What’s the difference between portable air conditioners and split system air conditioners?

There is no question that an air conditioning unit, whatever type, will improve your comfort and enjoyment of your home, office or workspace over the hot summer months.

With such a wide range of options available, two of the most cost effective options for you to keep your home cool are portable and split system air conditioners. They are both extremely versatile units, both cost effective however to assist you in choosing the best air conditioning unit for your home we will review both units and the features and benefits of each.

Owning or renting your Adelaide home an want air conditioning?

If you are renting your home, then there may only be one of these two great cooling options available to you. Unless you get permission for the installation and are prepared to leave the unit when you leave the split system air conditioner is a permanent fixture to the home and requires installation and holes put into walls.

You can always negotiate with your landlord to install a split system, however in the case you are renting; then the portable unit really is your best (and only) option. These units can be put in and removed as you and your family move from home to home.

Are you cooling one space or many?

Split system air conditioners are perfect if you are looking to cool one room and the adjacent rooms to the main room. As they are fixed, they often don’t allow for the flexibility of moving around your home. That being said, a portable unit as the name suggests can be moved from your lounge room, study or bedroom relatively easy. Most units are on castors and simply require a window where the can pipe the hot air out.

What’s that noise?

When putting a portable or split system air conditioners into a room, there is no question that a portable unit will be quite loud. These units have everything including the fan, the condenser and the head unit all in one neat package – so all the noise is in one package as well. A split system air conditioner however has a condenser placed outside on the external walls of your home. Therefore, the noise is simply the cool air being circulated around your home. For hot nights, your portable unit may keep you cool, but it may also keep you awake with all the noise!

Do you have space considerations?

The portable units can be moved around anywhere around the home. However, they also take floor space and can be quite large in small houses or rooms.

The split system air conditioners have a head unit that is placed high on an internal wall, making it almost invisible. This is a key consideration should you be entertaining or have limited floor space. In addition to this, your portable units need to be connected directly to the power, not by an extension cord, so if you don’t have a power point close to a window or where you are trying to cool, you may have some issues.

What air conditioning features are you looking for?

The more expensive the unit, the more features it will have – this is a fact of life. There are reverse cycle portable and split system air conditioners, allowing for heating and cooling of your home. However, the portable units have a limited range of functions from there such as temperature selections, timers and isolating options. A split system air conditioner can have options such as Wi-Fi control, advanced self-cleaning, air filtering and low noise models, which can add great value to the quality of your comfort.

Cost of air conditioning your property

When most people are looking into air conditioning units, the cost considerations are a key factor in decision-making. Starting from around $500, the portable units are by far the most cost effective units from a purchasing point of view, with no additional installation required.

A split system air conditioner, however, requires a professional, licenced and qualified air conditioning installer to put the unit into your home. This installation will add around another $300 – $500 to your overall costs on average. This may increase depending on the access to the walls, size of the unit and type of place you are living in. The phrase ‘horses for courses’ comes to mind when it comes to choosing a split system and portable air conditioning unit. If you are looking for a permanent, premium featured and quiet option then the split system is your go. If you are looking for a temporary, cheaper more versatile solution, then a portable unit is for you.

The best thing for anyone to do when looking to purchase split system air conditioner for their home is to speak to the professionals and get the right solution for you. Rite Price air conditioning can offer solutions from fully ducted systems to small portable units with everything in between.

To find out more information about air conditioning systems for your property in Adelaide speak with the professional team from Rite Price Heating and Cooling today. Or for more information on our split systems page, you visit that page through our link.