As temperatures rise and our summers get longer and hotter, more and more people are turning to efficient, cost-effective HVAC solutions for respite. While “getting air conditioning” might seem like the most obvious answer to a hot home, the options can be vastly reduced for homeowners who live in apartments – whether because of space, owners’ corporation restrictions, or otherwise. Luckily, our award-winning HVAC team has thrown together this handy guide to cooling/heating solutions for small spaces with the help of the best apartment air conditioners – including your apartment. In this article, we’ll take a look at:
- How air conditioning works
- The types of air conditioners that are available
- The best types of air conditioners for apartments and small spaces
How does air conditioning work?
The type of cooling/heating or HVAC system you choose will operate in a slightly different manner to other options on the table – more about this below.
In general, most air conditioners work via an exchange between an evaporator (generally the indoor unit) and condenser (generally the outdoor unit).
As a liquid refrigerant inside the evaporator unit’s coil converts to a gas, heat from the air inside your apartment or home is absorbed into the refrigerant. This facilitates the action of cooling the air as it passes over the coil. The indoor unit’s interior blower fan then pumps that cool air through your home’s ducts (or whatever interior unit is installed) and out into the various rooms of your home.
What types of air conditioners are available?
There are a number of types of air conditioners available on the global HVAC market today, each with their pros, cons, particulars and specifications.
At G Store, we advise that each of the available categories of air conditioner are best-fit for a particular context, need and/or purpose. Therefore, it makes sense to understand the scope of your options before you make a decision – and we can help you with that, so don’t fret!
The main types of air conditioners available include:
- Split-system air conditioners
- Multi-split system air conditioners
- Ducted air conditioning systems
- Evaporative cooling systems
- Hydronic heating/cooling systems
- Portable air conditioners
- Window/wall air conditioners
To understand which option is going to be best-suited to your needs, there are a number of things you’ll need to consider including:
- The size of the space that needs cooling (e.g. single room or multiple rooms?)
- Your budget for upfront costs
- Your relationship to the option of clean, sustainable energy sources
- The design of your building
What makes air conditioning challenging in an apartment?
Owner-occupiers will know that installing air conditioning in a heritage-listed or protected apartment can be tricky business.
For example, buildings completed in a particular era and without balconies can be restricted in terms of installing particular models of air conditioner on the outside of the building, for fear of affecting the building’s appearance.
Other apartment-owners experience restrictions in terms of the wall space available within their unit, as they may with the external space available for installation of the exterior air conditioning unit (e.g. in the case of a split-system).
Are you looking to install air conditioning in your unit or apartment building? Our friendly and experienced team would love to chat with you and/or your owners’ corporation about the best-fit options available to you – just give us a call on 1300 137 567 and never worry again about returning to a boiling-hot apartment!
With this in mind, let’s look at some of the best air conditioners for small spaces.
What’s the best apartment air conditioners for a small space?
Split-systems
Split-system air conditioners contain both an interior unit and external unit, and are perfect for apartments with enclosed balconies (where the external unit can be installed) and some internal wall space which can be dedicated to the internal wall unit.
With split-system air conditioners, you have the choice of multiple brands and units, with some extremely efficient options now available on the market. Remember: technology is adapting, changing and innovating all the time!
We’ve got some great specials coming up on high-efficiency air conditioners in 2023, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled or sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear about and access the deals!
Multi-split systems
Multi-split system air conditioners operate in a similar manner to split-systems – however, they allow you to run multiple indoor units of a single exterior unit. This makes them the perfect potential solution for apartments that while small, have multiple rooms that require cooling.
Portable air conditioners
While there’ll likely come a time when owners’ corporations can no longer restrict the ability of unit owners to install cooling/heating systems (largely due to climate concerns), portable aircons often make a simple, non-invasive solution to this conundrum possible.
While generally far less efficient than a split-system and/or reverse-cycle option, portable air conditioners can provide effective cooling for a small space where preservation of the external appearance of the building is paramount.
Window/wall air conditioners
A slightly older style of unit, window air conditioners do exactly that: sit in place of a window so that the single-unit air conditioner has access to the outside air for the purposes of ventilation.
Be careful: as convenient as they might seem, some models of window air conditioners can be a little unsightly and you’ll want to be certain they’re not close to a room that’s used for rest or sleeping – they can be a little noisy too.
Wrapping up
This just in: with such massive leaps ahead in technology, chances are that you no longer have to put up with a hot, sticky home in the height of summer – right when comfort matters the most.
A safe, efficient and cost-effective alternative is possible, and we can’t wait to help you find it. Call our friendly, award-winning team today (1300 137 567) to discuss your options when it comes to small-space HVAC solutions, or check out our Learning Centre for more handy info, tips and tricks.
Get in touch
Ready for your obligation-free consultation call?
Give our friendly team a call today on 1300 137 567. We can’t wait to meet you
1300 137 567
Send us a message