Air Con for Homes & Home Offices

A window or unitary air conditioner is a small unit that, as you guessed it, sits inside your windowsill. There is a vent to outside which gets rid of heat through condenser coils and sends cool air into your home.

They tend to be the least expensive type of air conditioner and their compact design can make them look better than other types. They can cool the whole house but are better for single floor properties.

This is plugged into your nearest socket and can be moved anywhere you want in your home. It will only cool the room you are in, but it is generally used on a temporary basis.

A central air conditioner is best for cooling large areas. This also makes it one of the largest air conditioners.

It is made up of two units, a condensing unit and an evaporative unit which are connected by tubing.

The condensing unit is placed outside, and the evaporative unit is placed inside. This type of air conditioning uses the same ductwork as your heating which is why they are also called ducted systems.

These units are generally the best for cooling an entire home.

This type of air con has a few different names such as ductless air conditioner or inverter air con.

They use refrigeration pipework making them ductless. With no ducts, it looks better, and they can be lower in cost to run than a central air con.

It’s called a split system because it is in two parts. The condensing unit will be installed on your buildings outside, and the evaporative unit is placed on the inside.

Refrigerant tubing runs from the interior unit to the outside unit.

The inside unit can be wall mounted up high or low or it can be hidden in the ceiling or boxed with a grille to let out the cool air. It can also be placed in the attic to send cool air to all your rooms through the ducts.

Some split air conditioning systems may have more than one inside unit, but you should have control of each separately.

The bigger your room, the more powerful an air conditioner you need to feel any impact of the cool air.

Some countries have higher temperatures than others or more humidity. If you live somewhere that has higher temperatures, then you will need a higher BTU/hour air con.

You will need to measure the height of your ceiling and add 1000 BT/hour for every extra foot or 30 centimetres. The higher your ceiling, the more area your air conditioner has to circulate cool air.

While the sun shining into your rooms throughout the day is generally a good thing, it’s not so much when you’re trying to keep cool. The sun heats up your room which means if it gets prolonged exposure to the sun, and it will take a larger air con to keep it cool. If you do have this issue, then you will need to increase the capacity of your air conditioner by 10%.

Of course, if you live in parts of the UK like Scotland or Northern Ireland where the sun only occasionally makes an appearance, then this won’t be as much of an issue, and you can choose a smaller air conditioner and can decrease the capacity by 10%.

Electrical appliances give off heat, so if there is a lot of electrical items in a room you should add an extra 400 BTU/hour.

People radiate heat into the air which affects the temperature of the room. One or two people regularly in the room is fine and you won’t have to make any adjustments.

But for each additional person you should add 600 BTU/hour. But only if this is on a regularly basis.

While servicing your air conditioning will cost you money, it will save you unexpected expenses in the future.

A service only needs to be done once a year and can save your air conditioning unit from unexpectedly breaking down (probably when you need it most) and leaving you with a repair bill.

Servicing also helps to keep your system in order, so that it lasts longer and provides you with better value for money.

You may also be required to service your air conditioner once a year as part of the terms of any warranty.

Any home insurance you have may not cover your air conditioner breaking down, so you may not be able to rely on this. Usually, your home insurance will only cover your air conditioner under certain circumstances. You should check with your home insurance provider.

There are some things you can do yourself to keep your air conditioner running smoothly.

You should be able to clean or replace the filter yourself. Your filter will get clogged over time from dust and other particles. A dirty filter can mean your air conditioner has a harder job, but it could also circulate dust around your home. This simple DIY trick could save you up to 15% on your energy consumption.

You can also clean the coils yourself in the evaporator and outdoor condenser, although this only needs to be done around once a year and if you get it serviced, this will be included.

The easiest way to save on your energy bill is to turn your thermostat for your air conditioner up. Just like adjusting your thermostat for your heating, this can make a difference to your energy bill. A household can potentially save up to £128 a year when there is a one-degree difference.

An air conditioning system can create a comfortable environment in your home when it is the right size and installed properly.

For more information about air conditioning systems, contact us for advice on the best system for you.