04-22-2006, 03:50 AM
Consumer Reports is really not bad for this; see if you know someone who has a subscription, or get a monthly subscription ($4-5) to get access, then immediately cancel.
My experience has been that you're almost always better off paying more to get more BTU's, so that you actually have to run it less. However another consideration, if you're in an apartment, is that too high a BTU will also have too high a wattage, which will blow fuses. Also, newer units tend to be quieter and much more energy-efficient.
Edit: Oh, and also check epinions/Amazon/etc. for specific models-- these have the advantage of being free, but of course aren't rigorously tested.
My experience has been that you're almost always better off paying more to get more BTU's, so that you actually have to run it less. However another consideration, if you're in an apartment, is that too high a BTU will also have too high a wattage, which will blow fuses. Also, newer units tend to be quieter and much more energy-efficient.
Edit: Oh, and also check epinions/Amazon/etc. for specific models-- these have the advantage of being free, but of course aren't rigorously tested.