Probably due to cost more than anything else, window air conditioners are the most popular option for air conditioning our homes. Although cost is probably the biggest reason it is certainly not the only reason. One of the other reasons is that they are easily installed and maintained. Window units are also available with electric heat options for those times when days are hot and nights are cool.

Today's window air conditioners are very quiet compared to older units. Window air conditioners are commonly called window bangers because they used to be so noisy but air conditioners of today are much quieter and the term doesn't really apply anymore.

Window units are basically the same as central air conditioning equipment. The biggest differences are in physical size and cooling capacity. If you only want to cool one or two rooms a window ac unit will do the job just fine and not cost near as much to operate or maintain as a central air conditioning system. On the other hand if you want to maintain your entire home at a constant temperature you can't beat central air conditioning.

The other big improvement in window ac units is in the way the equipment looks. Compared to window air conditioning units of the past today's units are very unobtrusive. Older units were usually brown with square corners and an unattractive front cover. Window units of today are much nicer and blend into the home or office environment much better.

When it comes to price window air conditioners are much more affordable than they once were. A unit that once might have sold for two or three hundred dollars now sells for not much more than one hundred dollars. Like all things, once they have been around for awhile production costs drop and these cost savings are eventually passed on to consumers in the form of less expensive products.

The most important thing to remember when buying a window ac unit, or any air conditioner, is cooling capacity. It is critical that you select a unit with proper capacity to cool the room where it will be installed. Often it is recommended that you buy a larger unit with extra capacity. This is very bad advise, just ask any reputable air conditioning contractor. Use an air conditioner load calculator to determine the proper sized air conditioner for your needs.

Undersized air conditioners will run continuously and not cool the space adequately and an oversized unit will cycle on and off too often. This increases equipment wear and can actually cause fuses to fail. An additional benefit of a properly sized air conditioner is humidity control. While these units are operating, moisture condenses on the evaporator coil just like a dehumidifier.

Window ac units generally operate trouble free and don't require a lot of attention. The most common problem is vibrations that can develop but these can be easily rectified by making sure screws are tight and that the unit is mounted properly in the window and not stressed.