When you are choosing an AC system for your home, a central-air system is not a foregone conclusion. While a central-air system can be useful in pumping conditioned air into every room in your house, you don't always need to cool every room. Sometimes, you have rooms that do not need as much cooling as other rooms. For example, basement rooms tend to stay cooler than above ground rooms. Thus, you might find that basement rooms need less cooling than below ground rooms. In some cases, a mini-split system will give you the efficiency that you need. 

When Is a Central-Air System the Right Choice?

Central air systems work best in cases where the demand for conditioned air is high. For example, if you have a large family, you will likely need all of the rooms in your house. The benefit of a central-air system is also its main drawback. Pumping air into every room in your house means that you will have to maintain the same temperature in every room in your house. This means that whether a room needs cooling or not, you will have to cool it. Shutting a vent will increase the pressure on your duct system, so it is not a good answer to turning off the air in a room. The more rooms you have to shut off, the more you need an different option rather than central air.

When Is a Mini-Split System the Right Choice?

A mini-split system differs from a central air system in that it will have one main set of condenser coils and up to four smaller sets of evaporator coils. You can place these coils directly in the rooms you want to cool. You can also control the temperature in these rooms independently. Thus, if you have a smaller family and live in a big house, you can place coils only in the rooms that most need cooling. This will help you to cool your home more efficiently than you could with a central-air unit. 

In order to keep your home cool, you don't necessarily need the biggest system you can afford. Instead, you need a system that fits your needs. If you have a basement, you might not need cooling vents in those basement rooms at all. Choosing a cooling system is not an easy choice to unmake, so you need to weigh your options carefully and make a decision you can live with. Talk to experts like Ice Age Mechanical for more information.

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