Types Of Air Conditioners

There are six main types of air conditioners that can work in your home. Here’s a rundown of them, including where and when they’re best used in a home.

Central air conditioners

Central air conditioners are single units consisting of a condenser, compressor, and evaporator. Commonly installed on your roof or on a concrete slab near the foundation of your home, they use ducts to draw air from the inside and return cool air. Central air conditioning systems are great for larger homes and when you’d like to cool multiple rooms at once.

Ductless, mini-split air conditioners

Ductless mini-splits are great for homes without ductwork. They consist of two parts, an outdoor compressor and a condenser with one or more indoor air-handling units. These air handlers are installed on the walls in your rooms, with blowers attached to cool the different zones in your home. This type of system is simple to install and can control temperatures in individual rooms.

Window air conditioners

This type of air conditioner is most common for single rooms. All of the parts live together in a single unit with a thermostat gauge on the outside to read the temperature. While not as robust as central air, a window unit is suitable for almost any room with a window!

Portable air conditioners

Portable air conditioners are similar to window units, but they’re self-contained and freestanding, making it easy to move them around between rooms or living spaces. All a portable air conditioner needs is an outlet for power and a window nearby to transfer out any exhaust air.

Hybrid air conditioners

Hybrid air conditioners are highly energy efficient and save money by using both fossil fuels and electric power to cool your home.

Geothermal cooling

While geothermal air conditioners are on the more expensive side, they are extremely durable, sustainable, and energy-efficient. These systems consist of an underground coil that extracts heat from the ground and transfers it into your home. In the summer, heat is drawn from your home and redistributed into the ground.