000 BTU air conditioner using 1200 watts would have an EER of about 5. The higher the number, the less energy is required to cool your room.
The Ministry of Natural Resources website (http://nrcan.gc.ca) contains detailed information on energy uses, and tables to help you estimate the cost of running your air conditioner for the summer. For example, if you’ve got an 8,000 BTU unit with an EER of 9.7, you can expect to use 585 kilowatt-hours of electricity for the average Toronto summer. At 4.7 cents per kilowatt-hour, expect to add $27.50 to your bill.
Window Seat
There are few things in life that can make a person feel more foolish than hauling an air conditioner up the stairs in 32-degree heat only to find that it’s too big for the window you’ve planned to set it up in (trust me, I know from experience). Make sure you take accurate measurements of the window before you purchase a unit, and compare those measurements to the air conditioner before you purchase it. Eye-balling doesn’t always work.
Be sure to choose a window that’s close to an electrical outlet, preferably one that’s not being used for anything else. Air conditioners use a lot of power and cause electrical interference that can damage other appliances – particularly computer or stereo equipment – that might be plugged into the same circuit. Power bars and extension cords should also be avoided.
Do your best to ensure that you purchase the right air conditioner for the type of window you’re installing it into. Although an air conditioner meant for vertical-sliding windows can be rigged with a board to fit into a window with side-sliding panes, it won’t often work the other way. Air conditioners meant for side-sliding windows usually don’t have a support bracket along the top. Installing this type of unit into a window with vertical-sliding panes leaves very little between your air conditioner and the pavement below.
Another thing to be aware of when buying a used air conditioner is the possibility that the unit required special mounting hardware to keep it secure. Empty screw holes or evenly-spaced scratches along the top or sides of the unit are tell-tale signs that there may be more to installing it than just sitting it on the window sill. Ask someone knowledgeable about air conditioner installation if there are additional brackets needed to hold the unit up. If you’re not sure, it’s best to pass on that particular unit and find a model that looks like it’s an easier installation.
When installing the air conditioner, make sure the unit is level so that the moisture it draws out of the air can drain outside properly and not form a pool of water on the floor. Also do your best to seal the area around the unit so no outside air can get in around it. This will ensure that the air conditioner can cool the room as efficiently as possible.
Relief is here
Getting the right air conditioner ready to go requires a lot of thought and work. Being able to sleep comfortably on those short summer nights makes it all worthwhile. With proper servicing, even a secondhand air conditioner can last for many years. Consider making a trip to the local library and checking out a book on basic air conditioner maintenance. Simple things like changing filters regularly and keeping electrical contacts clean will keep the unit running efficiently and can help prevent bigger, more costly problems down the road.
Sooner or later the time will come to dispose of your air conditioner. Remember that air conditioners contain hazardous chemicals and require special disposal arrangements. Check out the City of Toronto’s household hazardous waste guidelines (http://www.toronto.on.ca/hhw) for more information.
When your air conditioner gives up the ghost, there still may be a use for it. Local used appliance dealers might offer some money for a unit they can use for parts. Look around your neighbourhood for community or school programs that refurbish old appliances. It’s surprising to see how many different uses old machines have when you take the time to look.