Air Conditioner Buying Guide

Choosing the right air conditioner can be a surprisingly complex endeavour, particularly around sizing and placement. To make these decisions a little bit easier, we've created a specialised buying guide, covering all the variables to provide you with the best air con choices for your home.

It’s integral to choose the right size of air conditioner to suit your room, maximising both cooling and energy efficiency. Air conditioners with a large cooling capacity will use more energy, smaller units may not cool the room properly, keeping you hot and bothered.

If you have a strong idea about what you need, and just want to check out the range, you can click here to view our full range of air conditioning units from brands including Mitsubishi Electric, Fujitsu, Kelvinator, Panasonic, Rinnai, Dimplex, and more.

So what size air conditioner is right for you? Regardless of whether you're looking for a reverse-cycle air conditioner, portable air conditioner, or inverter split system air conditioner, the most important factor is the wattage.

Generally speaking, you'll need roughly about 0.15 kilowatts per square metre. For example, a smaller room that measures 20 square metres would need an air con around 3kW, while a 60 square metre room would need a device capable of delivering around 9kW. If your wattage is too low for your room, the air conditioner won't be able to lower the temperature efficiently. 

The most vital piece of information you need is the size of the space you wish to cool or heat.

Calculate the floor space by multiplying the length of the room by the width. Ceiling height may be a potential factor if you have particularly high ceilings but for the most part, floor area is the only consideration required.

Air conditioners are grouped according to their output capacity, and Appliances Online stocks units ranging from 1.65 kW window box air conditioners to 9.2 kW reverse cycle split systems.

As a basic starting point, you’ll need a minimum of 1 to 1.5 kilowatts of cooling capacity per 10 square meters of floor space.

If your home is well-insulated, this minimum capacity may be all you require, but uninsulated homes or those located in hotter regions around Australia will need a more powerful air conditioner to enjoy the benefits of efficient cooling. 

Compact, easy-to-use, and mobile, portable air conditioners give you the freedom to enjoy cool air anywhere there’s a window and a power socket. Ideal for renters, bedrooms, and smaller rooms, portable air conditioners don’t require complex installations, for easy transport to where cooling is needed the most.

Portable air conditioners typically only come in ‘cooling only’ models, however, there are a few reverse cycle models, able to both heat and cool the room. Some portable air conditioners even feature integrated dehumidifier settings to remove moisture from your home.

Window wall air conditioners offer simple installation and easy functionality, making them ideal for smaller rooms, such as bedrooms or dens. Due to their installation method, most air conditioners don’t take up any floor space and are semi-portable, if movement is needed. However, they are not designed for constant movement, residing between split systems and portable air conditioners.

Window box air conditioners are usually powered by a plug and lead like any other appliance. However, some units require hard wiring into a power source and you’ll need a licenced electrician to complete the installation.

Split system air conditioners offer some of the highest cooling capacities and handy features for your home. Usually reverse-cycle, split systems offer greater power over window box and portable systems but also take up additional space and need to be professionally installed into your home by a licensed technician.

Many split systems also offer allergen filtration and air purification as part of their operation. Split systems are an optimal choice for those wishing to cool or heat multiple rooms at a time or larger areas, such as living rooms or dining rooms. 

Insulation is one of the most effective ways to improve the energy efficiency of your air conditioner within the home, creating a semi-sealed environment to maintain temperature. In some cases, you may be able to cool an insulated room using a smaller, less powerful air conditioner than an uninsulated room.

Some Australian homes utilise either ceiling or wall insulation, while some households are lucky enough to have both.

When combined with the size of your room, insulation plays an important part in determining what size air conditioner you require. Insulated rooms can usually be cooled using an air conditioner with only the minimum recommended kW capacity, though this may vary depending on the location of your home, which way your windows are facing, and a number of other factors.