subject: Home Cooling Solutions: Depending On Climate [print this page] With climate change becoming more of a reality as time goes by, the need for people to keep their homes comfortable with an air conditioner is growing more urgent. But there are different ways to keep your house cool during hot summer months, and this article will focus on the different kinds of air conditioning systems and the various climates to which they are best suited.
The most economical type of home cooling apparatus is a cooler that works using the principle that when a liquid evaporates, its temperature is lowered. These evaporative coolers are sometimes referred to by the name swamp cooler. Instead of having complicated refrigerator-like cooling mechanisms, they make use of a pad which is dampened with water and across which air is blown. As the water evaporates, the air in the unit becomes cooler. One of the reasons why they are so popular is their low operating cost, as they use only 25% as much electricity as an air conditioner. Unfortunately, you will not be able to use a swamp cooler everywhere. They work best in dry climates such as in Arizona and New Mexico, and they do not work very well in humid locations such as South Florida. This is because where the air already contains a great deal of moisture, evaporation is less likely to occur.
For home owners who live in areas where the humidity is high, the choice of an air conditioner can be divided into several categories. There are portable and built-in units as well as ductless ones and those which need to be vented to the outside.
The most common variety that you usually see mounted in a window frame works well in some situations, but newer portable air conditioners are now available that give the consumer a greater amount of flexibility. For a lot of people, it is handy to be able to move an air conditioner around the house or apartment during the day, rolling it on wheels. For example, you could use it in the kitchen or dining room in the morning, take it to the living room in the evening, and then roll it into the bedroom at night.
The larger the size of the room you want to cool, the higher the BTU (British Thermal Unit) rating number you will need to choose. Generally speaking, the larger the BTU count, the greater the price you will have to pay.
One final point to consider is whether or not the device will have to be emptied on a regular basis. Especially in more humid areas, some air conditioners collect water, and when the container fills up, the unit automatically shuts off. If this would be an inconvenience, then make sure you purchase an air conditioner that does not need to be emptied.
