Comparing Air Conditioning Options | Teems Electric

With the dog days upon us, plenty of people in the Tennessee Valley are relying on their air conditioners to help them keep their cool day and night. The late summer months provide the second-highest electrical usage by TVA customers, though the winter months still outpace this season.

If your air conditioner goes out at the worst possible time, you just moved into a home without an HVAC system or you’re just trying to make sure you’re getting optimal cooling, you may be comparing your options. When it comes to air conditioners, you have a few, but there’s a clear winner in most settings: the whole-house HVAC system.

We’ll walk you through the options and tell you why HVAC deserves its place as the most popular cooling choice.

Portable Air Conditioners

These are clunky boxes that typically have a flexible hose similar to the ones used by clothes dryers that runs to a nearby window to vent the unit. These units were found by Consumer Reports to be energy hogs that do little to cool a space, are only effective in one confined space and don’t help reduce humidity, which means the room in the test stayed muggy. These are best in very limited circumstances, including structures or rooms without HVAC systems or windows for window units and seldom-used rooms that only need minimal cooling.

Pros

  • Can be moved around a home
  • Don’t require installation or adequately sized windows
  • Provide some cooling that is most effective in rooms that don’t get especially hot or are rarely used
  • May be equipped with a filter to capture airborne particles

Cons

  • Inefficient
  • Don’t provide significant cooling
  • Don’t reduce humidity
  • Noisy
  • Still require a window vent

Window Air Conditioners

These protrude from nearly every window in many buildings in big cities and are also common in older apartment complexes that weren’t ducted at construction. They are a bit like a compact version of a full HVAC system with no installation required, but they aren’t as effective, efficient or quiet as HVAC. These must be mounted in open windows large enough to accommodate them, and use outside air to cool the refrigerant while recirculating air inside.

Pros

  • Very easy to install
  • No ducts, lines or wires to run
  • Most plug into a standard outlet
  • Can cool small spaces

Cons

Room Air Conditioners

These are similar to window units in that they are self-contained units that don’t require ducting, which is why they’re also called ductless air conditioners. They consist of rectangular wall units and exterior compressor boxes.

They’re a suitable option for spaces where an HVAC system isn’t possible or as a supplement to whole-home cooling in areas that get especially warm, such as sunrooms and kitchens. Split systems include multiple wall units in different rooms, so they approach the whole-home cooling power of HVAC, but are generally not as effective.

Pros

  • Ductless
  • Efficient
  • Many use indoor air for all functions, eliminating need for outdoor installation or a window
  • Most equipped with filters that can capture particles
  • Effective cooling

Cons

  • Require electrical work to install
  • Refrigerant line must be run through house and exterior walls to connect indoor and outdoor units
  • Noisier than HVAC
  • Achieving whole-home cooling requires extensive electrical and installation work

HVAC Systems

If you own a house with an HVAC system and it goes out, the best choice is typically going to be getting it back up and running. An HVAC system can effectively and efficiently cool your whole home, providing comfort in every room.

Since they draw in large amounts of air to recirculate through your home, they can also help lessen odors, capture allergens and keep the house from becoming muggy. Plus, a complete HVAC package will provide the same benefits but with heat for the winter months.

Pros

  • Efficient
  • Whole-home cooling
  • Filtration and recirculation of air helps eliminate odors and remove bad particles from indoor spaces
  • Can be used with programmable thermostats to reduce energy demand
  • Provide faster and more responsive cool-down
  • Most systems include heat
  • Quieter, since loud components are tucked away or outside

Cons

  • The most expensive option when it comes to repair and replacement
  • Require whole-home ducting that can be expensive to install if not already in place
  • Not an option for rented properties, since they take alteration of the structure
  • Require space beside or on top of structure for compressor unit

Teems Electric is your partner for residential and commercial HVAC design, installation and maintenance. Call us today if we can help you keep your cool!