Welcome to a new feature on our website,  “Kitchen Talk!”

This will be an ongoing series, with updates every one-two weeks. I will be discussing a variety of subjects, including new product highlights, buying advice and suggestions, trends in the industry, and help with kitchen planning.  Today I’ll talk about air conditioning, but first I’d like to mention some of the reasons you should be thinking about buying at Manny’s. 

So… let’s start there and jump right in!

Why buy at Manny’s??

I can think of lots of reasons, and I’ll explore some of these in more detail in later blogs.  For now, let me list a few:

** Our price and selection is equal to if not better than the “big box” stores.

** Many of our sales staff and support teams have literally decades of experience in the appliance industry.

**  We are locally owned and operated.  

**  We can usually deliver product in 2-3 business days.

**  We offer installation and repair services, giving you a “one stop” shopping experience whenever possible.

** We often have rebates and other monetary incentives that the big chains do not offer.  (I’ll talk more about this next week, when Memorial Day promos begin.)

In other words, our aim is to give our customers service, advice, and support that exceeds our competition!

How to choose the right air conditioner

A couple of weeks ago we all got a taste of what summer heat will be like, and for a lot of people that meant thinking about air conditioning.  Let me offer some general suggestions to assist you in choosing the right unit for your home.

Factors to consider are:

 Where is the unit going?  

**The most popular type of unit is the traditional window unit, which is designed to fit into a double-hung window with expandable flaps to fill the window space.  Other types of units include:

** Portable units that wheel around and duct hot air and humidity out of the room with a hose that is roughly the size of a dryer vent.

** Through-the-wall units that can be mounted into “sleeves” built into a wall in a person’s home.  These are very common in condo and apartment complexes.

**  Window units with a “slide-out chassis”.  These units are usually larger BTU units that can be adapted for through-the-wall installation.

What size outlet do I need?

Nowadays most air conditioners up to 15,000 BTU can run on a standard 15 amp circuit (the type of plug you use for lamps, televisions, etc.)  Larger units require larger amp circuits.  Check your plug type before buying!

How quiet will my unit be?

It’s good to remember that an air conditioner WILL make noise!  As a general rule, air conditioners get relatively quieter as the price goes up, even just a little bit!  Decibel ratings for air conditioners are not standardized (such as with dishwashers, for example), so manufacturer claims for noise - or lack thereof - should be taken as guidelines only. 

What size unit should I get??

         This is THE big question for most people!!  To start, here’s a standard sizing chart that              gives the recommended BTU based on room size:

https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=35138

This chart, and hundreds like this can be found online, and is a great place to start.  Also, keep in mind that “bigger is not necessarily better!”  Too large a unit will cool the room down too quickly, and not operate long enough to properly remove humidity.

Also, these guidelines are meant to apply to a single room!  

If you are trying to cool multiple rooms or floors, the sizing gets trickier.Ideally, you should consider buying a separate air conditioner for each space in your home.  For example, I have four units in the Ranch that I own:  three small units for each bedroom, and one larger unit for the kitchen/dining room/living room.   Cold air doesn’t “travel” well, as it tends to sink as it moves away from the air conditioner.   If you have no choice but to use one large unit for multiple rooms, ceiling and stand-up fans help move the cold air into the farther rooms.  You want to keep the cool air moving!

At Manny’s, we offer a selection of brands in all sizes, from 5,000 BTU units designed for small bedrooms, to 32,000 BTU units for offices and large areas. Our sales staff will be happy to answer any specific questions or concerns you might have, and we will do our best to help you choose the right unit for you.

Well, that’s it for this week!  Thanks for reading, and thank you for browsing our website and (hopefully!) considering us for your next major appliance or air conditioner purchase!