What Kind of Air Conditioner Should I Get?

What air conditioners are the best to beat the heat?

If Victorians agree on one thing, it’s this: our weather is nuts!

Ranging from frosty winters to summers during which even the midnight air gives no respite, Victoria’s climate is certainly dynamic. As such, your choice regarding the best heating/cooling system can be a tough one – particularly because it’s hard to bet on the environmental conditions you’ll be facing from year-to-year!

When it comes to choosing the best air conditioner in 2023, it’s essential to dive deep, considering your specific circumstances, interests and the options available to you in your local area.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the various types of air conditioners for sale in Victoria, helping you make a well-structured and informed decision based on your particular needs. Whether you’re looking to cool a small apartment or a large house, retrofit an old property, or install a system in a new home, we’ve got you covered with this handy guide.

What are the different types of air conditioners in Victoria?

Before diving into the specifics of the best air conditioners for 2023 for sale in Victoria, let’s briefly explore the various types available, along with their range of both benefits and drawbacks:

Portable air conditioners

These are relatively compact and portable units that can be temporarily installed in a window without the need for a permanent fixture.

• Benefits: Easy to install and move, no permanent installation required
• Drawbacks: Limited cooling capacity, only suitable for small spaces

Window air conditioners

These are older-style units that are typically housed (semi-permanently) within the space of an entire window frame. These air conditioners are now rarely installed.

• Benefits: Relatively affordable and efficient for cooling single rooms
• Drawbacks: Requires a window opening, limited to cooling one area, can be quite bulky and unsightly given reduction in natural light

Reverse-cycle air conditioners

These flexible and adaptable solutions (suitable for both houses and most apartments) involve one interior unit (usually installed high on an interior wall) and one external unit.

• Benefits: Both heating and cooling capabilities, energy-efficient, suitable for various room sizes
• Drawbacks: Higher upfront costs

Hydronic heating and cooling systems

These wonderfully-regarded, adaptable, whole-house solutions can be facilitated by a heat pump, offering maxim efficiency with little fuss.

• Benefits: Efficient, even heating/cooling, suitable for larger spaces, can be “zoned” (heat/cool different areas of your house)
• Drawbacks: Requires professional installation, higher upfront costs

Ducted heating and cooling systems

As the name suggests, ducted systems deliver whole-whole heating and/or cooling via ducts installed within the floors and/or walls of your home.

• Benefits: Zoning capabilities, whole-house heating/cooling, energy-efficient
• Drawbacks: Expensive, requires installation during construction or renovation

Evaporative cooling systems

Evaporative cooling employs evaporation to cool hot, dry outside air. It involves drawing this air through water-soaked cooling pads, where the water evaporates and absorbs heat, ultimately reducing the air temperature.

• Benefits: Energy-efficient, suitable for dry climates, provides fresh air
• Drawbacks: Ineffective in humid conditions, requires regular maintenance

Now that we’ve covered the basics of the kinds of aircon systems available on the Victorian market, let’s take a deep dive into exactly what’s considered to be the “best” system.

Firstly:

What is “best” depends on your circumstances

Choosing the best air conditioner in 2023 depends on several factors specific to your situation. Here are just a handful of questions to ask yourself before reading on. Trust us – this will help!

What’s your budget for upfront costs?

Determine how much you’re willing to invest initially, as different types of air conditioners come with varying price tags.

Do you understand upfront costs vs. long-term savings?

Are you comfortable with higher upfront costs if it means lower long-term energy bills, or do you prefer a budget-friendly option now?

Are you eligible for any Solar Victoria rebates?

Explore solar rebates available in Victoria or the range of other incentives offered by the Victorian government to offset your upfront costs.

What are your patterns of energy usage?

Consider your typical energy usage and how often you’ll use the air conditioner throughout the year (and at what times/in what seasons).

Do you need cooling capacity, or heating as well?

Have a think about whether or not you’re focused solely on air conditioning, or if you plan to incorporate other energy-efficient systems into your home at a later date (a heat pump, for example, can help you facilitate not only heating/cooling but other amazing household energy-efficient solutions!).

