What is a central air conditioner? | Best type of system for centrally located air conditioning system | Split system air conditioning vs ducted air conditioning | Is central air conditioning affordable? |
A central air conditioning system is one of the most energy-efficient and popular options to beat the hot Australian weather because it can cool your entire house from one central location. There are two types of central air conditioning systems available in the Australian market, we’ll explore them in detail below.
What is a Central Air Conditioner?
Central air conditioning is where the air is distributed to and from the house at a central location via ducts and fans. This process is made possible by air conditioner compressors, compression of refrigerant gas enables it to discharge the hot air out of the house and that’s how the cool air is created.
What type of System is best for Centrally located Air Conditioning Systems?
There are two types of central air conditioning systems available to purchase and install. The first central a/c systems is a split-system central air conditioner and the second central air-con system is packaged air conditioner unit. A split system air conditioner has two parts. The first air conditioner part is the outdoor unit which has the condenser and the second a/c part is the compressor and the indoor unit which has the evaporator. The packaged air conditioner on the other hand has everything (evaporator, condenser and compressor) located in one place usually on the roof or in the concrete slab next to the foundation.
Split System Air Conditioning vs Ducted Air Conditioning
Both of them do an excellent job of cooling spaces like homes and offices but there are differences between the two. For ducted air conditioners, the air is treated in a central location and then distributed to the house via fans or ducts while split systems on the other hand have a separate indoor and outdoor unit (except multi-split system which has an outdoor unit and several indoor units for each room that’s being cooled). Split systems are connected by piping while ducted systems are connected by ducts.
When it comes to aesthetics, a ducted system is almost invisible on the inside while a split system is visible and because of this, some people find it distracting and hard to ignore.
Installation of the ducted system requires ductwork and vents to be done throughout the whole home, and because of the intensive work involved, it is easier to do the installation during the design and construction rather than retrofitting later. Split systems on the other hand are easier to install because the process of connecting the units is through piping and not ducting.
Is Central Air Conditioning Affordable?
This depends on factors like the size of the space you want to cool, the size of your aircon and how energy efficient the AC is. A window AC for example would be more suitable for a single room, but if you’re cooling the entire home a central air conditioner would be ideal in the long run.
As an estimated installation cost for a central air conditioning system, a central air conditioner costs anywhere from $2,399 to $5,400 which is a bit costly, compared to smaller split systems which cost around $600 to $749.
