There's nothing more luxurious than a room perfectly tuned to your favourite temperature. If you've had enough of feeling the heat and the cool in this country of extremes it might be time to install an air conditioning system. But what kind? Here's a guide to choosing the best system for your home.
Ducted versus split system
There are two main types of air conditioners: ducted air conditioners and split systems. Both will cool or warm a room, but the way each delivers climate controlled bliss is a little different.
Ducted air
Ducted systems are installed in your ceiling cavity, and deliver temperature controlled air through one or more vents installed in the ceiling. For this reason, ducted air conditioners are quite labour intensive to install, and can be quite costly to set up. Because ducted air conditioning systems deliver air conditioning every room in which a vent has been installed, they can be expensive to run as hot or cool air is needlessly pumped into rooms you are not occupying.
Split systems
Split system air conditioners are contained in two discrete units: a compressor and an indoor unit that is mounted high on your wall. Because the system doesn't need to be installed in your ceiling, split system installation is inexpensive, taking less than a day to complete. Unlike ducted air, a split system will primarily heat the room it's been installed in, and the surrounding rooms if air is allowed to flow freely between them, making it energy efficient and economical to run.
Another exciting advantage of split systems is the separation between the internal and external units. While a ducted system must be located near the installed vents to operate effectively and the older window air conditioning units are installed in an open window or a hole cut into your wall, you can have the outdoor compressor component of your split system located as far as 30 metres away from the indoor unit. As a result, you can relax in the ideal climate produced by your split system air conditioner in virtual silence.
No matter what kind you choose, repairing and maintaining your air conditioner is important, and split system filters are designed to be cleaned and replaced into the unit, leading to very easy maintenance. Split system repair is similarly simple and cost effective.
Wherever you live, air conditioning is essential in maintaining your comfort and quality of life. Take the time to choose the best air conditioning system to suit your home, and you'll be relaxing in climate controlled bliss in no time.
