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Which Air Conditioning Unit to Purchase for Your Newcastle Home

jwebmin • Aug 01, 2018

Investing in an air conditioning unit for your home or business is a big decision, that’s why it’s important that you consider all the different factors that should influence your decision. Of course, your financial situation is a major factor when it comes to purchasing an air conditioner, but there are various other factors you should consider such as the location of your home, the size, the layout, and where you spend most of your time inside your home to name a few.

To make the most of an air conditioning unit, it’s best to learn more about the different types of air conditioning systems to determine which one is right for you and your home or business.

Split-system: Split Systems are ideal for air conditioning one room or a specific area of a home. A wide variety of models are offered to suit your requirements and are available in either wall mounted or floor standing type.

Multi-split: Multi Split Systems can heat or cool multiple rooms using only one outdoor unit connected to multiple indoor units. Each indoor unit can also be individually controlled, scheduled and set to the desired room temperature.

Ducted: Ducted Systems provide discreet air-conditioned comfort. It can be installed in a new home or tailored to suit an existing one, and once installed, only the controller, the return air and discharge grilles are visible inside your home.

Things to consider when purchasing an air conditioning unit

There are various factors to consider when purchasing an air conditioning unit for your Newcastle home or business.

Key factors to consider include:

The size and layout of your home

Cooling and heating capacities (sizes) are rated in kilowatts (kW). A small room might require a 2.5kW model, while a large open-plan area might need 6kW or more. It’s important to accurately calculate the required cooling or heating capacity of your new air conditioner (Choice.com.au).

A proper calculation takes all the room’s details into account. Here are a few things to consider:

The size of the room: length, width and height.
The type of room: living room, open-plan living room and kitchen, bedroom, etc.
The size and orientation of the windows and glass doors. A large north- or west-facing window can let in a lot of heat in summer.
Shading and curtains on the windows.
Insulation of the floor, ceiling, and walls.
The local climate.

If you’re still unsure, you can try the size calculator on Fair Air here.

You should generally choose a model with equal or slightly greater capacity for the room.

Household usage

When deciding on an air conditioning unit to purchase for your home or business, you should always consider your usage pattern. Will you be running the air con for daily? Or will you only have it running in certain months of the year?

Lower star-rated air conditioners usually have a higher rate or air circulation, which means your room can cool faster. However, if you use your air conditioner for over eight hours you will want to consider the costlier but less power consuming 5-star rated aircon.

Your location

What’s the climate like in your location? Each air conditioner model has a recommended outdoor temperature operating range.

Most models can operate in temperatures from about -10°C up to about 45°C or more. This is sufficient for most parts of Australia, however check the air conditioner’s operating range before you buy, to make sure it can cope with any extremes in your area.

Budget

An air conditioning unit is a big investment for your home. Before purchasing, you should consider the costs- both upfront and running costs.

You don’t want to invest in an air conditioner for your home and then be too frugal to ever use it.

This energy ratings calculator gives you an estimate of running costs for your appliances based on your location. You can enter the specific model and more details to get a more accurate estimate, however it is still an estimate and not exact.

Another great resource is this government guide on how to reduce your energy bills. Here are some highlights from the reduce your energy bill checklist:

Climate control—heating and cooling

In winter, set your heating thermostats between 18 to 20°C. In summer, set your cooling thermostats between 25 to 27°C. Every extra degree increases your heating and cooling energy use by between 5 and 10%. Close internal doors and only heat or cool the rooms you are using.

Window watch—up to 40% of the heat in your home could be leaking out your windows

In winter, open curtains to let the sun in and close curtains before it gets dark to keep the heat in – especially while your heater is on. In summer, close curtains during the hottest part of the day. At night you can open curtains and windows to let warm air out and cool breezes in.

Lakeside Air can give advice and recommendations based on your situation

Once we have taken into consideration your budget and wants, we can make a suggestion as to which air conditioning unit will suit you best. We listen to your concerns and needs as each customer’s requirements are unique, particular to their own home size, household usage, location and budget. If you’re needing advice on which air conditioning unit to purchase for your Newcastle home or business, the team at Lakeside Air can help. Give us a call on 4947 4122 to find out more.

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