Air Conditioning
Systems

Air conditioning has become affordable for most people today.

I’ve seen air conditioners as low as $59 at our local Wal-Mart.

Window Air Conditioning Units

The simplest form of air conditioning systems is the room air conditioner.

This option allows you to cool a small room or many small rooms.

Some people cool their entire home with room air conditioners,

In terms of initial cost, this is the least expensive way to go.

The drawback to this is the inconvenience of installing and reinstalling the units year after year and the additional cost of operating multiple units.

Other minuses are taking away of natural lighting through your windows and the added security risk of not being able to lock your windows,

Ductless Split Systems

Another system that is becoming popular is the ductless mini split air conditioner system. These units have two components; the indoor section is a low profile unit that contains a fan and cooling coil that hangs on a wall inside the house and an outdoor section (compressor) that usually sits on the ground outside the house.

The indoor and outdoor units are connected with copper tubing that carries refrigerant (a cooling agent) that is used to remove heat from the home.

Central Air Conditioning

A central air conditioning uses a network of ducts that move cooled or heated air to every room of the house.

These systems are usually a combination heating and cooling unit, depending on your geographic location.

Because I live in upstate New York, an air conditioning system is usually added to the central (ducted) heating system.

For those who have a hot water or steam heating system another option is a high velocity air conditioning (mini duct) system.

The ducts to the rooms are only 2” inside diameter and are fairly easy to get into an existing home without disturbing the architectural integrity of the home.

These systems are becoming popular in new home construction as well.

Whole House Fans

In some regions where there are only a couple of weeks of real hot weather in the summer, some people don’t see the need for air conditioning.

An alternative they sometimes choose is a whole house fan.

This is a powerful fan that is installed in the ceiling.

When the outdoor air is cooler at night, the window in the lower part of the house are opened and the fan is turned on allowing cooler air to enter the home.

The fan is turned off and the windows and shades are closed during the day.

Unless you live in an area that does experience somewhat cooler nights, this approach will not make much sense.

What you choose depends on your lifestyle, budget and the type of home you live in.

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