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Air Conditioners - Cool Comfort - Hot Savings

Air Conditioning Options

When you're in the market for new cooling products, it pays to learn all you can about them first. With a little research, you can make well informed choices that will save you money and help protect the environment.

High relative humidity in summer, elevated air temperatures and bright sunshine can combine to rob you of comfort and sleep. Air conditioning can provide comfort for occupants by lowering both the air temperature and the humidity level in the home, providing comfort. This may also help avoid effecting parts of your home like hardwood floors that are sensitive to humidity levels.

The main air conditioning type are:

• central air conditioners
• heat pumps
• room air conditioners

Central air conditioners cool and dehumidify only, while and heat pumps also provide economical heat in winter. Central air conditioners and heat pumps have distribution ducts that are used to cool an entire living area. Ductless air conditioners can effectively heat and cool individual rooms at low cost, and can be installed with minimum effort. These are ideal in homes where there are no air ducts.

Central Air Conditioner Types

Single-package unit

A single-package unit contains all the components and generally mounts through the wall or on the roof. Ducting to and from the unit conveys air to and from the rooms. This type is not commonly used in residential applications.

Split-system unit

A split-system unit consists of indoor and outdoor sections. The indoor heat exchanger, or coil, mounts above the furnace, inside the ducting. The outdoor section contains the remaining components, and the two sections are joined by refrigerant lines connecting the indoor coil to the refrigeration components in the outdoor section.

Mini-split and multi-split units (Ductless)

Ductless air conditioners are have an outdoor condensing unit an indoor unit which typically mounts high on a wall, although there are many other configurations. Duct less air conditioners may have multiple indoor units to one outdoor unit, making them an extremely viable option to suite almost any situation. Ductless units are extremely efficient, boosting efficiencies as high as 26 SEER or HSPF ratings of 10 in the case of the heating operation. They are also effective to heat and cool limited areas with a small ducted air handler which is matched to the outdoor condenser.

Small-duct high-velocity units

Small-duct high-velocity units are central air conditioners distribute air through plastic pipes in partition walls to outlets and inlets. These units can be retrofitted in homes with electric or hydronic baseboard heating that have no ductwork.

Heat Pumps

If you have an electric or oil furnace or a conventional gas furnace and your space heating costs $1,000 or more per year, you should consider installing an efficient air-source or ground-source heat pump instead of a central air conditioner. Ask us how much more it would cost to add a heat pump to your furnace. Heat pump SEER ratings are competitive with those of central air conditioners, but heat pumps have the added advantage of providing significant savings in heating costs during the winter.

Heat pump savings range from a low of about 20 percent where gas is the primary heat source to as high as 70 percent where an electric or oil furnace is the main source of heating. If the additional capital cost divided by the estimated savings is five years or less, consider installing a heat pump instead. Heat pumps are good for the environment and provide efficient home heating, even in Ottawa..

More information on heat pumps

Room Air Conditioner Types

Through-the-wall (TTW) units

Some room air conditioners are designed to fit through the wall. These units, also referred to as "without louvered sides," are built this way because the wall framing would interfere with the airflow through the sidewalls of the air conditioner. These air conditioners tend to be less efficient than regular window units. They must also meet minimum efficiency regulations. Work is under way to include TTW units in the ENERGY STAR specifications.

Although not common in colder climates, some room air conditioners are built to provide some heating, either with electric resistance heating or by what is called a reverse cycle. Reverse cycle means that the room air conditioner can act like a heat pump and heat the room. When the flow of refrigerant is reversed, heat is released inside.

Ductless Heat Pumps & Air Conditioners

Ductless air conditioners have an outdoor condensing unit an indoor unit which typically mounts high on a wall, although there are many other configurations. Duct less air conditioners may have multiple indoor units to one outdoor unit, making them an extremely viable option to suite almost any situation. Ductless units are extremely efficient, boosting efficiencies as high as 26 SEER or HSPF ratings of 10 in the case of the heating operation. They are also effective to heat and cool limited areas with a small ducted air handler which is matched to the outdoor condenser.

Portable Air Conditioners

Portable room air conditioners have a hose that is used to exhaust heat to the outside. Because they are on wheels, they can be moved from room to room. Water condensed from the cooled air has to be removed and drained away through temporary ducting to the outdoors. There is currently no CSA Standard or energy efficiency rating for this product.