This depends on several factors. All of them are about your needs and the type of your room. There are several questions to answer before purchasing your aircon:
- Do you rent or own your place?
- Do you have windows in your bedroom?
- How big is your bedroom?
- Is noise a concern for you?
- Do you want your aircon to work as your heater, as well?
- What is your budget?
These are just some of the questions, but the most important ones that will lead you to the final answer – what kind of air conditioning should you choose?
Once you answer these questions, you will be able to discuss them with a certified air conditioning installer. They will give you excellent recommendations when it comes to air conditioning systems in regard to your room.
Ask them for their quote for air conditioning installation and compare several quotes. That will give you a better idea about your budget.
What Are the Different Types of Air Conditioners?
The different types of air conditioning include:
- Central ducted air conditioning system
- Split system
- Multi-split system
- Portable air con
- Window air conditioners
Here is what you can expect from each of them:
A central ducted air conditioning system is a system of ducts installed in the walls throughout the house. One cooling system regulates the temperature through the entire house. The cool air is pushed through the ducts that lead to each room. The chilled air is entering the rooms from the ducts through the wall openings.
Split system is what you see in most homes. It is that common system in which the external unit is usually mounted on the wall and the internal unit is in the upper corner of your room. Temperature is regulated with a remote control. Split system has a multi-split system version that can cover more than five rooms at a time.
A portable air con is a single device that has all the important air con parts in one casing. Still, it needs to have its piping exported outside so it can release the heat it gathers from the room.
Window air conditioners are similar to portable air cons because they also have the compressor, condenser and evaporator all in one casing. However, it doesn’t need the pipes because it is installed inside a window, so it exhausts the warm air directly outside.
How Do I Choose an Air Conditioner?
You choose an air conditioner by comparing the features of air conditioners and your needs. Now that you know all the types of air conditioners, let’s revisit those questions.
Let’s eliminate the central system right away, because if you are looking for an option for just one room – it makes no sense to install the system for an entire house just to use it for one room.
Do you rent or own your place?
If you rent the place, you don’t want to make more investments in it than you have to. This disqualifies the central duct system right away. Your best options are the portable, split system and window air conditioners.
Some people say that the window air conditioner is the best option here. It is the cheapest and the most economical version that you can easily install and uninstall. It can be tricky to find the right size and fit it in the window, and, obviously, it means you will block the natural light from that window.
The portable system is your best bet after the window air con. It is the next cheapest option, and it is movable. You need to make sure that you have the place to put the exhaust pipe outside.
The split system is the most elegant and the best looking, but perhaps not as economical as the portable systems. It will require some wall drilling, so ask for permission if you choose that one.
Do you have windows in your bedroom?
The lack of windows in your bedroom immediately eliminates the window unit. This leaves you with the portable unit and the split system.
Both of these systems will require wall drilling, so figure out how much drilling you are prepared to do. The split system only needs a round 10 cm hole, while the portable air con needs a bit more.
Since that factor is more or less the same with both types of aircon systems, you should just choose according to your preference.
Is noise a concern for you?
The bedroom is where you should be getting your rest, so if noise is a concern for you, your only option is the split system. That is the quietest system of the three air conditioning systems we are examining.
Portable air con is quite noisy given that it has all the elements inside its shell – in your room. Window air cons are not that noisy, but they are not a match for split units.
How big is your bedroom?
Bigger bedrooms need bigger AC units. The capacity to cool your bedroom is expressed in BTU. This is short for British Thermal Unit. The more BTUs, the bigger the cooling capacity.
| What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need? |
| Room area |
Air Con BTU capacity |
| 9 – 14 square metres |
5,000 |
| 14 – 23 square metres |
6,000 |
| 23 – 37 square metres |
7,000 |
| 27 – 32 square metres |
8,000 |
Another way to express the capacity of your air conditioning is by expressing it in kilowatts (kW). Use this calculator created by FairAir to understand how many kW should your air conditioner have.
Now that you know the right type of air conditioner and you know how big it is supposed to be, go on and explore prices. Harvey Norman air conditioners can give you a good idea about the prices of different units. However, the unit price is not the only price you are paying.
Go to Service Seeking and ask for quotes for air conditioning installation. Only with these quotes will you be sure that you know how to set your budget. Only with these experts will you know that you have reliable and experienced installers on the job.
