How to choose a right air conditioner for your Los Angeles home?

There are different types of air conditioners on the market:

Window / Wall Air Conditioner
These air coolers are mounted in the window opening or a thin wall.  This type of Air Conditioners varies from 1.5 to 6 kW, and is sufficient to cool the room up to 270 sq. ft.   There are the single type (cold only) and universal (cold, heat). Current models of window air conditioners come with a remote control for easy control from a distance.

Pros

• easy to install (no need for special tools, you can install yourself)
• reliability
•  low cost

Cons

• loud operation - night work will disturb your sleep
• when installed in a window blocks light coming from the street

      Portable Air Conditioner
Portable air conditioners are easy to install in any room. They even can take with you to the cottage or on vacation. The main concern is to ensure allocation of warm air out of the refrigerated room.  A special hose that can be put in thought the window or open door will do the work.

      Pros

•  does not require installation, because of this they are not tied to a particular room
• mobility

      Cons

• condensate needs to be manually drained from the chamber
• noise
• more expensive
• seal is lost due to opened door or window, and the cooling effect is worse than window air conditioners or split systems.

Split systems
Is the most common type of air conditioning system today.  Its design consists of two parts, one of which - the noisiest - located outside (condenser), and the other (furnace and coil) inside.  Split systems fit into any interior, some models can be powered from a single outdoor unit to 5 valves (multi split system).
 
Pros

• quiet
• lots of bells and whistles (night mode, heating, ventilation, drainage, zoning, variable speed, etc.)
• a large selection of independent internal units

Cons

• the need for professional installation, from $4,000 and up

What to look for
First, you need to choose the right “size” of air conditioner, where size means the ability of the unit to produce cool air.  Air conditioning is not common household appliances, but a complex instrument, which has to be installed correctly.   Proper air conditioning installation requires State License Board licensed, EPA certified contractor who will provide you with a high quality system that best suits your home and your cooling needs.   


Always look into the warranty that is offered to you by the contractor.  Brand name systems offer 10 to 20 years manufacturers warranty which fives you years of protection and peace of mind.