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What Are 15,000 BTU Window Air Conditioners?
Sometimes known as room air conditioners, window air conditioners are straightforward cooling solutions often placed in buildings that predate central air conditioning, or where installation or retrofit would simply not be practical (or even possible).
Window AC units are small, enclosed devices, containing all system components within their own casing.
Now, a 15,000 BTU window air conditioner is one that, as you might be able to guess, is rated to 15,000 BTUs.
If you're in the market specifically for a 15,000 BTU air conditioner, chances are you're looking to cool down a larger room and are worried that a traditional 8,000 or 10,000 BTU model won't cut it.
This handy table is a good reference for how many BTUs it will take to cover your room, depending on its size.
We'll take a moment to describe the concept of BTUs for anybody who might be unfamiliar.
BTU stands for British Thermal Unit, and while the first word is British, this is an international energy measurement standard.
One BTU is equal to the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of one pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.
Your window air conditioner will come with a BTU rating, that in effect, lets you know how powerful the unit is.
In the case of air conditioners, BTU measures the amount of heat removed from the space, rather than the amount of heat added.
You can also check out our article on the Best 12,000 BTU Window Air Conditioners!
What Are The Different Types Of 15,000 BTU Window Air Conditioners?
When it comes to variety in window air conditioners, the bulk of your choice comes down to how many BTUs you're looking for.
You might make the assumption that more BTUs are always better, but this isn't the case.
The rule of thumb for an air conditioner should be 20 BTUs for each square foot of living space.
Of course, we don't live in 2D rooms, and the height of your ceilings and the number of windows and doorways in the space being cooled by a window air conditioner will also have an effect - the more opportunities for loss of cool air through openings, the greater the cooling power you'll need.
If the AC unit is in a kitchen, you should also consider a 4000 BTU boost in the size of your window AC to compensate for the heating caused by appliances.
If, after you've factored in space, openings, and any appliance heat, you arrive at a requirement of 15,000 BTU, give or take, the remaining differentiators include features like:
- Digital Displays
- Remote Controls
- Smart Controls
- Fan Directions
We will go into more depth about these features in the product reviews below.
How do 15,000 BTU Window Air Conditioners Work?
Like all air conditioning systems, 15,000 BTU window air conditioners work on the principle of the refrigeration cycle.
Stage 1 - Heat Absorption
The cycle starts when the air in your home gets warmer than the setting on your thermostat - this will tell your window air conditioner to turn on.
A fan will draw warm air from the room into the unit and pass it over the cool evaporator coil. The evaporator coil absorbs the heat, which in turn causes a drop in the room air temperature.
As the refrigerant liquid in the evaporator coil takes on the heat of the room, it begins returning to its gaseous state and travels back around towards the compressor.
Stage 2 - Compression
At this stage, the gas is sent through a compressor. Here, the overall volume of the gas is reduced and the temperature is further increased until it becomes superheated.
Stage 3 - Condensation
After the gas becomes superheated, it continues through the system to the condenser. This is the outside section of the air conditioner.
Because the air in the system is now hotter than the ambient air, the outside air removes the refrigerant gas' heat.
As the gas rapidly cools, it once again reverts to a liquid state.
Stage 4 - Repeat
Now that the refrigerant is a cool liquid, it is cycled back through to the inside portion of the system, where it will reenter the evaporator coil and the process begins again.
The thermostat in your window air conditioning unit will allow the cycle to continue continuously until the desired temperature is met.
Our Reviews Of The Best 15,000 BTU Window Air Conditioners
Final Thoughts On The Best 15,000 BTU Window Air Conditioners
Window air conditioners are an absolute essential for anybody living in a building with no central cooling.
In addition, they can provide a cost-effective way to cool spaces like garages without having to modify existing systems.
Any of the window air conditioners we've featured in this proHVACinfo guide should serve you well for years to come.
We hope we've given you some insight into their operation and what you should be looking for when it comes to the best window AC units.