Types of Air Conditioner Systems

Central Air

• Central air conditioning is a common form of "whole house" air conditioning designed to keep the entire interior of your home at a constant comfortable temperature. This is usually the most efficient way to cool large indoor spaces with ease. These systems work by sending refrigerant through coils that absorb the heat from the air sucked in through in interior intake and replacing it with chilled air that is sent by fan through a system of ducts installed in the walls, floors or ceiling of a home. The air enters the various rooms through vents or registers, bringing down the overall temperature of the inside air to the desired level. A thermostat on the wall inside the home can be set to determine when the air conditioner comes on and shuts off to maintain the temperature. These systems generally have an outside unit where the heat is released into the air from inside, and where the evaporator coils chill the air that is sent back inside. An indoor air handler also helps pull in and filter the air and assists in pushing the cool air back into the rooms.

Window Unit

• If your home doesn't have central air conditioning, the next most likely air conditioning system is the window unit. Window air conditioners are exactly what they sound like -- they are air conditioning units that are mounted in a window. Window units are often used to cool a small space or a single bedroom or office. They can be a bit noisy, but they work well in cooling the air temperature and removing humidity from the room they are in. The air is cooled in the same manner as a central unit, by passing air over cold evaporator coils using a fan, which then blows the air inside. The heat absorbed from the indoor air is sent to an exhaust outside the window.

Portable AC

• When your cooling needs constantly change, a portable air conditioner may be the best answer. If you do not have central air and you wish to only cool the area of the house being used at the time, you can move a portable AC unit around to the place it is needed most. Perhaps you work in a home office and want it in there during the day, but you want to use it in the bedroom at night when you sleep. Most portable units have an exhaust hose that will vent the heat absorbed from the air and the moisture out of a nearby window. Some units may not require an exhaust but may have a moisture catch pan that has to be emptied occasionally.

Choosing The Right Size

• When selecting your air conditioning system, you must take into consideration some important factors. The size of the unit is perhaps the most important. Keep in mind that size matters, but bigger is not always better. A system that is too small may not cool the area well enough, but a system that is too big for its intended use will cycle on and off too often and burn unnecessary energy. It will also fail to remove the humidity from the air properly.