This article is written for home owners looking to purchase a new air conditioning system for their home. I wanted to provide a general air conditioning guide on what to ask yourself and also what to look for. There are literally hundreds of different products on the market but I wanted to cover the main points that will see you end up with the right system for your needs. To keep the article short and easy to read I couldn’t cover every single angle, please4 make sure you do your homework and consult an air conditioning specialist for further detail.
First off, there are 4 main types of air conditioners:
· Split systems, there is both ducted and room systems (most common)
· Window wall units
· Portable air conditioners
· Evaporative coolers
Obviously you need to decide what type of system you will first get. This could be impacted by the type of home it is going into and what stage the home is at. If you haven’t started building yet then you have a lot more choice. If the home is already built then different systems will have different costs as opposed to pre build.
Split systems are the most common and without going into full detail, there is many different types. In general, they are designed to heat or cool one room. A ducted system is designed to heat or cool a whole house. A wall split system will also require an outdoor unit to operate so keep this in mind when choosing a desired location. These are the most cost effective and efficient units.
Ducted reverse cycle air conditioners are the second most common types and are designed to heat or cool the whole home. They are also the most expensive to buy and run so you need to make sure it is designed to suit your home and lifestyle. They are mostly favoured because they only require one outdoor unit for the whole home and it is situated in the roof. They can be zoned to minimise running cost.
Window wall units operate the same as a split system unit. They use refrigerant to transfer temperature. These units are generally older and not really used anymore unless an existing unit has been removed and the owner doesn’t want to brick up the hole left in the wall. They are not very efficient to run and they are noisy because the compressor is installed in the wall with the unit. They are cheaper to buy.
Portable air conditioners are more of a temporary option and on the surface, are a lot cheaper to buy than a wall split system. There is also no installation costs. The reason I say “on the surface” is because when you take into consideration the amount or warm or cool air they put out, they are actually quite expensive to run with minimal effect and therefore very inefficient. They are really only good for a quick and temporary solution.
Evaporative coolers are not really “true” air conditioners because they don’t really refrigerate the air using the same heat transfer method. They simply draw in hot air from outside through a unit on top of the roof, pass it through water soaked pads and then expel the cooler air into the house through ducts. Because the air is not recycled like a traditional air conditioner it needs to be expelled through open windows and doors. These units create more of a cool breeze and can be likened to a nice ocean breeze. These units also don’t work particularly well in humid climates because the air already has a lot of moisture in it.
In summary, the most efficient and cost effective unit is the split system. It will cool a lot more and create a more comfortable environment. You will need to base your unit requirement on the size of the area you are heating or cooling. The size of the air conditioning unit is measured in kilowatts so be sure to let the professional supplier know the size of the area you have and purchase the proper size unit to accommodate this. A unit that is too small will be very costly and inefficient to run and defeat the purpose of using this type of unit. Make sure you shop around and always use a professional for installation. For further information about air conditioning you can visit air and water.
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