The summers in Southern California are hot.There’s no way around it, they’re just often uncomfortable. As a way to alleviate the coming heat and enjoy cool air during the summer, many homeowners are looking at indoor air cooling options.
But what is the best home AC system? Are central air conditioners better, or is split air cooling the way to go? Which is the most energy efficient? To help you decide, here’s the difference between both ac systems.
Mini-split Air Conditioners
A mini-spit home AC system is the best option for homeowners who don’t have existing ductwork. These systems are small and consist of two units, an indoor evaporator and an outdoor condenser. Each space that has its own head unit installed becomes its own individual zone, allowing you to attain zone cooling.
This is the biggest advantage with a split AC as each zone can be set to its own temperature. This guarantees that the zones with a head unit will be cooled properly, unlike a Central AC that is reliant on the ductwork of the home and may have rooms that receive inadequate cooling.
The biggest drawback is the initial upfront cost if you’re considering multiple indoor head units. It goes without saying though, they are extremely energy efficient which means you could be cutting down on your electric bill.
Central Home AC System
A central home AC system is the most popular option for most homeowners. Central AC allows for thorough cooling and dehumidification of your home.
But how exactly does it work?
Like your furnace, your central AC is reliant on the duct work that connects to each individual room/space to ensure proper cooling.
Air is cooled at a central location and distributed to and from rooms by one or more fans and duct work. The work of the air conditioner compressor is what makes the whole process of air conditioning possible.
The compression of the refrigerant gas enables it to discharge heat out of the house, which is how the cool air is created.
The disadvantage of a central system is that it’s heavily reliant on the duct work. If duct work is improperly sized, installed or damaged; cooling will be drastically reduced.
How do you choose?
When having an HVAC system installed, one of the first things homeowners take into consideration is the cost.
Like most people, cost is a huge factor when it comes to making decisions about large purchases.
Of the two types of A/C units, a central air unit has the lowest initial cost. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it costs up to 30 percent less to install a central air system than it does a ductless one. However, ductless mini-splits tend to cost less to operate long-term. What’s more, they often require less maintenance and repair.
When it comes to installation, central air systems and ductless mini-splits are vastly different. If you don’t have air ducts in your home already, installing a central air system will be much more work than installing a ductless mini-split. This is especially true when working in old structures that weren’t built to accommodate duct work.
Ductless mini-splits, on the other hand, are very simple to install. Wall units are simply hung in strategic locations and connected to an outdoor compressor via small refrigerant lines. These lines can be snaked through the walls of almost any home fairly easily. You will, however, need any existing air ducts you may have to be removed.
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