A/C shopping tips?

Hi all.  I’m moving to Brooklyn from San Francisco, and having grown up around here air conditioning is kind of a foreign language to me.  The apartment I’m moving to is in Carroll Gardens (near the Carroll St subway stop) and I guess I’ll need some window A/C units (there’s no central air).  My questions are:

1\. Where is a good place to go shopping for a unit?  (I’m more concerned with getting it over with quickly and conveniently than with getting the best possible deal here.)
2\. What should I look for in terms of features or whatnot?  Is it mostly just the BTU figure that determines the quality?  Do I need to measure my windows before I go get a unit, or is everything standard?  Anything else I need to figure out before I go to the store?
3\. Is this generally something I can install myself, or do I need to get a professional to do it?  I’m handy enough to assemble furniture and fix minor stuff around the house, but haven’t attempted anything like this.  I’m on the fourth floor of my building.

Any tips would be welcome.  Thanks!

thither

in Appliances 13 years and 11 months ago

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levicapland | 13 years and 11 months ago

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I have put together some useful tips for you. This guide will answer the most popular questions you might have. Should you have questions feel free to contact me. There is also a link to a request form at the bottom of this page.**Tip #1**Buying an air conditioner should be based on the size of the room (not rooms) you are wanting to cool off. Do NOT buy an air conditioner solely based on your budget. Air conditioners have a residual expense which is called… electricity. The money you save up front will cost you a lot more per month in electricity bills. The objective of the air conditioner is to cool off your room as efficiently as possible. This way you minimize the electric usage. The harder and longer the air con needs to work to satisfy the thermostat, the more you will pay in bills. I call it “penny-wise, pound foolish”**Tip #2**I understand that many people recently moved into apartments that only will accept wall sleeve units. The price point of wall sleeve air conditioners comes as a surprise to most. Wall sleeve air conditioners are usually twice the price of window air conditioners. Do not attempt to put a window air conditioner in a wall sleeve. Wall sleeve units ONLY vent from the rear of the air conditioner. Window air conditioners vent from the sides, top, and back of the air conditioner. Putting a window unit in a wall sleeve will simply damage the air conditioner. Don’t do it.**Tip #3**To find out how many btu’s your room requires use the following basic formula. L x W x 35 or sq ft x 35. 
However there are factors that can effect this formula such as:
_High ceilings_ 
_Living on the top floor of a building. _
_Having a kitchen connected to the room you are trying to cool off_ 
_A lot of sun exposure_In such cases listed above you want to do the same formula x 45\. The manufacturers do not take NYC apartments and lofts into consideration when they calculate btu’s. Manufacturers base their “cooling off area” on a standard room with 9 ft ceilings and average sunlight.**Tip #4**A room air conditioner is not central air. They are not designed to cool off 3 rooms. Cold air drops and has a difficult time moving through door ways. There is a reason why they are called “room air conditioners”. They are meant for a single room. Attempting to cool off several rooms with one unit will simply result in uber expensive electric bills. When I own ConEd I will advise otherwise.**Tip #5**Air conditioners are similiar to fans. Think of a small table top fan in a small room vs a large room. Larger rooms need larger fans and vice versa. Air conditioners work along the same lines. A small unit in large room wont do any justice. I am here to help you in making the right purchase.

thither | 13 years and 11 months ago

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Thanks for all the advice everyone, that’s super helpful.  Following up on the suggestion to check consumer reports, I found this page on their site to be helpful in schooling me on the basics:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/heating-cooling-and-air/air-conditioners/air-conditioner-buying-advice/index.htm

I’ll probably wind up seeing what they have at PC Richards online, cross-checking it with consumer reports, and then seeing if J&R has comparable stock.  Thanks!

(Also, I sent you an email, hldbklyn, cheers.)

slopegirl | 13 years and 11 months ago

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I second the recommendation for J&R on 7th avenue. Local business. You can comparison shop on consumer reports and then tell J&R what you want.

stevecym | 13 years and 11 months ago

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PC Richards is the place to go.

Now, do not believe the box when they say quiet.  I have bought more than one unit which the box said was quiet and they have always seemed louder than the one I was replacing.  I would check reviews in Consumer Reports.

Steve

kidbklyn | 13 years and 11 months ago

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J&R, the one on 7th Ave is competitive with any price you’ll find. It’s a local store that has been around for years with a pleasant owner. They do all the installations and take away the old items.

needmtg | 13 years and 11 months ago

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As an x-SF-an, I sympathize. But it’s not rocket science. What should you look for?…QUIET! But then since most places will not let you test-run the a/c in the store, this may be moot. Freidrich is best; expensive & heavy (hence better made and quiet), LG has a good reputation. All others are noisy, regardless of what they claim. Look for an efficiency of 10 or more. 

If you use an extension cord, get a heavy duty 3-wire cord and don’t go over 10 ft.

Easy to install if you get a unit with a sleeve…put the sleeve in the window, pull the sash down and make sure it’s seated and the wing extensions set, apply duct tape on the window edges to ensure you won’t accidentally slide up the sash, put in unit. No need to screw anything in for typical 8-10kbtu. Don’t get bigger ones, unless you have a humungous room on the top floor, 10kbtu is plenty for a 250-300 sq ft room. 8kbtu for smaller rooms. You could have a window too small, but unlikely – 26″ is typical width. Sometimes you may need a brick or a piece of wood under the a/c on the outside sill. Important…the unit must slope gently out (so water will drain out, not into your house.)

 btw, Panasonics are fantastically quiet!…they don’t sell window units any more in the US. I’d pick that one up.

hdlbklyn | 13 years and 11 months ago

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I’m in Carroll Gardens (on Carroll between Smith and Hoyt) I have an extra Panasonic AC unit in my basement that I no longer need due to installing central AC. It worked great the last time I used it. I think its at least 10,000BTU and VERY quiet. I’ll take whatever you feel its worth. When do you get in town? Contact me at hdlbklyn@gmail.com.

masterbuilder | 13 years and 11 months ago

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P.C. Richard’s at 4th and Atlantic.  Not the greatest of service but very convenient once you need to get the A/C home.  You can take a car service from there if you don’t have a car.  http://www.pcrichard.com/custserv/content.jsp?pageName=store51

Check your window opening before you go and locate the receptacle closest to it to make sure you can plug it in.  Try to find someone there who knows the A/C’s well.  You need to consider BTUs, energy efficiency, fan noise and options such as remote control.  That can come in handy if you are in bed and don’t want to get out to adjust the controls.

A unit fell out of a window and landed about 5 feet behind me last week.  Falling A/C’s and injuries are not uncommon in New York.  So if you are unsure of how to secure it in the window, please find someone who will do a thorough job.  Maybe someone from the forum here.