What do you need to keep in mind when purchasing an air conditioner for your garage? Knowing the basics will help you make the right choice. Here are some of them:
1.Types of air conditioners
A common type of indoor unit is a room air conditioner, which is suitable for cooling only one room or area.
In contrast to this, a central air conditioner provides cooling for multiple rooms in an entire home. The advantage over the room air conditioners is that they can cool significantly larger areas and do it more efficiently.
Finally, there are portable units that you can choose. When you’re choosing a unit, look into its method of power. Is it something that you can support? Also, take a look at the amount of space it covers.
If it covers the square footage of your garage, great! However, some might not cover the entire space. You can buy more than one or upgrade to one that covers your needs.
2. Dual functions
Many types of air conditioners can do many other things. For example, some work as both portable air conditioners and heaters. Depending on when you use the garage, you might want one that can do both. Also, some air conditioners also work as dehumidifiers or humidifiers. Is air quality and purification another concern of yours? You might want to see if your air conditioner choices work with you.
3. Loudness
Not all air conditioners are the same! Some are whisper quiet, and others may have people you’re talking to on the phone ask, “what is that noise?” Think about your noise sensitivity and if you want to invest in an air conditioner that is quiet, or if you’re okay with a few extra decibels.
4. Energy Efficiency Ratings
The energy efficiency rating for a system is based on its Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER), which measures how much cooling ability it has against the amount of power required to operate it. A higher SEER number indicates that an air conditioner uses less energy. The Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) is for dehumidification systems and measures how efficiently they remove moisture from the air per amount of power used, or vice versa.
5. Maintenance & Cleaning
How much effort do you want to put into cleaning your air conditioner? Some units are self-cleaning, while others require more manual work. It’s good to know that some air conditioners will need the filters cleaned or even replaced after a certain amount of time, too.
6. BTU Ratings
All types of air conditioners, no matter their type (portable; room; etc.), have a BTU-rating. The British Thermal Unit is a measure of how much heat an air conditioner can remove from a room in one hour. A higher number means that the unit has a higher cooling capacity. This isn’t always easily understood, so you might want to read more about it or search for specific types of units and their BTU ratings.
7. Filter Types & Costs
Many air conditioner units have filters that need to be cleaned or replaced for them to function at top efficiency. Some of these are very easy do-it-yourself tasks, while others may require professional cleaners.
The cost of the filters as well as their longevity before replacements are required will factor into the overall cost of owning your air conditioner.
8. Warranty & Customer Support
The warranty and customer support options for a given air conditioner can vary depending on the brand, model, and manufacturer. Even a top-rated unit may lack a solid warranty or have specific caveats you need to be aware of. Since air conditioners are complex machines, it’s possible that you’ll have to call customer support at some point in the future. It’s good to know what type of warranty and/or after-sale support is available for your unit beforehand.
9. Pollutants & Energy Emissions
If you care about the environment and air quality, you might want to research what kind of pollutants and energy emissions come from your air conditioner. Some units emit ozone-depleting chemicals as well as other noxious compounds such as carbon dioxide. Since not all units are created equally, it’s important to know exactly what’s going into our home and the world
Best Garage Air Conditioners
- Senville LETO Series Mini Split Air Conditioner Heat Pump, 24000 BTU 208/230V
- hOmelabs 14000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner (new CEC 10000 BTU) – Quiet AC Unit
- Whynter ARC-14S 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner
- Shinco 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Built-in Dehumidifier Function
- Rosewill Portable Air Conditioner 12000 BTU AC Fan Dehumidifier & Heater
Senville LETO Series Mini Split Air Conditioner Heat Pump, 24000 BTU 208/230V
The Senville is a variable speed ac. Its airflow efficiency is 706 cubic feet per minute per watt. It also has a remote for additional control even from across the room. Its dimensions are 33.27 x 12.6 x 27.56 inches.
