A window air conditioner unit is a great way to cool a room when the season gets warmer. You can use a window air conditioner as part of your overall home cooling system or use multiple air conditioners to cool your entire home.

When shopping for an AC unit, you'll see right away that you have many options available to you, and measuring certain things out will help. Which air conditioner do you choose? Your appliance sales specialist will assist you in buying an air conditioner. The following tips will assist you in shopping for an air conditioner for your windows as well. Here are measurements you need to have when buying an air conditioner.

Measure your windows/AC units

Most air conditioner units are designed to fit standard windows. However, some of the windows in your home may be custom or larger or smaller than the windows and air conditioner is designed for. Measure your windows so you know what size AC unit you can purchase. Your air conditioner can be smaller than your window's dimensions and still fit with some custom paneling, but not larger. Bring a tape measure with you to the appliance store so you can measure air conditioner units as well.

Measure your room

Every air conditioner is designed to cool a room based on its size. The larger the room, the more BTUs, or British thermal units, the air conditioner has to have. The square footage of the room you need to cool will determine how many BTUs your air conditioner needs to have, so make sure to measure the length and width of the space you need to keep cool.

If you have multiple rooms to keep cool, you have two options for an air conditioner purchase. You can buy a single larger air conditioner to cool the larger space so long as the rooms are close to one another. Alternatively, you can buy a separate air conditioner for each room so you evenly cool your home.

Measure your doorway/vehicle

Your doorways need to be wide enough to let your air conditioner inside. If your doorways are too narrow, you may have to remove a window to let your air conditioner into your home. Also, measure your vehicle's doors and interior if you are picking your air conditioner up from the store. If your car is too small, ask your appliance specialist if the air conditioner can be delivered to you. They may be able to install the air conditioner as well.