Are you thinking of buying an AC?
The size of an AC depends on how big your room is. PHOTO/Promise Twinamukye
What you need to know:
Everyone has their own way of cooling off heat during the scorching hot days. If you are considering the option of buying an AC, here is what you need to know before you go out shopping.
When I was still living in Kabale, I used to hear tales about how scorching the Kampala heat can get. I had never known anything outside the Kabale breeze until I got to Kampala, and had to deal with unbearable dripping-hot nights.
I always longed for a breeze to cool off my body. If you are like me and cannot bear heat during the hot weather, you could try installing an air conditioner (AC) in your home. Here are a few things you need to know when planning to buy an AC.
Location
Before you buy an air conditioner for your home, figure out where the outdoor unit will be placed. If you have children, that should be your major concern. Because just like a fan, it can easily hurt your playful and experimental child’s arm if the outdoor part of the AC unit is within their reach.
The location of the indoor also matters because it may ruin your interior decor if not placed well.
Placement
According to Edrine Kimera, an interior designer at Jomera Homes and Gardens, the outdoor part of the AC should be able to access fresh and natural air for a better experience.
Power consumption
According to Boaz Arinaitwe, head technician of Africool Uganda Limited, checking your power consumption rate can help you figure out if you can manage the Ac or not. This is because its power consumption is relatively higher than most electric appliances.
Size of the room
The size of the room helps you determine the size of the AC you should buy. The smaller the room, the smaller the AC and the bigger the room, the bigger the AC. This goes hand in hand with the capacity of the AC.
The common ACs are normally wall mounted but there are others that stand from the floor just like fridges.
Air quality
Indian Express, a website that deals in technology, says: “No matter which AC you choose, it is essential for it to improve indoor air quality. It must have filters to provide clean air by trapping smoke, unpleasant odour and impurities.”
Installation
The installation also depends on the structue of the house in which the AC is to be installed and the distance between the outdoor and indoor parts of the AC unit.
However, different electricians also differ in installation price quotation.
Arinaitwe said the installation ranges from Shs650, 000 to Shs1m.
Maintenance
According to Arinaitwe, your AC should be serviced quarterly (every three months).
There are a lot of things done during the service that include dusting, washing them, checking the power connection, gas level (gas is added when it is found low) and temperature settings to keep it functioning as it should do.
Arinaitwe said that the change in weather (temperature) affects or changes the performance of the AC, if its settings are not adjusted.
The residential AC capacities range from 9000btu/hr to 24000btu/hr.
For people who have larger mansions, 36000btu/hr ACs are also okay.
There are however, bigger capacity ACs for companies and factories.
