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Central Air
Conditioners Vs. Split Air Conditioners
Choosing an air conditioner is an important
decision. One needs to factor in the size of the house or room,
power requirements, and most importantly, money. Let's be honest:
air conditioning can get extremely expensive. If you don't have the
proper unit for your needs, you could be overpaying for cool air.
Furthermore, customers are often confused between central AC units
and split air conditioners. Below are some key similarities
and differences between the two:
| What are
Central and Split Air Conditioners? |
| A central air conditioner circulates cool
air through a system of supply and return ducts. These
supply ducts and registers (i.e., openings in the walls,
floors, or ceilings covered by grills) then carry cooled air
from the air conditioner throughout the entire home. This
cooled air becomes warmer as it circulates through the home;
then it flows back to the central air conditioner through
return ducts and registers. Most central air
conditioners have the evaporator, condenser, and compressor
all located in one cabinet, which usually is placed on a
roof or on a concrete slab next to a building's foundation.
Split air conditioners are slightly
different. Like central air conditioners, they also
utilize a split design but they're significantly easier and
less expensive to install than central air conditioning. A
split AC has at least one unit that sits inside a building
(usually the air handler) with the compressor located
outside. Therefore, because a split air conditioner's
compressor sits outside, it's usually very quiet and
efficient. Moreover, since mini splits have no ducts, they
avoid the energy losses associated with the ductwork of
central forced air systems.
In general, both types of air conditioners require
professional installation and have their central unit placed
outdoors, and split ACs are great for areas where there is
no access to a window, as it gives you the ability to cool
without needing a window unit or having to vent a portable
AC. Of course, they also provide effective circulation,
allowing for continuous, cool air. |
| Key
Differences |
One of the biggest differences between central air
conditioners and split AC is their cooling abilities. Split
ACs give you the ability to install an air conditioner to
individually cool only the most used rooms in a building
instead of the entire house. Central air conditioning, on
the other hand, can cool entire homes at the same
temperature. This often uses more energy because the unit
has to overcompensate for some rooms that tend to be warmer
then others such as rooms located on a second story or rooms
that have more direct sunlight.
Thus, this increases the cost of central air conditioning.
Cooling an entire house is extremely expensive when compared
to cooling just one room. This is why many people often tout
the effectiveness of portable air conditioners or space
heaters as they work great for individual room temperature
control.
Installation is another importance cost to factor in.
Central air conditioning requires the use of a thorough and
effective duct system. Installing ducting can be extremely
costly as it will run through the entire house or building.
Split ACs use a limited form of ducting and installation
usually consists of simply drilling a small hole through the
wall and connecting refrigerant tubing for the cold to
travel to. This tubing also greatly reduces cool air
leakage, results in greater energy efficiency, and saves you
money. |
| Environmental
Impact |
| Energy use and environmental impact is another major
difference between both types of air conditioners. Central
air conditioners are notorious energy wasters and can be
harmful to the environment. They also have a tendency to
emit chlorine gas as well as other ozone damaging gasses
during the cooling process; split ACs do not. In fact, it's
often easier to find an energy-efficient and
environmentally-friendly split AC than it is to find a
central air conditioning unit. |
For more information on split air conditioners, see
our split AC
information page or read our
portable cooling guide for more information on central air
conditioning alternatives.
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