How you can find the perfect air conditioner to give you substantial relief from those restless nights and uncomfortable days!

If you want instant relief from sticky, hot summer days in your home or office, purchasing an air conditioner is a smart investment.
The important thing to remember when purchasing an air conditioning system is to determine the capacity or size of the air conditioner with the space you intend to cool / heat.
Domain Air can offer an extensive variety available to you differing in size, type, sophistication, features and price. The team at Domain Air specialise in this field and can help you to make the right decision when purchasing your air conditioner to suit your needs. This page is here to help you with some information you may need to know.

Understanding your air conditioning requirements and choosing a suitable type of air conditioner.

Firstly, it is essential determine the type of air conditioner you would like to have installed in your home. This decision can be made by determining the size of your house, the size of the room you want to air condition and the climatic weather conditions of the area you live in.
Based on your research, you should pick one of the following types of air conditioners:

Portable air conditioning system:

Highly flexible and conveniently portable, portable air conditioners can be used to cool any room by plugging it in and moving it to another room when necessary.
Portable air conditioners are typically suited for small rooms up to 20m2. Portable air conditioners require an exhaust hose component to be placed in the opening of a window (ideally a sliding window).
Latest portable air conditioner units extract moisture from the air to let you breathe fresh air.
The extracted air is then used to cool the cooling coils, which also allows them to work more effectively.

Fixed air conditioning system:

Fixed air conditioning systems are available in wall or window units, these cannot be transferred from one room to another after installation.
A window air conditioning unit is fixed in to a window as opposed to a wall air conditioning unit is built on an external wall and keeps windows intact.
They can cool a room or an open space of up to 50 sq. meters.

Split system air conditioner:

A slightly more expensive air conditioning product with some significant benefits, split system air conditioners come with two components.
One component is the compressor unit installed in the external / outdoor area and the other is the cooling outlet, which is installed indoors.
A split air conditioner makes less noise, is more efficient and can cool one or more rooms or an open space of between 20 - 70sq. meters. All of the Domain Air split systems come with a remote control and they can offer four different modes: heating, cooling, dehumidification (dry) and fan.

Some split systems come with inverter technology. Inverter split systems maintain the desired temperature more effectively than the non inverter type as they have a variable speed compressor which automatically adjusts its speed according to the settings of the air conditioner. The inverter air conditioners also use less energy which can save you money in the long term. (Approximately 10 – 30% savings in running costs with an inverter)

Ducted air conditioning system:

Commonly known as Central Air Conditioning unit, Ducted Air Conditioners are usually installed on the roof or in an external area. A ducted split system has a similar concept to a wall split system although, the indoor unit is usually installed in the ceiling cavity and has a series of ducts running from it to various outlets throughout the home or office.
Ideal for cooling large spaces like a house or an office, ducted air conditioners comprise of a series of ducts or channels with outlets in different parts of a house or office.
Some ducted systems allow you to maintain specific temperatures for every area in your house or office and can also be zoned to increase the applicable area, allowing you to control the climate in different areas at different times.

What is the cooling capacity?

The size of the air conditioner or the cooling capacity is generally the most important criteria to consider before purchasing an air conditioner. If you purchase an unnecessarily large, powerful air conditioning unit it will make your room feel damp instead of cool and refreshing.
If your air conditioner has automatic temperature maintenance capabilities (auto mode), having it installed in an area that is too small is taxing on it as it will have to constantly turn itself on and off for regulating temperature in a small area.
Likewise, a smaller air conditioner in an area that is too large will cause the air conditioner to be overworked and the air conditioner does not produce the desired cooling / heating effect. Cooling / heating capacity is measured in BTU (British Thermal Units) or KW (Kilowatts).
The higher the BTU or KW value the higher the capacity of an air conditioner and therefore the larger the area the system will cool / heat. Domain Air split system air conditioners range from 12,000 – 30,000 BTUs or 3.2KW – 8.8KW.

What is the energy efficiency rating?

Air conditioners with high EER (Energy Efficiency Rating) save you money, consume less energy and are more environmentally friendly.
Most air conditioners with a high EER can be more expensive to purchase, making it important for you to decide if the energy savings that would accrue in the future is worth the extra money you may have to spend initially.
Usage is a factor than can help you to make this decision. If you are going to use the system frequently then purchasing an air conditioning system with a high EER would be recommended although if the air conditioning system is only going to be used occasionally then purchasing an air conditioning system that has a lower EER and is not as expensive may be worth considering.

What are the airflow settings?

An air conditioner has a built in fan which allows the system to distribute the cooled air evenly in the applicable area.
It is ideal to have an air conditioner with efficient airflow and minimum noise.
Most air conditioners have oscillating or adjustable ‘louvers’ for controlling the direction of air flow (Up/Down or Left/Right).
In some air conditioners, louvers can be pointed up for cool air and down for warm air. This allows the air conditioner to heat / cool more effectively as required.
The left and right settings allow you to direct the airflow where you want it most.

Does the air conditioner have a ‘Timer’

A ‘timer’ lets you set your air conditioner to automatically switch on/off at a desired time.
The timer feature ensures a pleasant atmosphere inside the area and also works as an energy saver.
When you do not want your air conditioner to run for the entire night, you can set the timer to switch the air conditioner off at a later time in the night and also saves money on electricity bills. You can also set your air conditioner to switch on just before you get home allowing your home to be at a comfortable temperature as soon as you walk in the door.

Check the air conditioner to determine the quality of the air filters.

A large majority of air conditioners have various types of air filters in some form although only some air conditioning systems provide filters capable of filtering the air simultaneously as it is being cooled.
Such filters keep dust, bad odour, bacteria and other allergens away.
You should also ensure that the filter opens easily and offers convenience in manual cleaning and maintenance.

Does the air conditioner come with a remote control?

Many of the newly manufactured air conditioners will come with a remote control, which makes it convenient for you to control the operation of your air conditioner from a distance, without having to move to the air conditioner every time you want to make an adjustment.
A remote control can provide for essential functions like switching on/off, altering temperature, fan speed, cooling/heating mode, timer settings and more.

Does the air conditioner have a dehumidifier (dry) mode?

On a day when the humidity is high, condensation and moisture in the atmosphere have the effect of making weather conditions appear harsher than they actually are.
If your air conditioning equipment has a dehumidifier or (dry) mode it should take care of these factors.
A dehumidifier is a device that helps to eliminate excess moisture or condensation from the air in your house.
Useful in damp, hot or humid weather, it works to draw moisture-laden air out of an area therefore creating a more comfortable environment without that “sticky” feeling.

We hope this guide has provided you with useful information to assist you at arriving at the right decision when purchasing your air conditioner. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us, post an enquiry on our forum or give us a call on 03 9763 8988.