When summer arrives and the temperature climbs, you want to be able to work, sleep, and live in comfort. A cost-effective way to keep one room in your house or office cool is by installing a window air conditioner unit.

This is a job you would like to do only once, so make sure you take these steps to protect your investment and your comfort.

Buy an A/C that can handle the space

A common mistake people make is getting the least expensive a/c, or the one with the most special features, without concern for the size of the space.

This can lead to purchasing one that is not big enough to effectively cool the space. When this happens, you are not kept as cool as you would like to be. Worse, the air conditioner is now forced to work harder or longer than it is designed to work. This leads to it breaking down – and that never happens at a convenient time.

Another common mistake is buying one that is too strong for the space. These air conditioners are then asked not to work at their optimal level, which can lead to freezing up. Or freezing you out.

Make sure you measure your space before buying. You can determine your room’s cubic foot size by multiplying height x wall x wall. That is, measure the floor on one side, then measure the next wall from the same corner, then measure how tall your ceiling is. Multiply these numbers together.

Give the A/C a dedicated circuit

Give your a/c a dedicated circuit. This means to make sure the outlet goes to its own circuit breaker in your electric box. If you don’t know what this means, you should hire an electrician to help you solve this problem.

Giving the air conditioner a dedicated circuit means that it will always have the electricity it needs, and it won’t ask the wires and circuits of your house to carry more electricity than they are designed to carry.

Not doing this could cause your power to shut off every time the a/c turns on, which does not make you cooler!

Worse yet, overloading circuits can cause them to heat up. This can start a fire in your wall.

Take this important step to protect your house and your family this summer.

Photo by PraiseToby Praise: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-power-outlet-inside-a-home-4943088/