The unit comes with a 5-year warranty. This 4 in 1 split air conditioner has so many features that will be useful when controlling the temperature in your garage. It is a heater, air conditioner, fan, and it also has a turbo function.
The unit is also super quiet. The unit can be as quiet as 38 dB when it is being used. Also, it has an energy efficiency design. It’s made to last in even the harshest climates. The installation kit has free support. Some parts may require professional installation.
The design is efficient, modern, and sleek. Its design includes inverter technology for the best in dual role functions. It covers from 100 to 450 square feet depending on its usage.
It has built in filters that are washable. Its SEER ratings are 17.
hOmelabs 14000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner (new CEC 10000 BTU) – Quiet AC Unit
The hOmelabs dual role air conditioner has wheels on it so you can use it in any room of the house, and it can be perfect for a versatile garage air conditioner. Choose from the 12,000 BTU model or the 14,000 BTU model depending on your needs and your budget.
It also has four functions for the best in versatility. This includes auto, cool, fan, and dry modes. The face of the hOmelabs dual role air conditioner has an easy to use LED display. There are also indicator lights. On the LED interface, you can adjust the temperature, fan speed, cooling modes, and also activate the sleep feature.
Finally, the washable air filter makes it an economical choice. The smart functions of the air conditioner let you know when it is time to change the air filter or wash it.
It can work anywhere from 200 to more than 600 square feet of space. The remote control makes it easy to use. It’s equipped with an automatic vertical swing function.
The no lift design makes it ideal for many customers to use. In total, installation can up to 8 minutes. Its total weight is 72 lbs. The ultra-quiet design measures at around 53 decibels.
Whynter ARC-14S 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner
The ARC-14S 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner is a sleek-looking garage AC unit. Winner of Good Housekeeping’s It features a dual hose system that provides more cooling power and efficiency than single hose portable air conditioners. The ARC-14S 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner include dehumidification technology that is perfect for drying clothes or extracting water from the room. It includes three fan speeds to keep your room comfortable and enough power to cool even large rooms up to 500 square feet quickly.
The Whynter ARC-14S 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner is a great choice for cooling a single room or area of your home. The dual hose system allows this unit to effectively pull humidity from the air and expel it from the room with ease. It also works with a digital remote control for convenience wherever you need it.
While this unit is a bit bulky to move from room to room, it does have a handle and wheels that make moving it somewhat easy. Also, it has an eco-friendly green R-32 refrigerant. 2020 Best Overall, it is fast-acting in cooling down any space
Shinco 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Built-in Dehumidifier Function
This Genuine Shinco 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Built-in Dehumidifier Function is designed to maintain a comfortable climate for your bedroom, home office or other small rooms. This AC comes complete with a window exhaust kit that enables flexible placement of the unit in a window without requiring permanent installation. This AC also functions as a dehumidifier, removing up to 3.8 pints of moisture per hour. With timer functionality and three fan speeds, this AC is exceptionally versatile.
The LED display lets you adjust factors like the temperature or timer. There is also a remote control for convenience wherever you are. It can cover rooms of up to 200 square feet. The dehumidifier has a built in drain pump so you can install it where you need it. It also has useful features, like an auto-restart function in case the power goes out.
There are three fan speeds as well as timer settings, from one hour to two hours to four hours. Finally, it is energy star certified, for up to 30% savings on energy bills.
Rosewill Portable Air Conditioner 12000 BTU AC Fan Dehumidifier & Heater
This is is a portable air conditioner and dehumidifier designed to offer a cooling and heating solution for single-room spaces. It can maintain a temperature of 62-86 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, it is equipped with a built-in fan that can also be used as an exhaust vent when in air conditioning mode. Furthermore, the unit includes multiple features such as an LED display panel for thermostat and humidity control, timer to set the starting and stopping time of the unit, auto restart function that resumes operation after a power outage, sleep mode to save power consumption during night, energy-saving mode, etc.
The unit has wheels that make it easy to transport. It is compact and has additional useful features like a 24-hour timer. The unit also includes a remote control
