1 week ago
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5 ON YOUR SIDE: Air conditioner tests
With summer heat settling in, many people are cranking up the air conditioner—or shopping for a new one. But Consumer Reports says choosing the wrong size unit or skipping basic maintenance can leave you uncomfortable and paying more than necessary on your energy bills.
Consumer Reports tests air conditioners in extreme conditions to see how well they cool, how efficiently they operate, and how easy they are to use. According to CR’s experts, one of the biggest mistakes consumers make is buying an air conditioner that’s too large for the space they’re trying to cool.
An oversized unit may cool a room quickly, but it often shuts off before removing enough humidity from the air. That can leave a room feeling cold and clammy instead of comfortably cool. On the other hand, an undersized unit may run constantly and struggle to keep up...
