Advantages of Central Air Conditioning Over Room Units

A room air conditioner, which most commonly fits into a window, is called a “room” unit because it really isn’t capable of cooling much more than that. It typically plugs into a standard electrical outlet and doesn’t require special wiring or professional services. A room air conditioner cools hot air pulled in from the outside and blows it into the room with a fan. If you purchase a unit that is too small for the room you want to cool, it will run continuously while increasing your utility bill without making you feel much cooler. However, if the space is too small for the size of the room air conditioning unit, it will cool but inefficiently, with a build-up of humidity. As you can see, getting the right size of unit for your room is critical to your comfort and cost.

Conversely, a central air conditioner actually cools the air outside, bringing it into each room of your house at once, through a ductwork system that returns the air for cooling again. This usually works with a forced-air furnace and its related ducting. Central air units are practically maintenance-free once they are installed. They are quiet, effective and energy efficient, so, ultimately, they can save you money. Programmable thermostats can also help to save costs on utility cooling bills. 

A few hundred dollars will get you a room air conditioner but installing a central air system will cost you thousands. Of course, the type of air conditioning you should choose would depend on your individual situation. If you already own your own home with an existing forced-air furnace and ductwork, now may just be the best time for you to call your local HVAC professional to have a new central air unit installed.

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