What are the Different Types of Air Conditioners?

The first air conditioner was invented in 1902. Since then, the humble conditioner has come a long way. Today, you have a lot of variety in air conditioners, right from commercial units to units fit for single, small rooms. Here is lowdown on the most popular types of air conditioners available in the market today.

1. Split air conditioner

This kind of unit is split into two units, and hence the name. The unit inside your room has an evaporator coil, which sucks heat and moisture from the air; the unit outside your house, which is typically installed on roofs or outside your room, has a condenser coil, which releases the heat trapped by the evaporator coil. This kind of system is the most commonly found system in modern homes, and it is also the most cost-efficient. There are many advantages of having air conditioning in your home or workplace.

2. Heat pumps

• They are very similar to split air conditioners, with the only difference being that they take out heat during summer months, while in winter months it pumps heat inside your house by trapping it from outside.
• Thus, they can do an effective job of cooling as well as heating your home. However, they are not very effective in regions that experience sub-zero temperatures. Also, while they can be cost-effective in operation, they can be a lot more expensive than split system air conditioners.

3. Ductless air conditioner

These are perfect for homes that do not have ductwork. Like split system air conditioner, they have two units, which are connected through tubes. They are usually installed on walls at a significant height, and are capable of cooling only the room they are installed in. Thus, if you are looking for a central cooling solution, these are not the answer. That said, they can be ideal if you don’t want to tear down your house in order to get ductwork installed. They are also more energy efficient than usual split systems, since energy loss due to ducts is prevented. 

How to choose the right air conditioner?

• Air conditioners are given a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER), which basically is a measurement of how much energy they use to cool your house. The performance of an air conditioner can vary a lot according to the conditions outside.
• The more hot and humid it is outdoors, the harder the AC will have to work. However, if you live in hot regions, it is always a good idea to get an air conditioner with a SEER of at least 15. Older units usually have a SEER of 10. You would do well to upgrade that in order to save your energy costs.

Buy air conditioners that are energy-efficient:

Very often, you will see star ratings on air conditioners instead of details like SEER. Star-ratings are calculated based on SEER and overall energy efficiency ratio of a unit.

• While a 5 star rated conditioner definitely helps you save energy, how much it helps depends on how you use it.
• For instance, it is always a good idea to use sleep mode at night. That way, an AC regulates its temperatures, works less hard, and helps save energy.
• Similarly, you can find a lot of smart ACs in the market. These ACs regulate their temperature automatically after sensing how many people are in the room. If there is no one in the room, the AC will run at its lowest possible setting, thus improving its efficiency.

It is also recommended that you get your air conditioner regularly cleaned in order to maintain its efficiency. You would need a professional for that job. You can search for different brands of the air conditioner from different online portals, and you can also search for the installation experts to come over install the air conditioning units in your home.