Buying an Air Conditioner - Which One? What size? What store?

Now that we've had a mini heat wave, most New Yorkers realize that we're going to have a very warm summer. So many people call us asking questions... so we thought we'd put together a post that will simplify your air conditioner purchase and installation in New York City.

1. What size unit do I need? What the hell is BTU? Stands for British Thermal Unit. What does it mean? Well ... the more you have, the more powerful your A/C is. You buy one according to the size of your bedroom. Here is a great chart! Look at the chart below. If you live on the top floor of your building and it is VERY hot or you have an apartment with several windows, a larger units is a good way to go. So if you live in Soho, and you live on the  TOP floor of your building, the chart below says that you should get a 10k, unit for your studio since it is 350 square feet. We advise you to increment that number by 2 and get a 12k. Poorly insulated buildings need more powerful units.

2. Which air conditioner should I buy? It is safe to say that buying an air conditioner is like a car. You get what you pay for in most instances. We recently wrote a post that discussed your best options. Check it out here.

3. Now that you know what you want... you want to know where. The problem with department stores is that they try to push things on you that you may not need. Remember, those people work on commission! You can order from our online store and save %10 on installation.

Simply visit our online store. Remember you can reference the chart above and the article above so you will have an idea of what to get.

Select your unit, purchase and schedule with us! You'll save and avoid long lines in the process!

Con Edison Energy Savings Program

In an effort to help control energy consumption, Con Edison has started an amazing new initiative. The COOLNYCPROGRAM allows you to communicate with your air conditioner from your smart phone or your browser. So, if your at work, you can go online and control of the air conditioner at your apartment! You can also do the same from your phone!

Gladshot Air Conditioner Installation

Your Air Conditioner Brand - Which model should you buy?

Americans are familiar with most brand names. Whether you're talking cars or sneakers.

However, when it comes to the wonderful world of air conditioning, most New Yorkers still need help making the best decision.

This post is going to be about which brand air conditioner is best for you!

First up, FRIEDRICH. Think of these as luxury cars. If you can afford these air conditioners, you're making a great investment. The engineering and performance are hard to beat. If you want to make a solid investment, go with FRIEDRICH. It the Cadillac of air conditioners.

Over the last few years, Frigidaire has really improved and we'd have to say that they're moving in on Friedrich. These units are best in the 5,000 BTU to 10,000 BTU range, when you consider how much you save. In fact, some smaller units will perform just as good, if not better than Friedrich. The only reason they're not at the top in our post, is that they're larger units aren't as powerful as Friedrich or as cost effective as LG. Think of these as almost luxury cars. Like Honda Accords or Nissan Maximas... wait, do they even make those anymore? :-) 

LG has it's own special space. When you're considering air conditioners in the 12,000 BTU - 18,000 BTU range, LGs are the best bang for your buck! These large units work really well and they're not as expensive as Friedrich or Frigidaire. Think of these as 4x4 pickups. Big units that work really well! 

These are solid air conditioners in the 5,000 - 10,000 BTU range. They're efficient units that perform well. Think Honda Accord here. 

We don't like Haier units. It has nothing to do with their performance, it has to do with BAD engineering. The smaller units are inexpensive and the have the tendency to make too much noise. Think Pinto here or bad used car. Like Kris Kross said... "Wiggity Wiggity Wack!"

Your Air Conditioner Installation -- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Summer is upon us New Yorkers. So many people want to know if their current air conditioner installation is sufficient. We want to discuss a few things that can help you determine what kind of installation you have.

The Good 

It was installed by us. We're professional installers! We specialize in installing window air conditioners! Even if we did not install your unit, it should always be installed by a professional installer. Why? A pro will look at the window frame, the air conditioner chassis and other components to provide the best install. Trust us, not as easy as it looks or we make it look!

The Bad

We classify these as air conditioners that are in the window, possibly cooling but not secure. You have a BAD installation if there is wood, bricks or a pile of books supporting the air conditioner. This is dangerous. You may not know this, but your air conditioner is not designed to be level. It slightly leans, and the water drains from the rear.

A bad installation will also have bad or no insulation. This will cause the unit to run harder, and you'll see an increase in your electricity bill.

The Ugly

This is just awful. The unit is getting ready to fall out of the window. Or even worse, you don't have the unit in the window properly!

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New York City's premier window air conditioner installation company.

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