Shopping for a new air conditioner for your home is a lot of work, especially if you don’t know what to look for. Not only are there lots of different specs and numbers that can make shopping for air conditioners a bit complicated, there are also a lot of types of air conditioners. Choosing the right air conditioner for your home is important if you want to save money and maximize your comfort. If you’re thinking of having an air conditioning service install a new AC unit in your home, here’s what you should know about your different options.
Window AC
Window air conditioners are one of the most common portable options because they’re simple, affordable and effective. Window air conditioners simply plug into the wall and sit in a window to provide your home with cool air, so they can be installed without the help of a professional service.
The biggest downside to window air conditioners is that they’re not nearly as efficient as most of the other types of AC. Air conditioning services generally recommend larger, more effective air conditioners unless you’re simply trying to cool one room. In that case, a window AC will get the job done just fine.
Portable AC
If you want all the ease of a window AC in a more powerful package, you can’t beat a portable air conditioner. These portable units are a lot like window units in terms of how they’re hooked up, except the unit itself doesn’t sit in the window. Instead, an exhaust hose is hooked up to a window or sliding door so your AC has somewhere to dispose of hot air.
As is the case with a window AC, you don’t need to have a professional air conditioning service help you install a portable AC. Since these units are designed to plug into the wall and vent out a window, they can be installed pretty much anywhere in just a few minutes. This portability is the primary benefit of choosing a portable AC unit. If you want to move the unit upstairs because that’s where you’re spending most of your time, all you have to do is plug the unit in upstairs and route the exhaust hose out a window.
Central AC
When you’re hiring an air conditioning service to install a new AC unit in your home, chances are they’re going to be installing a central AC. Of all the whole-house cooling options, this has been the most popular for quite some time. Central air conditioning uses an outdoor unit to send cool air through ducts and into your home.
Convenience is one of the best aspects of having central cooling. With a portable AC or window AC, you have to work to spread cool air around your home to maintain a comfortable temperature. Central air conditioning is all connected to one thermostat, which means you can simply set the thermostat to your desired temperature and let your AC do all the work.
If you’re concerned about the cost of central cooling, you can have an air conditioning service help you choose a unit that’s designed for efficiency. Look for a central AC unit with a high SEER rating or one that’s ENERGY STAR certified. Aside from simply getting a recommendation from an air conditioning service expert, this is the best way to make sure you’re getting an efficient AC unit.
Ductless Mini-Split
If you’re having a new AC installed in your Minneapolis, MN, home, you might want to consider opting for a ductless mini-split. This is the one type of cooling that’s starting to challenge central cooling for the best option. Not only are ductless mini-splits easy to install and fairly affordable, they provide you with some of the most efficient cooling for your home.
Ductless mini-splits are installed in the walls in your home, which means they don’t require any duct work to deliver cool air to your home. This makes the installation process simple, but it also provides another great benefit. If you’ve got a few ductless mini-splits installed in various rooms in your home, you can use each unit to manage the temperature in that room or zone of the house. You can even use your ductless mini-split as a source of heat, which is another reason they’re becoming more frequently recommended by air conditioning service experts.
Other Options
Aside from these common types of air conditioners, there are some other types you can get your hands on if you’re interested.
Geothermal heating and cooling is becoming a bit more popular these days. Geothermal heating and cooling systems use geothermal energy to cool and heat your home. This means that they’re very efficient, but it also means they tend to last a lot longer than other units. A properly installed geothermal heating and cooling system will require little to no maintenance and should last about 20 years. However, these systems are quite expensive.
Hybrid AC units use a combination of gas and electricity to save you money on your cooling bill. During the winter, these units can also heat your home. However, these aren’t the most popular systems, so finding an air conditioning service that offers them may be tough.
A Helping Hand
When you’re looking for a new AC unit for your home, you’ve got a big task on your hands. The good news is, working with an expert can help you get a reliable, efficient AC unit without having to spend an eternity shopping around.
If you’re in the market for a new AC, Blue Ox Heating & Air can help. Not only can our air conditioning service experts help you find the perfect AC for your Minneapolis, MN, home, we can also install it for you. If you want to take the hassle out of the air conditioner shopping process, call Blue Ox Heating & Air at (612) 389-8386 today.
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