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Central
Heating and Cooling Systems
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Radiant
Heating Systems
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Heat
Pumps ||
Freon
R-22 and Alternative Refrigerants
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DIY
Forced-Air Heating and Furnace Repairs
||
Gas
Furnace
Maintenance ||
Central
or Portable Air
Conditioners
||
AC
Cooling Capacity ||
AC
Energy Efficiency || AC Condenser Maintenance ||
Thermostat
Types ||
Wireless
Thermostats ||
Thermostat
Testing and Troubleshooting ||
Solar
and Electric Attic Fans ||
Whole
House Fans
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Air
Conditioners: Central or Portable,
Which is Best for You?
Air conditioners are
available in different forms, central air
conditioners, which cool the entire house and
include forced air systems and related--heat
pumps. The
second type of air conditioners is the portable
or window units, which cool only a single room.
Portable, window, or
wall-mounted room air conditioners have been
designed to cool a small area, usually a single
room. In
most cases, small window, or wall-mounted air
conditions have been used along with central
air conditions to cool attics that have been
finished, as well as finished bonus rooms, and
basements where ductwork was not installed.
Portable air conditions are also popular
in cooler climates where the summer time
temperatures are limited to a couple of weeks
and where they do not usually raise much above
80 degrees.
If you're interested in only cooling
a few rooms, such as a bedroom and/or
living room or bonus room, then one or two
portable air conditions,
window or wall-mounted would be an
economical solution for you to achieve this
goal. You
can purchase a good quality energy efficient
portable air conditioner from approximately
$300 to $500.
Another benefit is that the operating
cost is much less than that of a central
whole-house system.
Central air conditioners
use a central air-handling unit such as a
forced air furnace or heat pump air handler and
ductwork to deliver whole-house cooling.
Basically, heat pumps are central air
conditioners, which have the ability to be
reversed in winter in order to provide heat.
Central air-conditioners
are more expensive to install than several
individual portable units are.
However, they are more efficient than
installing multiple portable units.
In addition, they are also more quieter
and have the ability to filter out pollen and
other air contaminates, thus providing
healthier air.
Central air conditioners are available
in single unit installed next to the house or
split units, with the condenser and compressor
located outdoors and the evaporator or blower
inside on the furnace, with this being the most
economical.
With split units, the air handler, which is the
blower on the furnace, pushes the cooled air
through the air-duct system and into your
rooms. If
the home has another form of heating, which
does not have a blower, then a separate blower
can be installed to distribute the cooled air.
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