As the hot days are coming you were might be wondering about the purchase of a new window AC unit. Since the market is saturated with lots of brands and models it’s no so easy to choose the right one for your home.
The main goal is to cool down your home, of course. But else? There are lots of available features of the window AC unit and you should consider all of them before making the final decision.
It’s always better to know all of your possibilities and it’s also smart to choose which ones of them are worth your money. It would be pretty bad to pay for something you will never appreciate or to regret not buying a unit with some features you’d like to use. Especially if your friends have them and show off how amazing it is to enjoy these benefits of window AC unit.
The features were added by producers for saving electric energy, boosting the cooling efficiency, helping you with allergies, etc. I summarized the most interesting available features of the window AC unit. You can easily read about them and compare the most suitable for you to obtain the best combination and best overview of what you are looking for.
Thermostat to Set Temperature
A thermostat is considered to be one of the most important parts of the window air conditioner.
This small feature helps to control the required temperature. To clarify, if you set the temperature for 72 degrees the thermostat immediately starts to control the temperature of the room air. If the air is hot than the set value it gives a signal to a compressor that starts the cooling process.
Once, the desired temperature is obtained the thermostat switched off the compressor but still control the temperature of the room air. And if the temperature increases again the compressor is switched on again.
Thermostat as a part of available features of the window AC can look different according to a chosen model. A cheap window AC unit usually has a regular mechanical thermostat. The rest of the appliances are designed with a digital thermostat.
If you decide on a cheap model with a mechanical thermostat has a rotary dial to set the required temperature manually. This kind of window AC unit usually allows you to set a range of numbers from 1 to 7 to set the temperature. The obtained temperature will never be accurate since this version of the air conditioner is cheap. You can’t set the exact value like 73 degrees.
You can’t rely on the temperature set by a mechanical thermostat and you have to rely on your feeling because you are not able to set the accurate temperature.
If you desire to obtain the exact temperature and save money and energy by setting an exact temperature value like 72 degrees Fahrenheit you should look for a more expensive model and buy that one with a digital thermostat. Or you can simply buy the best smart window air conditioner with wi-fi.
Fan Speed Adjustment
The fan speed adjustment is a very pleasant available feature of the window AC unit. You will appreciate it, especially when you come home after a very hot day and you can stand in front of the machine and allow higher fan speed. Also, the higher speed helps your device to work and cool down a room faster.
On the other hand, a higher speed isn’t needed as the desired temperature is reached. Then, it’s recommended to apply the low setting to maintain the temperature.
Cheap units usually offer two speeds – low and high. The average and more expensive machines can provide three or four fan speeds – low, medium, high and auto.
You will appreciate the different speeds especially if you are planning to install the unit into your bedroom and want to operate it during the night. This setting influences the noise of the appliance and you will find out that the lower fan speed is a great choice for sleeping.
The auto fan speed helps you to keep the obtained temperature in a room. It means these available features of a window AC unit works efficiently as it can. You don’t need to change anything and you save your money for energy bills.
Sleeping Mode
Since our body needs less cooling when we’re in bed the sleeping mode is a perfect function for every night use.
This sleeping mode belongs to available features of the window AC and regulates the ambient temperature by 0.5 to 1 degree per hour, up to a maximum of +3 degrees (it’s fully dependent on a brand and model of your machine). This process of changing temperature gives you a better night comfort as well as ease you in waking up.
The unit doesn’t need to work so hard which means it’s more energy efficient and reduces energy bills however you sleep.
Programmable Timer
If you belong to people who prefer to have energy consumption under good control you might appreciate a timer function. The timer could be set in a one-hour interval for up to 24 hours. The programmable timer allows the machine to switch on and off however nobody is around.
Cheap units provide to set intervals 2, 4, 8, 12 hours, etc. before being switched off.
More expensive models are designed to program start and stop time during the day by the one-hour intervals.
This feature is very convenient for everybody and it doesn’t matter if you are leaving or coming home. It’s a smart solution for your comfortable life.
Air Filter Type
In general, every window air conditioner works on a principle of sucking the hot air from a room in and blowing the same cold air back to the room. The room air contains dust and dirt particles. As the air is cooled down by flowing around a cooling coil the air has to be filtrated to protect the coil. The particles could clog the machine and badly damage it. Then, you have to ask for professional cleaning or buy a new unit.
There are two types of filters you can find in a window unit – standard and washable filter.
A standard filter is a basic kind of filtration and it’s required to change it very often in order to keep good airflow and filtration and prevent damaging of a unit.
A washable filter allows you to clean it underwater in a kitchen. There is no need to spend money on new filters. It’s designed to be durable for many cleaning processes in a sink. This helps to protect the environment as well as your wallet.
Heating Function
Window AC units can offer you also amazing features like heating function. It’s a great option if you want to keep your comfort and cut back all energy costs all year round.
Saving energy and money isn’t crucial only in summer. We need to control our bills during the cold months too. If you install the machine during winter it’s necessary to be sure you filled all the gaps in a window.
If you are looking for a unit that can rely on all year round or if you desire to obtain supplement heating during winter you will be satisfied with this kind of AC. Check out my best window air conditioners with heating – my honest review and buying guide.
Energy Efficiency
Many people desire to buy a unit that is more than energy efficient to save money and help the environment. If you belong to this group of people you should choose the appliance according to Energy Star certification. These machines operate up to 15% more efficiently than units that are not labeled with this certificate – check the most energy-efficient window air conditioners.
Keep in mind it’s much better to spend more money in the beginning and then keep your bills cut back.
Air Direction Control
Among all the available features of the window AC unit, this seems to be a true gem for sensitive people or older generations.
The window appliances have adjustable louvers allowing you to regulate the direction of air blowing from the unit. Imagine the situation when you and your guests are sitting in a living room and the air is blowing on your necks and heads. It could be very unpleasant and you could have a stiff neck part very soon. The air direction control is designed for this purpose. And you don’t need to struggle with this issue anymore.
If you are used to using a ceiling fan during hot months you will appreciate this feature as well. The function helps you to optimize the airflow in a room in order to reduce the consumed energy of the air conditioner.
Remote Control
This feature is simply brilliant because it allows you to operate your unit without having to stand up and go close to a unit where the controls are mounted by default.
The standard units provide you the comfort of controlling the temperature and fan speed with a small display.
If you have trouble with losing things you will love the possibility to stick the remote control on the unit by using a magnetic hold.