With summer heating up, are you thinking about upgrading or replacing your current air conditioning?

You might be wondering what type of air conditioning unit is going to be the best fit for your house or business.

There are quite a few options.

What Type of Air Conditioning Unit Is Right for You?

It’s going to depend on whether you’re looking to cool a room, or your whole house or building. So we’ll take a look at the different types of units for all of these situations.

Individual Air Conditioning Units

If you’re looking for something to cool off just a room or a small space, then all you’ll need is an individual unit. There are a few different options here:

Built-in

These units are common in hotel rooms. They’re installed permanently into the wall and provide both cooling and heating.

These are ideal for parts of your house that aren’t connected to a central system and where you don’t mind opening up a hole in an exterior wall. A garage is a perfect example.

Window

Window units are the most popular because they’re affordable and relatively easy to install. But they will take up window space.

Placed in either a single- or double-hung window, they come with accordion panels to ensure a secure fit. Models designed for sliding windows require extra support.

Freestanding Portable

The big plus of these units is their mobility. You could have it in the living room during the day, and the bedroom at night.

But portable units aren’t without their drawbacks. Most of them have reservoirs that need to be regularly emptied, and they’re very heavy.

Also, they are less efficient than the other two above options. Particularly in humid conditions.

Different Types of Central Air Systems

For cooling the whole house or a building, you’ll want to go with central air.

In general, most central air conditioning systems in the U.S. are going to be split systems. Because they can share ductwork that’s used by your existing heating system, they are also the most economical.

Traditional Split

With a traditional split system, an evaporator coil inside the house removes heat and moisture. Meanwhile, a metal case outside contains a condenser coil which releases the heat and a compressor which pumps refrigerant between the two coils.

Ductless Mini-Split systems

This split system is great for small homes without ductwork.

Like the traditional split system, the ductless mini-split combines an outdoor compressor and condenser with one or more indoor air-handling units.

But, like a window air conditioner, only the room with the indoor unit will be cooled. So you might need a lot of them.

Heat Pumps

A heat pump is a variation on the split system and can be used for both heating and cooling. But only in milder climates.

That’s because they pump heat from the house when it’s hot, but extract heat from the outdoor when heat is needed in the house. So in climates where temperatures stay below freezing for any amount of time, heat pumps are not a great choice.

Packaged

These combine the evaporator, condenser, and compressor in a single unit typically placed on a roof or a concrete slab near the foundation.=

This is a great choice if you’re looking to cool a small commercial building.

Stay Cool

It all begins by knowing what type of air conditioning unit will be the best one for you.

So if you’re looking for a new system, an upgrade, or even a repair, contact us today. We’ll help you figure out your options.