Air conditioning is among the systems that keeps each and every New York home as comfortable as possible. Especially on hot summer months, air conditioners are among the cores from where the quality of indoor living greatly depends on. So whether you are in Long Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, or Queens; it pays to learn more about these types of appliances to maximize indoor comforts, save more money and even help in the reduction of environmental pollution.

By definition, air conditioners may refer to single appliances or a whole system that keeps an area cool through extraction of heat and blowing them back as cooler air. This cycle is known as refrigeration. The process that these appliances do makes up the complete HVAC system that results to a more livable home. Other than cooling, these units may also serve other functions including:

• Enhancing indoor air through filtering mold spores, pollen, dust, and other allergens as well as dirt and everyday pollutants, and

• Act as dehumidifiers that reduce the chances of health risks inside homes.

These units may be categorized into different types.

Room Air Conditioning Appliances

Also known as window air conditioner units, these appliances ideally provide cooling for small spaces only. Though their efficiency may be considered lower than other types, the operating costs are not as expensive. These types are commonly used by hotels, inns and other hospitality businesses and for rooms in the house that are seldom used due to its plug in and out feature—providing cooling only when needed.

Central Air Conditioning Units

This type is composed of a larger piece of appliance that cools air in more than one room through a series of supply and return ducts and registers. Central air conditioning units are either packaged or split system.

• A packaged system has all its components including the compressor, condenser and evaporator stored in one cabinet which can be found next to your home’s foundation or on the roof. Packaged air conditioning units can often be bought readily including a central heater—natural gas furnace or electric heating coils. This eliminates the need to supply a separate furnace inside the house.

• With a split system air conditioning unit, both the compressor and condenser are located in an outdoor storage while the evaporator can be found at the top of an air handler unit, indoors. The indoor storage may also contain the heating system which is the indoor portion of a heat pump or a furnace. This type is ideal for homes with furnaces but still without air conditioning units.

With trends in going green in home improvements, more and more homeowners are opting for energy efficient methods of keeping air cooler without wasting much energy and thus saving more money. To not overwork your air conditioning systems, there are improvements you could undertake including: having radiant barriers installed on the roof, thermal siphoning, shading areas through landscaping, and ensuring proper and sufficient insulation.

As different homes call for different types of air conditioning units to maximize indoor comfort and efficiency, it is important to contact HVAC companies or HVAC contractors to size an air conditioner for your specific home needs.