200+ products
The principle is the same as for a refrigerator; the physical rule that says that liquid that evaporates absorbs heat. There is a liquid refrigerant that’s led into an evaporation system. Low pressure makes the refrigerant liquid evaporate into a gas that cools air-conditioning flanges. The cold from the flanges is then blown out into the room by a fan. Heat is also generated from this process and has to be dissolved.
It depends on the size of the area being cooled and how cold you want it. For an area of 45 square metres, the cost is usually around 7 pence an hour, if you cool it down from approximately 27 degrees to around 21 degrees. For an area of 60 square metres, the cost is around one 8 pence an hour, and for 80 square metres, it is just under 17 pence an hour. However, this can vary as the price of electricity varies; this is just an indication of the cost. Cooling a bedroom on a hot summer night costs about 70 pence.
There are fixed and portable air conditioners. In both cases, the heat generated in the cooling process must be dissipated. A fixed installation requires a process where the heat is being led out through a pipe to a permanently-mounted outdoor unit. A portable air conditioner has a hose to dissipate the hot air, meaning that no outdoor unit is required. The hose can, for example, be led out through a window in your home.
It is rarely allowed to install a fixed air conditioner in a rental apartment. It may be easier in a condominium, but you should always check with the building association, as the installation can be quite disruptive. The outdoor unit can be fairly noisy, which may be disturbing for the neighbours. You can do as you please with a portable air conditioner, but you should keep in mind that there must be a way to let out the hot air, for example through a window or a balcony.
The air conditioner itself does not make you sick. Bad maintenance of the air conditioner, however, can indeed be harmful to your health. It is very important to change filters every now and then. If you don’t do this, the filters will have the opposite effect; instead of filtering out bacteria, vira, pollen, and dust, a worn-out filter will start to spread the particles in the room.
To connect your air conditioner's ventilation hose, use a wall outlet or route it through an open window. Some air conditioning units come with a vent kit for windows. If you got one, check if it fits your window type. You can also run the hose out the window without the kit or shop for a compatible one.
You can control advanced models through a smartphone app. Features vary, but can include scheduling and voice assistant control with Google Assistant or Siri. Plus, starting the air conditioner without getting up is practical on hot days.
You'll love the night mode feature, especially if you're a light sleeper. Air conditioning (AC) systems can be noisy, which is understandable given how they work. But, with the AC that has night mode, you can use it in your bedroom at night.
In night mode, the AC reduces the fan speed to the lowest setting possible for minimal noise. It then gradually increases the temperature over a few hours (the duration depends on the model) before shutting down completely.