Air conditioning, either portable, by splits or by ducts went from being a luxury item a few years ago to becoming a necessary appliance in any home.
When buying an air conditioner you are not only looking to control your home temperature, you are interested in other factors. For example, if it is enough to serve your home, if it is eco friendly or if it has any advanced technology that gives you more comfort.
Truth is, there are several factors when it comes to buying a new air conditioner to make a good purchase decision.
Define your criteria
First of all, if you live in an apartment or a house inside a condominium, you should be sure that you have the required permission to implement air conditioning at home. Keep in mind that the installation of air conditioning involves changes in the exterior appearance of your home and sometimes noise pollution.
Also, you should check the condition of your home’s insulation before choosing your air conditioning. If necessary, perform a thermal balance at your home. Keep in mind that air conditioning can be very expensive daily if the home is poorly insulated and prone to heat loss.
Furthermore, it is essential to choose your air conditioning according to your needs. Ask yourself what you are going to use it for. Is this a one-time or an ongoing need? Do you need air conditioning just for a room in the house or for the entire house?
Determine your needs
The type of air conditioning that you will acquire for your home depends on different factors.
Type of accommodation
You will not choose the same type of equipment whether you live in a new apartment or an older house. Knowing the quality of your home’s insulation is essential to invest in a high-performance air conditioner.
Do not hesitate to bring in a professional to assess the energy performance of your building before making the investment decision.
Weather conditions
Your air conditioning must adapt to the climatic conditions of the region in which you live. For example, when the summer arrives and in your region, it is particularly hot, your air conditioning system will be required to operate continuously. In this case, you should choose an air conditioner that has the operation power that you need.
Space to be air-conditioned
Defining your needs will allow you to buy the ideal air conditioner for your home. You have to ask yourself what is the number of rooms you want to air-condition and calculate their surfaces. There is no need to acquire oversized Air Conditioning, just adapt it to your needs to avoid wasting energy.
Main types of domestic air conditioners
Portable air conditioning
The most basic air conditioning type is the portable air conditioner that does not require a machine outside, just a tube that expels the hot air to a window or other hole.
Its main advantage is that it can be moved from one place to another as long as it has an outlet for the tube, that they are not careful and do not require installation, but their price is high and they are not very powerful.
Wall and ceiling split
Split air conditioning is the most common air conditioning type. They are relatively inexpensive and offer a wide variety of power capacities. A device is installed outside that is connected to the interior appliance.
Split type air conditioning can be embedded in the wall or the ceiling and you can install as many splits as the house requires, always depending on the power of the external machine.
One of its main advantages is that it makes little noise and also the hole is relatively small and they are easy to maintain.
On the other hand, their installation is more difficult and expensive, and they cannot be installed in some areas of the house. Also, for the ceiling split air conditioning, it is necessary to take into account that they are powerful but their installation is expensive and they can be noisy.
Window air conditioner
The window air conditioner has its functional parts inside a “box”. It is installed in a hole in the wall with one part of the device facing outwards and another part facing inside.
Its advantages are that it has a low cost of installation and maintenance, but it consumes more than other appliances, it is more noisy and it is necessary to cut a hole in the wall to install it.
Ducted air conditioners
The ducted air conditioning is centralized in a single unit, which distributes the air through the ducts to the grilles, which lets the airflow into the room.
It has great advantages like uniform air conditioning throughout the house which is perfect for large spaces, but also it is more complex and expensive.
Reverse cycle air conditioning
Finally, every day we hear more about reverse cycle air conditioning. This system consists of a new technology that regulates the power of the device while maintaining the ideal temperature without the need to turn it off and on and also it provides heat and cool.
A system specifically designed to be more energy-efficient, which means increasing the efficiency of the device while providing great energy savings.
Which air conditioner is for each room?
Now it’s time to choose, after reading all the information above, ask yourself what are the main objectives for you to acquire an air conditioner.
If you want to improve your comfort in the summer in a living room, invest in mobile air conditioning for occasional use or a fixed mono split air conditioner if you plan to use it daily.
However, if the area exceeds 35m2, you should rather opt for the bi-split or multi-split option. But if it is a larger place, it is recommended to opt for ducted air conditioning
For example, for a bedroom, you should choose the quietest air conditioner. Prefer the split air conditioner since the noise is mainly generated by the outdoor unit on this type of system.
Do not hesitate to be accompanied by a professional to find the air conditioning that best suits your home and your expectations.
