For homeowners who plan to live in the house for several years, central air conditioning is a more popular option, particularly for a home that is equipped with a forced-air heating system. Central air conditioning costs a lot more to install than a couple of room units—figure $3500 or more for central AC—but central AC cools the entire house, is more energy-efficient than running several portable units, is quieter than room air conditioners, is hidden from view, and is an investment that ads to the home’s value. For more about how a central system works, see How Central Air Conditioning Works. Before making a decision, also be sure to check out HomeTips’s information on Heat Pumps, which can be a more affordable means of cooling many homes than central air conditioners. So, when deciding between buying one or more room air conditioners or a central air conditioning system, ask yourself the following: 1Do you own your house? If not, you’re stuck with room air conditioners unless you can talk your landlord into installing central AC.

2Will one or two room AC units do the job? If so, this is probably your best answer because you can get AC working quickly and relatively inexpensively, and your energy bills will be lower than they would be if you were running central air conditioning. 3Will it take more than two room AC units to meet your cooling needs? If so, you’re nearing the tipping point. The cost of three or more room AC units would make a good down-payment on central air conditioning. And operating three or more room AC units can really boost your electric bills. 4Can you budget for central air conditioning? It pays to, at the very least, get a couple of bids from air conditioning contractors so you know what the cost would be. Bids are free and are necessary to make an informed decision. If your cooling needs call for central AC, you intend to stay in your home for several years, and you can afford the initial cost, it usually makes sense to opt for central AC. Agent, Red Hook, NY Home Buyer, Jackson Springs, NC

I'd imagine that it would change the value quite a bit. Usually buyers prefer a central cooling system. That's mostly because they control the temperature better and more evenly throughout the house. You'll definitely want to find a good contractor, though, to ensure that you get good work done. I would imagine that central air conditioning would definitely be preferred over any other air conditioning options. copper from ac unitWhen something is more preferred, it's only logical to assume that the asking price of homes with it would be higher than the asking price of homes without it. indoor ac unit dimensionsI would definitely suggest keeping that in mind when looking at places.different types of flexible ac transmission system

Central air is definitely preferred when it comes to most people. I would guess that the majority of people would want central air, especially over all other air conditioning options. If you are buying a house, you should definitely keep this in mind when looking at houses to buy. If you're looking to sell, you should keep this idea in mind and consider changing your system if you don't have central air conditioning. Jeff, that's a great question about wall AC vs. central air with regards to the asking price of a home. I would assume that it can make a difference in the price, have you consulted a Realtor? It might also be a good idea to speak with a reputable, licensed, and insured HVAC professional. I'm sure an air conditioning professional could give someone a rough idea as to how much it would cost to upgrade a wall ac into central air. Based on the difference, you may be able to calculate the difference in the overall asking price of a home. , Los Angeles, CA I think that different types of air conditioning will add quite a bit of value to a home.

It's a good idea to have someone come look at your home and decide which system will be best for you. Central air conditioning usually fetches the highest price. Split systems are a nice alternative, though. Depending on how hot your region gets, it might not make too big of a difference. Just make sure that it is in good working order, so that you can show it off to buyers. Both Buyer And Seller, Indianapolis, IN Home Buyer, Boston, MA Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps Residential central air conditioners and heat pumps are installed as part of a home's central heating and cooling system. They use ducts to distribute cooled or dehumidified air to more than one room. Residential central air conditioners and heat pumps include split system central air conditioners and heat pumps; single package central air conditioners, small-duct high-velocity products, and space constrained products. For more information, see the DOE’s Appliance and Equipment Standards for this product.

