How Split System Air Conditioning Works

With summer coming back around, it’s time to start thinking about staying cool in the sweltering heat. Installers offering air conditioning Albion wide can help you fight off summer, and they’ll usually recommend doing it with a split system air conditioner. Split system air conditioning is one of the most affordable and effective cooling options available. Compact, cheap to run, and easy to install, a split system air conditioner can make all the difference when it comes to keeping summer’s heat at bay.

How Does Split System Air Conditioning Work?

Split-system air conditioners are simple systems that circulate refrigerant between indoor and outdoor units. The indoor unit contains a device called an evaporator coil. The evaporator coil is a series of small-diameter pipes filled with cool refrigerant. The indoor unit draws in warm air from the room and passes it through the evaporator coil. The cool refrigerant absorbs excess heat from the air, and the chilled air is blown back into the room.

After the refrigerant has absorbed heat from inside the home, it’s pumped outside to the exterior unit. The exterior unit contains a device called a compressor coil that’s used to cool the refrigerant down using a large fan – similar to the radiator in your car. Once the refrigerant has cooled down it starts its journey again.

How Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning Works

Like the name suggests, reverse cycle air conditioning works much the same way as conventional units, but they can reverse the cycle. So, instead of absorbing warm air from inside the home and transporting it outside, they absorb heat from the outdoors and transfer it inside. Installing a reverse cycle system means you’ll have one appliance that can keep you cool in summer and warm in winter! Just be mindful that reverse cycle air conditioning is less powerful than a conventional heater, and that it may not be effective if you live in an area with very cold winters.

Choosing the Right Air Conditioner for Your Home

The best way to get value from your split system air conditioning is to match the unit to the room it’s installed in. If the air conditioner and the room are mismatched, you could see your power bills skyrocket, and your air conditioner may struggle to keep the space cool. For that reason, it’s best to speak to your installation technician and ask for their advice. They’ll be able to measure your room and help you choose the right split system for your home.

Your installer will look at a variety of things when specifying the right split system for you:

  • The size and shape of the room
  • How well insulated and sealed your home is
  • The climate and weather in your area
  • The placement of windows
  • The positioning of the room
  • Whether the room gets direct sunlight
  • Cross ventilation

As you can see, each split system installation is a little different. As a general rule of thumb, you’ll need a 2-3kW system for a bedroom area, a 4-5kW system for bigger rooms, and a 6-8kW system for large combined areas. Talk to your installer to find out more about which units they can recommend.

The Benefits of Split System Air Conditioners

Split system air conditioners are an effective way of cooling every room in your home. An electrician installing air conditioning Albion wide can help you choose the right unit for your space to ensure you get decades of use from the system. Installing a split system air conditioner comes with several major benefits, including:

  • Cheaper to buy – Split systems are small and simple, and that means they’re cheaper to buy than larger ducted or multi-head systems. A high-quality split system air conditioner may only cost you a few hundred dollars to buy, compared to thousands for bigger units.
  • Simple installation – The indoor and outdoor units of a split system air conditioner are joined by a few wires and two thin pipes. That means they’re easy to install in a single day and that your installer won’t need to make big changes to your home. That’s convenient, and it also means the cost of installation is much lower.
  • Low maintenance – You’ll need to service your split system once per year, just like other air conditioners. But thanks to their simplicity, split systems only need a small amount of maintenance. That means they’re cheap to service and you’ll get years of trouble-free cooling for less!
  • Energy efficient – Thanks to modern technology, split system air conditioners are now one of the most efficient ways to cool a room. Your installer will match your air conditioner to the room’s requirements, and they can even ensure it works together with your solar panels to keep your power bills under control.
  • Compact units – Modern split systems have compact, discreet indoor units that run silently and won’t impact your interior styling.