How Much Should You Expect to Spend on An Air Conditioner for Your Home?

Spring warming is a reminder each year of how hot the summers can get, and consideration of air conditioning units rises. When considering an air conditioner for the home, a few options are available, including a window unit for the rooms that need cooling the most, a portable unit that can be moved as needed, or a central unit housed outside the home and runs through the ducts.

Window Unit

A window unit is installed each summer and removed for the winter. The majority of the unit is outside the window with the controls and front of the unit remaining within the room. A wide range of price points makes them affordable for most and easy to install and remove. From around $100 for a small unit that will cool a smaller room up to $500-$600 for a stronger unit that will cool larger spaces, they are available at many hardware and home supply stores.

Portable Air Conditioner

Portable air conditioning units are taller and stand on the floor with an exhaust hose that goes out the window. They are on wheels and can be moved from room to room as needed, with installation sets that will hold the hose in the window and block the rest of the opening. They are a few hundred dollars each. Often around $400-$800 and can cool larger rooms. Many are multipurpose and include dehumidifiers, fans, and even heaters, using them year-round. 

Central Air Conditioning

A central air conditioning unit is installed permanently throughout the home and runs through the same ducts as the furnace that heats the home in the winter. Installed together by companies like Batchelor air conditioning in Northamptonshire, and with a new furnace, there are often deals to be had on the double installation, and the large cooling system is housed outside the home and protected from the elements. This more costly system can run between $2500 and $5000 for an average home, more for any extras, or for a larger home, some homes being large enough to need two units to maintain a cool temperature within the home. Once installed, they are permanent and can not easily be removed.

Choosing the Right Unit 

Each of these types of air conditioning can fit specific needs and are popular solutions for specific needs. Renters are unable to install central air units and will use a window or portable air conditioning unit, and while a small unit can cool a room or two, a larger unit may be able to cool one level of a home. They are marked with BTUs, and the higher the BTU the stronger the unit is and the larger a space they can cool. Selecting the right unit is a balance between the amount of space to be cooled and the budget available for the unit and ongoing costs. A portable unit is easier and more affordable to replace, but often it is difficult to find someone who can service or repair them, though they use less energy and will cost less to maintain than a built-in unit. A central unit will increase utility costs but is easier to repair and maintain.