Air conditioners: Which one to choose?

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This summer, you want to stay cool in your home while the heat wave rages outside. The air conditioning system will be a good choice.

Above all, focus on the following points:

• Power
• Energy efficiency
• Noise

Then it is important to know if you want to cool one or a few rooms or your whole house.

The air conditioner you need will depend on the size of the space you want to cool.

A standalone unit is usually enough to cool one or two rooms (100 to 550 sq. ft. for 5,000 to 12,000 Btu/h).

Here are various choices available to you : 

• Window air conditioners
• Wall-mounted air conditioners
• Mobile or portable air conditioners

Cooling an entire house requires a central unit, which is much more expensive.

Here are some units for large spaces which are designed for homes without ductwork (forced-air heating):

• Split-system air conditioners
• Cassette ceiling-mounted air conditioners
• Central heat pumps
• Central air conditioners