All I want for Christmas is an air conditioner
December 14th, 2011
Summer has officially arrived, bringing with it hot days and thunderstorms. With Christmas around the corner, now is the time when I, like so many other Australians, remember that I had meant to buy an air conditioner six months ago, but forgot, leaving me in need of a cooling solution and fast.
But before you spend big on the first air conditioner you find in desperation to beat the heat this holiday season and beyond, take a look at this short guide to find the best option to suit your home and budget.
Air Conditioners are split into three main groups:
Among the least expensive air conditioning options, these are ideal for renters as they don’t need to be permanently fitted to a window or wall, only needing a power source and a window for exhaust. Cool the living room by day and the bedroom by night! As they tend to be smaller and less powerful than other types of air conditioner, they are best used to cool one smaller room at a time – anything more forces the unit to work harder and wastes energy.
Split System air conditioners get their name from having half of the unit mounted on an inside wall and the other half outside. While these systems tend to cost more than other air conditioners and require professional installation, they run more quietly, are powerful enough to cool large areas (even entire houses) and the Reverse Cycle models can also warm the air in winter, meaning you won’t need to buy a heater further down the track.
Window air conditioners are simple to install, but permanent once in place, so be sure to measure your window to make sure they fit. They tend to have the same kind of cooling power as portable units, have a similar price tag, and likewise can typically only efficiently cool one room.
Features to look for:
Allergy and bacteria reduction systems keep the germs and dust particles that get sucked up by your air conditioner from being recycled to sicken you and your loved ones for a second time.
Timers let you program your system to operate only when required, so you can save energy and reduce your power bills by not running the unit when you’re not home, and save effort by having it automatically turn on when you get back from work.
A dehumidifier in your air conditioner does exactly what you’d expect, removing humidity from the air, which is a godsend when conditions are sticky and tropical. Portable dehumidifiers are also available, but these by themselves these do not cool your house, instead producing dry heat that helps prevent the build-up of mildew.
A note on fans
Fans have gotten an unfair rap for being largely ineffective against Australia’s furnace-like summer heat. But while the ceiling fans or whirring desk fans you grew up with may have just blown hot air about, fan technology has improved to the point where they are not only effective, but nearly unrecognisable as fans any more.
Several brands, including Sunbeam and Dimplex, offer fans in a tower design that make them look more like miniature air conditioners than what you’d expect a fan to look like. These devices also share many features with air conditioners, such as remote control and timer settings, making them similarly useful.
The range of Dyson Air Multipliers have an amazing bladeless design like something out of The Jetsons, which delivers an endless stream of cooling air using similar technology to a jet engine. Easy to clean and safe to keep in a house with pets or small children, these fans have come a long way from what most of us are used to.
Play it cool
An air conditioner or other cooling solution can be a big investment, meaning you should take your time and carefully consider your options, even if you’re hoping to buy one quickly so you can huddle around the air conditioner with your family on Christmas Day. For more information, see an Appliances Online Buying Guide (available for Portable, Split System and Window air conditioners, as well as Fans), then take a look over the cooling solutions from Appliances Online to choose from a selection of superior appliances that can be conveniently delivered at competitive prices.
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