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Air Conditioning Options

As you probably know, the Australian summertime can be extremely hot. When I moved to Australia from England, I knew it would be warm, but I wasn't ready for the intense heat. I had bought a home on the outskirts of Sydney. It was a great place but unfortunately, it didn't have an HVAC system. I moved in during the winter time, so this wasn't a problem. However, when the weather began to warm up, the interior of my home became very uncomfortable. I called in an HVAC contractor who explained my options before installing a modern HVAC system which keeps my house nice and cool.

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Air Conditioning Options

The A/C Challenge: Should You Choose Ducted or Ductless?

by Herminia Lopez

If you've moved into a home that has seen little in the way of renovation, your first thoughts may turn to the basics. You'll want to ensure that your family is comfortable year-round and will need to install the best air conditioning system for the property. But how do you choose between ducted or ductless, and what factors do you need to consider?

Down to the Basics

Firstly, does the property have any ducting in place at the moment? If not, this may play into your budget as you consider whether a brand-new installation or an individual ductless approach would be best.

Weighing up the Options

Ductless systems (like mini-splits) approach the problem on a room-by-room basis. They typically consist of two parts with an outside and an inside unit, and you can precisely control the temperature in that particular living area. If you have multiple rooms in the house but do not need to cool them all for one reason or another, you may only want to add ductless units in those important spaces. However, if you want to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the home and not have to worry about those "spare" rooms in the future, the ducted approach is best.

Conventional Ducting

You may also have a couple of choices for ducting and could install the pipework above or below. Some people choose the conventional method which is to put the distribution piping above the ceiling or in a loft space. The individual ducts are then installed towards the top of the wall in each room before everything is connected.

Underfloor Conditioning

If you have a crawlspace or basement and have room in between the ceiling of the basement and the floor of your living space, then you may be able to install your ducting there instead. These ducting channels tend to be more robust and able to withstand external elements, but the ducts themselves are around the baseboard of each wall instead.

Other Things to Consider

Bear in mind that property-wide, ducted systems are easier to control but may require some more maintenance over time. You need to ensure that the channels are properly cleaned and maintained so they do not develop any holes, although leaks are less of a problem with the underfloor systems.

Crafting Your Plan

Get in touch with an air conditioning expert to talk about your property. They'll ask you several questions about the house itself and your family's needs and come up with the perfect solution.

For more information on air conditioning installation, contact a company like Fleming & Sons Electrical.

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