A Simple Guide to Air Conditioning Options

Temperatures are rising across the United States and it doesn’t look like they’re going to plummet anytime soon. If you’re consider installing an air conditioner, then you’ll likely find this article in the Indiana Gazette very helpful. It’s titled Installing air conditioning 101 and it covers a wide range of issues.

Across the country, meteorologists are predicting that temperatures will continue to be above average this summer. As a result, it’s important to make sure your air conditioner is in great working order before the heat comes on any harder.

It used to be that window air conditioners were the most common way to cool a home, but today we’re seeing about 90% of new homes built with central air. If you already have central air, remember that your system is only built to last 15 years. If your central AC is already 10 years or older, then it likely doesn’t meet the energy efficiency standards we have today. If you were to invest in a new system, your cooling costs could be cut by as much as 30%.

There’s no question that there are reasons that central air conditioning appeals to consumers: they don’t want to have to install window AC units every summer and they don’t want to have to remove them every fall. However, switching over to a central AC system can be costly.

One of the worst parts of installing central AC, especially in older homes that don’t have forced-air heating systems either, is that a duct system must be created. That’s why we always recommend the split ductless system. You get cooling that’s more uniform but you skip the ductwork.

Instead, you have several indoor units – referred to as air handlers – that are mounted up high on your walls. You also have an outside condenser. These two parts work together via thin tubing that goes through a tiny hole in the wall behind each of your units. You need a single air handler for each room you want to cool. You can have them all turned on or you can only cool the rooms you’re using at any given moment.

As the article suggests, a ductless air conditioner has many advantages over a central air conditioning unit. First, it’s generally more affordable to install than to equip a home with central AC. Second, it can save you significantly on your utilities because you’ll only use the units you need at any given time, instead of cooling off rooms in your home that you’re not using. Do you have questions about this or other energy-efficient cooling systems? Contact AC World today!