For most homes, a reverse-cycle air conditioner will be the best option. Let’s break down what that means.
These have two parts: an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, connected by pipes containing refrigerant gas. They are the most common air conditioner type in Sydney and are good for a room or open plan area up to about 60m2.
Similar to a split-system, but with one outdoor unit connected to two or more indoor units. Good for two or three rooms that are reasonably close together, especially when separate split-systems or a ducted system aren’t suitable. About the same price range as the equivalent separate split-systems. Contact us now for a free quote
These have a discreet central unit, usually located out of sight in your roof, connected by air ducts to air outlets and sensors in each room. Good for cooling and heating a whole house. Call now for a free quote
Here’s our rough guide to the air conditioner capacity (size) you’ll need for a particular room size.
Read the full article ‘What size air conditioner do I need?‘.
Room SizeCapacity
So, that’s the ballpark guide, but you really need to do an accurate calculation before buying your air con, or else you’ll run into these issues:
Some installers and online calculators offer only a simplistic analysis and may tend to recommend a larger capacity than you really need.
But there are a lot of variables to consider. For example, a well-insulated room with south-facing windows will be at the bottom end of the capacity range, while an uninsulated room with west-facing windows will be towards the top.
Likewise, a room in Perth will probably need a more powerful air conditioner compared to an otherwise identical room in Sydney.
A proper calculation takes all the room’s details into account:
Running costs for a medium-sized air conditioner ranges from around $400–$550 a year.
We measure running costs in our air conditioner reviews. As you can see in the below table, running costs can vary by a few hundred dollars a year, depending on the model.
* Based on how much each model costs to deliver a set amount of cooling and heating per year at maximum capacity, with the remainder of the year in standby mode (based on electricity costs of 30 cents/kWh). It’s only indicative; your actual running costs may vary.
We recommend you set your air conditioner to no more than 8°C cooler than the outside temperature.
On a hot day – say 33°C – you might be tempted to put the air conditioner way down to 20°C, but for best efficiency try to cope with 25°C.
And in winter, set your reverse-cycle air conditioner to no more than 8°C warmer than the outside temperature (wear a jumper if you have to!).
Sticking to this 8°C differential will save on wear and tear on the air conditioner’s motor, and save big on your energy bill. Each degree cooler (or warmer in winter) can add about 10% to the running cost of your air conditioner.
Does an inverter air conditioner save money?
Solar powered air conditioners
Read more: Air conditioner energy saving tips
Most modern split-system air conditioners are very quiet indoors and out, but it’s worth checking an air conditioner’s noise levels before you buy.
We measure noise as part of our split-system air conditioner reviews. In our latest test, the noise from indoor units ranged from 19dB to 53dB, and from the outdoor units, 42dB to 69dB (measured on the quietest indoor fan setting).
For comparison, here are some common sound levels:
