Cooling Basics

Air Conditioning Basics

Two Types of Central Air Conditioning Systems:

A Split system is where one unit is placed inside the house and the other is outside. The outside unit is either an air conditioner or a heat pump with the condenser and compressor equipment inside. The indoor unit contains an electric or gas furnace for heating. The indoor unit will be placed in an attic, a basement or a utility closet.

A Packaged systems is a combination of an air conditioner and furnace into a single outdoor unit. A packaged system provides more flexibility for small homes freeing up space without having the indoor HVAC unit.

Both mini-split systems and packaged HVAC systems require ductwork to circulate air throughout the home. These systems are controlled by centrally located thermostats.