How to Choose the Right Air Conditioner

With summer just around the corner, most of us are already thinking of buying an air conditioner – a new one for another room in the house or a more efficient one to replace the old. The right place to buy your new air conditioner is All Climate Solutions – the perfect partner for all your cooling and heating requirements in Melbourne.

All Climate Solutions is an independently operated company that offers effective heating and cooling solutions for your homes with a rather personalised approach. We focus on quality and durability which is why we only supply and install the most trusted brands that provide complete quality assurance. Our team is equipped to assess your heating/cooling needs and guide you on the best options. We also provide repair services at competitive prices.

The Right Air Conditioner for You – How to Identify Which is Best?

There are two major types of cooling systems – the Evaporative Cooling System and the Split Air Conditioning System, both of which are effective in their own ways. Let us take a detailed look at how they function and decide which of these is the best fit for you.

Evaporative Cooling System

One of the economical and popular cooling options in Australia is the evaporative cooling system. It cools the air in your room by evaporating water. A cooling unit draws the hot air from outside and passes it through a series of wet pads which produces some cool fresh air that enters your room and lowers the temperature indoors. Such cooling systems are effective in places with dry climatic conditions and are not so suitable for humid places.

Evaporative cooling systems come with their own set of pros and cons. First and foremost, they are pocket-friendly and energy efficient. They cost lesser than traditional air conditioners and are also quite economical in the long run. Additionally, evaporative cooling systems are supremely eco-friendly too as they do not release any CFC into the atmosphere and provide organically cooled air to your indoors. On the flip side, evaporative cooling systems do not function as effectively in areas with high humidity. Their options in temperature control are limited while their water consumption may be a tad bit too high.

Split System Air Conditioning

Split system air conditioners are the more popular cooling systems. They have two units, an indoor and an outdoor and are relatively easy to install. The system has a cooling circuit through which refrigerant gas is pumped. When the gas passes through the condenser, it cools and condenses and moves into the evaporator changing it to cool air. Split system air conditioners are equally effective in both wet and dry climatic conditions.

One of the biggest advantages of having a split system air conditioning is its versatility and ease of installation. Even in rooms without windows, a split system can be installed and they don’t require too much ductwork either. Split systems are a lot less noisy as compared to other cooling units and window-model air conditioners. These air conditioners are also quite suitable for compact spaces and can cool the room faster. Split systems are energy efficient too with some of the models going up to a score of 7-star rating on energy efficiency.

Choosing the Right-Sized A/C

There are so many models and sizes of air conditioners available in the market that making a choice becomes difficult. To know which sized A/C would suit you and meet your requirements, you will have to understand their capacities before making a choice.

Deciding on the right size of the air conditioner also depends on the room size which not only includes the floor area (length X breadth) but also the height of the room. Similarly, the location of the room and the orientation of the windows also come to play in regulating the indoor temperatures as does the ceiling insulation. Does your room receive much sunlight or is it a south-facing, safe-from-the-harsh sun kind of room? So before you go A/C shopping, you need to understand what the room requires. If you have studied your room well and know what you want, read on to find a rough guide on what A/Cs are the best for your kind of room.

A small room up to 20 square metres would need a small air conditioner of about 2 to 2.5 kW capacity.

A room of about 20 to 40 square metres would need an A/C unit of approximately 2.5 to 5 kW capacity.

A room of 40 to 60 square metres can be cooled with a slightly bigger A/C of around 4 to 6 kW capacity.

Moving further up, large rooms of more than 60 square metres in area would need heavier A/Cs of 5 to 9 kW capacity.

Cooling Systems and Their Running Costs

Given the number of air conditioner models of varying capacities, we have drawn a rough estimation of the power consumption and costs involved in running them.

Keeping the Energy Efficiency Ratio in mind, the calculation followed here is

Running cost of the unit for 1 hour = capacity of the unit/ EER X price of electricity per hour

And assuming that the standard price of electricity is 28 cents per hour, the cost of usage looks something like this

The above table might now give you an idea of how much a split system air conditioner is going to cost you. if you just multiply the number by the number of hours you use the A/C in a day, you would get the daily cost and multiply the daily cost with 30 to get the monthly cost. These calculations will help you make an educated choice.

What We Recommend

Find below some of our highly recommended heating and cooling systems to help you choose wisely.

Brivis BX320

Previously called the Buffalo 85, the BX320 has a 20.0 capacity and a 3.8 rating on energy efficiency. Best for all types of homes, this outdoor unit is weatherproof and uses natural gas.

Brivis BX520

A 5-star rated variant of the BX320, the BX520 is also of 20.0 kW capacity and uses natural gas. It is compact, easy to install and capable of warming your homes for years without drilling a hole in your pockets and causing you much trouble.

Daikin FTXM71WVMA

This split system combines design aesthetics and superior performance with features like advanced air purification, mould-proof operation, built-in Wi-Fi and more.

Daikin FTXM25WVMA

Equipped with the same kind of aesthetic beauty as the FTXM71WVMA, the Daikin FTXM25WVMA or the Alira X 2.5 kW split system provides Coanda Air Flow and superior air purification and is better suited for smaller rooms.

Brivis Contour L66 Evaporative Cooling

An advanced evaporative cooling system, the Brivis Contour L66 is designed to deliver large volumes of clean and cool air despite being compact. This unit is best suited for new homes and has high efficiency.

Brivis Advance F86DS Evaporative Cooling

One of the most efficient models in the Advance series of Brivis evaporative cooling systems, the F86DS has a greater cooling pad surface area which facilitates cool airflow in larger volumes. It also has better and more efficient water management.

Why Choose All Climate Solutions?

All Climate Solutions should be among your top choices for heating and cooling your homes in Melbourne and here’s why.

Temperature Control Experts in Melbourne

With years of experience under our belt, we consider ourselves the temperature control experts in Melbourne. We have a knowledgeable team that can guide you in choosing the right kind of cooling or heating system, given your requirement and budget. We also have a huge range of brands, makes and models in which you will certainly find the one that suits you best.

Meticulous On-Site Inspections

We take it upon ourselves to guide you and help you choose wisely. But before that, we carry out a detailed and painstaking inspection of your site and assess your heating/cooling requirements. We then recommend to you the most ideal options and allow you to make the most well-informed decision.

In-House Team of Specialists

When you deal with All Climate Solutions, you deal with no one else. We have an in-house team of A/C mechanics, electricians and professionals who can provide installation and repair services to all makes and models of heating and cooling systems. We do not outsource any job and are able to maintain direct control over the quality of our workmanship. We are also a one-stop solution for all your after-sales issues like repairs, warranties, etc.

Leading Brands

We understand how important quality and reliability are when it comes to electrical appliances. We are quite particular about quality and thus, only deal with the most trusted brands like Daikin, Panasonic, Brivis, etc.