Have you had a think about how these questions apply to you? Great – you’re ready to discover the range of air conditioners and HVAC/heating and cooling systems we recommend!

Let’s get started.

What is the best air conditioner for a small space or apartment?

If you’re living in a smaller apartment, your ideal choice may be a reverse-cycle air conditioner.

As well as being relatively compact and flexible, these units offer both cooling and heating capabilities, making them versatile for the changing Victorian seasons. Portable air conditioners are also an option, particularly if there are restrictions on external installations as is the case in some heritage-listed overlay buildings. Note, however, that portable air conditioners are generally less efficient that reverse-cycles, and tend to be bulkier/take up more space.

Check out our range of great reverse-cycle split-system air conditioners here.

What is the best cooling/heating system for a larger home?

For larger houses, we suggest that you strongly consider hydronic heating/cooling systems or ducted heating/cooling systems.

These amazing cooling/heating options can efficiently regulate the temperature throughout your home, ensuring comfort in every room – and throughout every season/weather event too! This is what most manufacturers call “zoning” – that is, the ability to effectively individually regulate the temperature and climate-related conditions of individual spaces.

You can check out our hydronic heating/cooling systems here.

But your options don’t stop there. Evaporative and ducted cooling systems are other alternatives that can be zoned to address specific cooling needs in each area of your home.

What is the best air conditioner for a new house or build?

If you’re building a new house, you have the advantage of planning your air conditioning system from the start – and well in advance! This opens the door to nearly all options available on the market today, including hydronic, ducted and evaporative systems, as well as splits and even multi-splits (which can run several indoor units off a single exterior unit).

Not sure which option is best for you? Our G Store team is deeply experienced when it comes to working with builders and architects. We can work with you and your team to help decide on the best option for your circumstances – just give us a call on 1300 137 567.

What is the best air conditioner for an old house or apartment?

Retrofitting an older property (either free-standing house or apartment) with air conditioning often calls for perhaps the most versatile air conditioning solution of them all: reverse-cycle air conditioners. These units can be installed flexibly and are therefore considered to be generally well-suited to older homes, providing effective heating and cooling throughout the year.

Note, however, that we generally suggest looking into concurrent passive heating/cooling options for your property – particularly if it’s an existing build. Minimising drafts, maximising shade, and making other small-but-meaningful decisions is likely to help your air conditioner work a little less harder – and reduce your bills as a result.

Which air conditioner has the best technology?

One air conditioning solution that truly stands out in 2023 is Panasonic’s supreme nanoe™X technology.

This incredible feat of design is far more than just an air conditioner; it’s a 2-in-1, boundary-pushing appliance that not only cools and heats your home but also purifies your indoor air.

This unique technology crafted by one of the world’s most recognised HVAC brands boasts several other key benefits, including:

• Deodorisation: nanoe™X effectively eliminates strong and unpleasant odours, ensuring a fresher and more pleasant indoor environment.
• Inhibits bacteria and viruses: Unlike standalone air purifiers, nanoe™X actively spreads ions through the air and onto surfaces, inhibiting up to 99% of airborne and adhered bacteria and viruses. It also targets other pollutants like mould, allergens, pollen, and hazardous substances.
• Moisturises and hydrates your hair and skin: nanoe™X combines with natural skin oils to coat your skin, resulting in smoother, well-hydrated skin and sleeker hair.

What’s more, Panasonic’s incredible nanoe™X purifying technology has received confirmed and celebrated recognition from the National Asthma Council Australia’s community program, Sensitive Choice. This makes this particular air conditioner suitable for those with asthma, allergies or other sensitives to airborne materials.

The greatest thing? nanoe™X continues to purify and deodorise your indoor air, even when the system itself isn’t running. Isn’t that incredible.

You can learn more about nanoe™X in our online Learning Centre.

Wrapping up

Know you need to update your air conditioning but don’t know where to begin?

Check out more of our Learning Centre’s aircon blogs, or give our award-winning team a call today on 1300 137 567 for free, generous advice and the right guidance.

We can’t wait to speak with you.