Air Conditioner Purchasing Guide
Buying an Air Conditioner, made easy….

Are you currently renting?

If you live in rented accommodation you might consider other kinds of air conditioning that doesn?t need installation such as fans, or a portable air conditioner.

What size is the space you are trying to heat or cool?

Think about the size of the space you are trying to cool or heat before purchasing an AC system. Mismatching the space to the air conditioning unit will leave you feeling unsatisfied and could mean wasted energy. Check out our Starpower Electricians Air Conditioning for Dummies chart

Will you be needing cooling in the summer and heating in the winter time?

If you need to cool your home in the summer and heat it in the winter then consider a reverse cycle air conditioning system for year round climate control.

Learn about Air Conditioning

Let us help you learn about the common air conditioning terms you will come across, we will shine some Starpower lights and tell you what they all mean!

Split System

One of the terms used to describe an air conditioner with both heating and cooling capabilities. ?It?s also known as a reverse cycle, they?re the same thing!

Reverse Cycle

One of the terms used to describe an air conditioner with both heating and cooling capabilities. ?At the flick of a switch, the split system reverses its cycle pushing cold air or hot air depending on the mode selected. ?That?s why they call it reverse cycle, put it into reverse and you get the opposite effect!

Inverter

Inverter insures there?s no sudden spike in energy usage and brings the power on very slowly and economically. ?It helps with energy efficiency because it avoids surges. ?Inverter air conditioners deliver a constant airflow for improved temperature regulation and increased energy efficiency.

Smart Air conditioners

Smart AC connects to your home WIFI so you can monitor and control their output using an app on your smart phone.

Ducted Cooling

Offers first class cooling efficiency and economy with superior performance. ?The air is moved and placed exactly where you want it to go through ducts, rather than just spilled into an open room.

Ducted Heating

This refers to gas ducted heating. ?Buyer be warned, contrary to popular belief gas actually isn?t cheap. It?s a fossel fuel and so isn?t environmentally friendly either.

Efficiency and Capacity

Efficiency

The efficiency of an air conditioner is given as a star-rating and established by determining the ratio of power input to cooling and heating capacity.

Capacity

Air conditioning capacity and output is measured in killowatt hours (kW) A star rating system is used to show Efficiency, the more stars a unit has, the more efficient it is. The star rating shows how close they can get it to 100%.

Reverse cycle

Reverse cycle air conditioners use two kW values: the first for cooling capacity and the second for heating.

Which Air Conditioner Size is best for your room size?

Rest at ease, we’re here to help you choose the right air conditioner size to fit your room size. If an air conditioner is too small for a large room, then you risk over working your air conditioner and it will never quite be able to keep up with the cooling/ heating job you’re asking it to do and you’ll be left feeling unsatisfied. The same goes the other way around, if you place a larger air conditioner in a smaller room, then it’s simply overkill, you’ll be running up your energy costs unnecessarily, no one likes wasted energy. So we’ve come up with this little chart “air conditioning for dummies,” it’ll give you a bit of a starting point.

Before checking out our chart, you should know that there are many other factors that come into play when choosing the right air conditioner for your office room or home room, consider;

  • Room size
  • The height of the celling
  • Insulation
  • Windows
  • The level of sunlight
  • Aesthetics (the ladies of the house generally would like an nice looking air conditioner!)
  • As a very rough rule, an air conditioner needs at least 80 watts of power per square meter in the room. So the equation is m2 x 80W / 1000 = kW. But remember when it comes to appliances nothing is ever 100% efficient. So you should make some allowances for this.

Air Conditioning for Dummies chart

Starpower Electricians Airconditioning for dummies chart is an approximation of required cooling and heating capacities for different room sizes.

3.0m x 3.0m = 9m2

2.5KW(C)/3.2KW(H)

5.0m x 5.0m = 25m2

3.5kw(C)/3.7KW - 4.3KW (H)

5.5m x 5.5m = 30m2

3.5kw(c)/3.7KW(H)-5.0KW(C)/6.0KW(H)

6.3m x 6.3m = 40m2

5.0KW(C)/6.0KW(H)-6.0KW(C)/7.2KW(H)

6.7m x 6.7m = 45m2

6.0KW(C)/7.2KW(H) - 7.1KW(C)/8.0KW(H)

7.1m x 7.1m = 50m2

7.1KW(C)/8.0KW(H) - 8.0KW(C)/9.0KW(H)

7.7m x 7.7m = 55m2

8.0KW(C)/9.0KW(H) - 9.2KW(C)/10.0KW(H)

Why we love Split System Air Conditioning!

There are so many good things to mention when it comes to Split System Air Conditioning / Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning which ever you like to call it.  They’re truly something we, team at Starpower Electricians get excited about!

Efficient

First are foremost Split System Air Conditioners are efficient, plus, it’s just a little box that goes on your wall and spews out reliable cool or warm air all day and night!

Super Quiet

These guys are super quiet!  Because they consist of two units, the “split system,” one part is installed inside your home, the other outside so you can relax in quiet comfort.  All the heat the split system unit generates is left outside too- there’s another tick for efficiency!

Easy to install

Reverse Cycle Aircondtioners are easily installed without cutting massive holes your walls.  Installation of split system airconditioning is unobtrusive, only a small little hole is cut.

Perfect Climate

Set yourself up in the perfect climate at the touch of a button, whether it be the Bahamas or the North Pole, it’s so very easy to do with Split System Air Conditioning.

Powerful

They come in different power ranges which makes them ideal for people wanting to cool larger rooms and even an entire home.

Premium Features

Some of the higher end split system air conditioners have cool features (pun intended) like built-in WiFi which allows you to remotely control your air conditioner unit via your smart phone.  Some have cleansing Air Ionisers too, which remove allergens and air born particles using ionization, really increases air quality and is great in the spring when there’s lot of pollen around and great for people with pets.  Others have built in motion sensors, which increase the over all efficiency.