I've done as much research as i can an every site i hit seems to have a different story on my question: "Will a dehumidifier save energy while running your AC through the summer"? The ones that say "yes" pretty much reason that you usually can raise your thermostat a few degrees because of the lower humidity it will "feel" more comfortable. While they reason that yes AC do dehumidify also but it will put less of a load on your AC system. The ones that say "no" say AC units doesn't run optimally when a dehumidifier is running (they don't go into details). Also, by design, dehumidifiers heat the air. How much of a difference that makes, i don't know. That being said dehumidifiers do pull quite a bit of energy (i'm sure not NEARLY the amount of an AC unit though). I live in zone 5 (central IL). Hot/humid summers and cold/dry winters. I don't need a dehumidifier for the winter (we actually need a humidifier then). Also, as a lot of you probably already know, current dehumidifiers are some of the most unreliable appliances you can buy.

Its one of the few things i know make sure i get an extended warranty for. I'm on my 3rd unit and, one of the reasons i'm here, is to find out if i need to budget for another one. Sure i'm sure there will be days when i could not run the AC and just run the dehumidifier but i don't think there will be enough of those days to warrant a dehumidifier if i really don't need one. A dehumidifier is about the same as a window AC unit with both parts in the house, for most purposes. They draw just as much power as an A/C unit of similar size (or more if they happen to be old and inefficient.) Given that the required energy labeling on A/C units tends to promote a degree of of paying attention to that, and it's much less clear on dehumidifiers, I suspect that in many cases the A/C of similar size will actually use less power - and it doesn't make your house hot. Sure, comparing a room dehumidifier to a whole house A/C, the whole house uses more energy - but it also removes more water from the air, and cools the house.

It would only be ANY savings if the whole house was LESS efficient (power in to water out) than the dehumidifier. If you are running the A/C as well, you are also ADDING the heat from the dehumidifier to the A/C load. In short, run the A/C, don't bother with a dehumidifier unless you have a job that a dehumidifier (alone) is suited for; Which it sounds like you probably don't. If you want to get "something like that" without the downsides, when your water heater wears out, consider a heat pump water heater - free hot water with a little A/C, or free A/C with your hot water. Still rather expensive, but sometimes with large rebates available too. I would say a dehumidifier would not be a more efficient choice for summer comfort than turning down the thermostat on an A/C. Sure, the delta-T across exterior walls would drop, so somewhat less heat would seep in from outside, but as was already mentioned, the A/C then has to remove the dehumidifier's additional heat from the home (100% of the input power plus the heat imparted from condensation).

However, they can be useful in certain home scenarios, like a mold/mildew-prone basement that is typically cold and humid. Colder air can hold less moisture than warmer air (check out a psychrometic chart for proof), so cooling raises the relative humidity of the supply air, and in areas that are very humid, targeting a certain relative humidity using a split (condenser outside) A/C system can lead to runaway cooling. Indeed, the simplest and cheapest dehumidifier is a space heater (resistive heating strips are used in some commercial applications in combination with an A/C), but that's not much good for efficient comfort in the summer. In the summer, we need to operate a dehumidifier in our basement to keep it below 60% RH despite (and likely due in part to) setting a relatively low (70-72F) A/C setpoint for comfort on the main level. An added benefit is that the heat from the dehum keeps the basement less chilly, which also indirectly helps to lower the RH. I just had an AC technician advise me to get an AC unit with included dehumidifier to address a problem of dripping vents and mold on the upstairs units.

I live in New Orleans, so the humidity is high. He says that the combo should eliminate the mold and the AC would be more efficient, thus cost saving. Another option is to get just the humidifier unit to go up with the AC unit, although our AC units are already 12 years old, so perhaps a new unit is a better choice. My personal experience: our AC wasn't running well in humid weather so we bought a dehumidifier to help it out. It made the room warmer and removed the humidity from the rooms, which according to the technician, the AC actually needed. The AC stopped working at all and the house became warmer. I can't say for certain all things are related but the evidence is there. I have been running a dehumidifier all summer, WITH the AC. My July Bill was EIGHTY SEVEN DOLLARS here in central Delaware for my 1700 SF house,....normally it is $200.....Dehumidifying and running an AC unit both use evaporative cooling....Knowledge of the laws of Thermodynamics is very useful, and not for just disproving ridiculous "Global Warming" alarmists!!!!