Is Your Air Conditioner Noisy?

By Author: JC Tolentino
Total Articles: 24
Comment this article

The most popular type of air conditioning, other than central air, is a window air conditioner. If your home is not equipped with central air conditioning throughout the house, you can use a window air conditioner to cool the house. Most people like using window air units over floor models because they do not need to be moved from room to room and they don't take up space in the room.

One thing about window air conditioners is that they are noisy. The noise level depends on the type and size of the unit. Noise levels are usually given in decibel ratings. The higher the decibel the louder the unit will be. For every 10 decibel increase the sound pressure increases by a factor of 10. For example 50 decibels is 10 times louder than 40 decibels and is 100 times louder than 30 decibels.

There are many things that cause noise in air conditioning units. Some cannot be helped. There is a compressor and fan in each unit which causes most noise. Other causes could be maintenance issues such as worn bearings, dirty or rusty fan blades and basic wear and tear. Besides ...
... basic wear and tear, your unit could be noisy because it is vibrating because it is not installed correctly.

A unit should not be unbearably noisy. If yours is, you should have it looked at by an authorized service professional. There are some things that you can check on for yourself. To stop some vibrating, try tightening the screws holding the front panel onto the unit.

You might have bent fan blades which would be causing your unit to make noise. It shouldn't be too difficult to bend the blades back into place. Other place where you may be getting some vibration noise is between the frame and the sash or the glass and the frame. Check these out before you call in a service professional.

You can find a wide range of single room air conditioners, both in style and price. You should be able to find a window air conditioner for as little as $150 or as much as several hundred. The more features it has, like double fans or a remote control will increase the price.

Usually the more expensive the unit, the more energy efficient it is. Air conditioner units can use a lot of electricity. If you run the unit often, your electricity bill will be higher. Therefore, if you get an energy efficient unit, you should save in electric costs. The more efficient a unit is, the less energy it takes to cool your home. Therefore, you will save on your energy costs.

Research what type of unit will do the job for you and your home. Make sure you check the amps for the unit you purchase. You don't want to overload your electrical system.