Dragging out the old window air conditioning units again for the summer? It can be a grueling task every year. Taking the window units out, putting them back in, avoiding the dripping water from the unit. They can be effective, but often don’t do a perfect job, and have more drawbacks than advantages when it comes to cooling a specific space in your home.
In this article, we’ll go over the top reasons why window ACs just aren’t worth it anymore. And, we’ll tell you a little about a great way to upgrade without adding ductwork to your home!
And, if you’d like to learn more about how to make your Havertown or Main Line home more comfortable in the summer while spending less on your electric bill, call or email us here at John Cipollone.
7 Reasons To Get Rid Of Old Window Air Conditioners
The biggest drawbacks to window ACs are that they:
- Take Up A Window
- Tend To Leak
- Aren’t Always Effective
- Drive Up Electric Bills
- Are Very Noisy
- Are Safety Hazards
- Require Many For The Whole House
Take Up A Window
It may be nice to have AC in a room, but that means you don’t get to use that window all summer long. If you have units in every room of the house, that’s a lot of windows that get taken up for four months or longer.
Tend To Leak
Water drips from the window unit. Wherever you hang it, you need to make sure there is nothing underneath that could be damaged by the water.
Aren’t Always Effective
These units may do the trick for a bit, but usually it’s not perfect. When you first turn them on, the room is too hot. When they are finally working at full capacity the room becomes too col. And sitting in a path of where the cold air is blowing directly is usually freezing! Plus, they only work for one room.
Drive Up Electric Bills
These weren’t exactly designed to be energy efficient units, and therefore can run your electric bills up depending on how often they are run. If you are out of the house most of the day, or don’t have many people living in the home it may not cost a ton, but if you are cooling several rooms at a time for the majority of the day the energy use will eventually add up.
Are Very Noisy
You may not think this is a big deal. But, once you put a unit on in the living room and try to watch TV, you will see how loud and obtrusive they can be. Central air systems and ductless units are designed to be very quiet, much unlike a clunky window unit.
Are Safety Hazards
Window units have to be securely fastened. Otherwise, they can fall out of the window. That could hurt someone below. Or, a burglar can gain easy access to your home by pushing the unit in through the window.
Require Many For The Whole House
If you don’t have any sort of central air system in your home, you’re likely using window units to cool your whole home. To do that, you’ll need a bunch of them. You can’t practically move the units from room to room throughout the day, so you will need a unit for each room you’d like to cool. It becomes costly and bothersome.
As you can seem there are a lot of drawbacks to window units, despite them being able to cool you off in a pinch. Sure, you can easily grab one and throw it in a window. But, there are a lot of consequences that come with it. Luckily, there are alternatives.
Ductless Heating And Cooling Replaces Window Air Conditioners
Do you already have a central air conditioning system, but install a window unit into a room that can’t stay cool? Maybe a bedroom on the top floor? Or, do you have no ductwork in your home, and window units are your main cooling option?
If so, we recommend looking into ductless heating and cooling instead of portable ACs. With a ductless split, you only need an indoor unit that hangs on the wall. will hang on the wall. You can use it the same way you do your old ACs. And you can get heat from them, too!
Ductless heating and cooling is also whisper-quiet and energy-efficient. They don’t cost as much as window units to run, won’t take up a window, and don’t have to be taken out at winter time.
Central Air Vs. Ductless Mini Splits
If you’re using window units all throughout your home to get the job done, we would recommend looking into a central air system, or a multi-zone ductless system.
A central air system will take care of your whole home, and you won’t have to worry about which rooms are cool and which are hot. You won’t have to come home to a hot house and wait for the window units to kick in.
Window units can only last so long, and clearly aren’t the best solutions. With very little maintenance, a central air system works much better and for much longer. If you are throwing away a broken unit, don’t go out and buy a new one, look for a better, more permanent solution.
However, the drawback if you don’t have forced-air heat is that you’ll need to install ductwork. It’s very expensive and requires a lot of work on your house. Instead, a multi-zone ductless system features easy installation in every room.
Air Conditioner Installation In Havertown, PA
If you have any questions about ductless or central air conditioning installation for your Havertown, PA home, give us a call at (610) 446-7877! At John Cipollone, we want to help you make your home comfortable, and to help you take your windows back this summer!