This air conditioners guide helps you choose which type of air conditioner best suits your needs. Different types of air conditioners include reverse cycle, inverter, split system, and portable. Here are some things to consider when choosing an air conditioner:

Room size – you should match the power of an air conditioner to the room size.
Type – you can choose from ducted, window units, split systems and portable units.
Filters – can prevent bacteria and allergens from being recycled throughout the room.

Air Conditioner Capacity and Room Size
You should match the air conditioning unit to the size of the room it will be cooling. Generally the bigger the room the more powerful the air conditioner that will be required. An underpowered air conditioner will have to work harder, use more power and waste energy to cool a bigger room. Also bear in mind that buying a larger than necessary unit will be an unnecessary expense.

How Much Capacity Will I Require?
All air conditioners are rated by their power output in kilowatts (kW). Bedrooms require 80 watts, or 0.080kW per square metre. So a 14m² bedroom should need about 1.12kW of air conditioning. Living rooms require 125 watts or 0.125kW per square metre. So a 30m² living room should need about 3.75kW of air conditioning.

Which Type of Air Conditioner?
Ducted systems cool multiple rooms via a large cooling fan which sits outside the building and pumps cool air into the rooms through ducts which are installed in the roof cavity.

Window units are mounted in a window or a wall and are an excellent choice for smaller rooms.

Split systems have the cooling unit installed outside and the fan mounted inside. Split systems are suited to cooling one or more adjoining rooms.

Multi-split systems have one outdoor unit and multiple fan units inside to distribute the cool air throughout the house.

Portable units are small and light and can be moved about from room to room. They normally have a low power output and are best suited to small rooms and spaces.

Evaporative coolers are cheaper versions than equivalent sized refridgerant air conditioners and work by drawing air past a water-cooled filter system.

Technical terms that you should be familiar with:

• Reverse cycle – The air conditioner can reverse its operation to provide heating or cooling as required.
• Inverter system – Constantly changes fan and motor speeds to enable an area to be cooled faster. The air conditioner doesn’t need to switch itself on and off to maintain a particular temperature. Manufacturers of inverter systems claim that they are more power efficient.

Energy Efficiency
Be sure to check the energy efficiency labels. Cooling only air conditioners have a blue band of stars to display energy consumption. Reverse cycle units have two bands of stars – blue to indicate consumption for cooling and red for heating.

Are Filters Necessary?
Good air conditioning units use filters to prevent bacteria and allergens being recycled through the room air. You should clean the filter every few weeks and some brands indicate when the filter needs changing.

Position and Installation
Positioning is important. Avoid putting the air conditioner on the side of the house that gets the most sun as this will cause it to be less efficient in operation. For the most efficient cooling mount the unit high in the room as cool air will sink to the floor. A split or ducted system should only be installed by persons holding the appropriate licenses. Using an unlicensed installer will void your warranty.

Getting The Best Deal
A good way to get the best deals for air conditioners is to check out online sites that sell the type of air conditioner that you are looking for. Once you have decided on the type of unit that you want to buy you can then cross reference different online shops for the best price. Make sure you take into account delivery costs and extras such as an extended warranty.