Choosing the Right Air Conditioner for Vancouver & West Coast Climates

With climate change becoming a reality, more and more Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, Langley, and Surrey homes and businesses are considering installing air conditioning.

A cooling system for your building can help make the summer and early fall more comfortable for your family, your team, and your customers. But if you’re ready to consider an air conditioning system, you have options. Which style of air conditioning best meets your needs? Knowing a few basic differences between different methods of air conditioning will help you make a decision.

Window Air Conditioner Units

Window air conditioner units need to vent to the outdoors, so they are usually placed in windows. They take warm air from the inside of your house, cool it, and deposit heat to the outside. A window air conditioning unit is inexpensive and can be removed during the rest of the year. They have certain limitations: They cool only a small area, usually the room that the window unit is placed in.

Some home owners may find a window unit unsightly. Cost is a two-edged sword with a window air conditioner unit: The unit itself is less expensive, but the resulting energy bill will be higher than other systems.

You might consider a window unit if you only need to cool one or two rooms, or if you are renting and can’t make permanent changes in your building.

Portable Air Conditioner Units

Portable air conditioner units are similar to window units. Like window air conditioners, they vent hot air to the outside and cool inside. They vent through a pipe rather than being located in a window. Portable air conditioners are more flexible than window units because they don’t need to be placed in a window.

Like window units they have a fairly low start up cost but may cost more to operate. They tend to be the noisiest of the air conditioning options.

Central Air Conditioning (also called ducted air conditioning)

The gold standard of air conditioning systems, central air conditioning consists of two units: a condensing unit located outside your house, and an evaporative unit located inside your furnace.

Central air conditioning uses the same ducts that your pressed air furnace uses. Central air conditioning cools your entire home and is quieter and more energy-efficient than other options.

It costs more to set up but will save money on energy bills compared to portable and window units.

Ductless Air Conditioning

Ductless systems are similar to central air conditioning in that the condensing unit is outside and separate from the evaporative unit. They are different because instead of using the ducts of your building, ductless air conditioning works with hoses that run through the walls.

The evaporative units are not in the furnace but instead in different rooms. The units themselves can be expensive compared to window or portable units, but ductless air conditioning is a good way to cool an entire house or building.

Find out more about the Benefits of Ductless Air Conditioning here.

For other cooling options, we also install ceiling fans along with all the electrical installations.

How to Get a Pro Ace Estimate for your AC Installation

Are you thinking of air conditioning options? If you are, a Pro Ace professional can help you make your decision. Once you’ve chosen a system, a Pro Ace HVAC professional will provide smooth, economical installation and maintenance to ensure your system works and keeps working.

If you are anywhere in the Vancouver area, give Pro Ace a call at 604-293-3770 to discuss your air conditioning needs.