David J. Widmann

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.

If every household in Sudbury reduced its energy consumption by 10 per cent, enough energy would be saved to provide for the residential energy needs of Elliott Lake, the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance says.

“All Canadians benefit from energy efficiency,” Peter Love, executive director of the CEEA, said in a press release. “Every sector of the economy, government, industry and consumers has an important role to play.”

The CEEA is an organization dedicated to lobbying government and educating consumers in developing and adopting energy efficiency programs.

“Consumers play a vital role in protecting resources by reducing energy use,” Love said.

Created a checklist

To that end, the CEEA has created a checklist of things homeowners can do to reduce their winter energy consumption as well as their monthly energy bills.

Adopting these suggestions can add up to a noticeable reduction in energy bills, said Fiona Oliver at the CEEA.

“The estimate for the yearly average spent on utility bills in Northern Ontario is approximately $180 per month, or $2,100 per year,” she said. “If the nine tips are instituted on an existing home, they could save about one-third which is about $700.”

To maximize your existing home’s winter efficiency, the CEEA suggests that you:

1. Conduct an EnerGuide home evaluation. An EnerGuide evaluation is used to advise homeowners on energy-efficient improvements for their homes. There are delivery agents across Canada who offer this service. They will provide independent expert advice on the different systems of your home and what can be done to improve comfort, reduce energy bills and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

An EnerGuide for Houses adviser will visit your home by appointment and perform a number of tests on your house. For more information, visit Natural Resources Canada’s EnerGuide Web site at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/houses-maisons.

2. Insulate your home. Insulation is cheaper than energy because insulation is a one-time cost. It will help you save energy in both winter and summer, and will also help alleviate moisture condensation and noise disturbance problems.

3. Use weatherproofing, caulking and sealing. A well-insulated house keeps cold air out, warm air in, and controls moisture. A small investment of time and money makes a big difference in heating bills.

4. Install programmable thermostats. Just like cruise control that helps you get more kilometers per litre, your thermostat can help you deliver more heat for the fuel. Programming your thermostat to cool the house when people are asleep or the house is empty can save you 16-25 per cent on your heating bill.

5. Use a humidifier. Properly humidified air feels warmer and helps control problems such as static electricity and excessive dust in the air. A home heated to 69 degrees F with 35 per cent relative humidity feels like a house with 19 per cent relative humidity heated to 72F.

6. Don’t run your dishwasher or washing machine until you have a full load. If your dishwasher doesn’t have an energy-saver feature, let dishes air-dry.

Also, try running appliances during off-peak energy-usage hours, which are typically between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. This helps ease pressure on the municipal power grid.

7. Use dimmers or compact fluorescent bulbs. Compact fluorescents are four times more efficient than regular bulbs, and last about eight times as long. If you can’t find compact fluorescents or choose not to use them, control the intensity of your regular bulbs with dimmer switches. A bulb dimmed by 25 per cent uses 10 per cent less energy. Remember to turn lights off when you’re not using them.

8. Look for the EnergyStar or EnerGuide labels when buying new appliances. There’s more to the cost of an appliance than just the initial price tag. Also consider how much energy the appliance is going to use over the long-term.

For more information on the EnergyStar program and its rating system, visit the Web site http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystar/.

9. Install a zoned temperature control system. “Zoning” helps save money by delivering heating and cooling to one room when it is needed, rather than using energy on maintaining the temperature in rooms that are used less frequently. When used with programmable thermostats, zoning can be made even more convenient. This technique can save money both on energy bills as well as by reducing wear-and-tear on climate control equipment.

If someone is building a new home with the energy-saving tips in mind, the yearly savings are even more dramatic.

“If they are building a new house they can expect to save one-half on their yearly bills as they will essentially be building an R-2000 home,” Oliver said.

R-2000 homes are the most energy-efficient new home choice available. They incorporate advanced fresh-air ventilation systems, the most environmentally sound building materials and products, and use less energy than conventional houses.

‘Save money’

Although going to the trouble of insulating their current home or spending extra money on a new R-2000 home can seem like a lot of trouble, Oliver said the trouble taken is far outweighed by the benefits of energy conservation.

“It’s good for you because you will save money,” she said. “It’s good for the environment because you will be helping to avoid climate change. It’s good for the economy because by buying insulation, new appliances, or hiring a local EnerGuide assessment, you are supporting local and Canadian jobs.

“Insulation and many major appliances are made in Canada.”

Oliver added that energy efficiency has been helped by provincial legislation, which ensures minimum efficiency standards on appliances.

For information on local energy conservation initiatives or to find a local EnerGuide inspector, visit http://www.sudburyroundtable.com/ecoaction.html.

SIDEBAR: ONLINE SOURCES

Other online sources about energy efficiency information:

* The Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance — http://www.energyefficiency.org. The CEEA site provides energy efficiency tips, as well as links to manufacturers and service providers.
* Union Gas Residential Consumer Information — http://www.uniongas.com/Residential/FormsIndex.asp offers tips on lowering your gas bill, and what to look for when buying a new home.
* Eneract — http://www.eneract.org. A non-profit organization made up of individual members and renewable energy industry representatives who are dedicated to fostering a transition to a sustainable energy future.
* myKyoto.ca — http://www.mykyoto.ca. Information on Canada’s commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, including what individuals can do to meet the country’s emissions targets.