Choose any random residential street, and you will certainly see plenty of window air conditioning units. Those clunky, cumbersome boxes secured in open windows are supposed to be a complete system to cool down a chosen room in your home.

And this is your first issue, because they work only in a room, and not your whole house.

Some choose to deal with this issue by using several window air conditioners as a workaround. And this is where we ask you: are you sure this is your best possible solution?

What if you had access to a system that is cost-efficient, easily programmable, unobtrusive, and also increases the value of your home?

These are all the benefits you get when you install a central AC.

Next, we will go into the details of the battle between central ACs and window units. You will quickly realize that a central AC system always wins the duel when you compare them in terms of cost reduction and energy efficiency.

1. Cost-Efficiency

During the past 10 to 15 years, the central AC systems certified by Energy Star became 30 to 40% more efficient. That alone means big monthly savings for your budget!

A central AC system uses from 3,000 to 5,000 W per hour. While the number sounds big, keep in mind that it will cool down your entire home.

Having multiple window AC units end up drawing the same amount of electricity, while also being less efficient. Their window position isn’t airtight, so cold air escapes continually to outside your home. Why would you keep paying for that?

2. Quieter

Central ACs were designed to bring more comfort to you, the end-user. That has also included noise levels. The machinery is located outside your home, which reduces the indoor noise levels when you are trying to get focused on your tasks or relaxing to sleep.

Window ACs, on the other hand, are very noisy, right there in the room where you are. This becomes irritating after a short period of time.

3. Safer

A window AC represents a constant vulnerability to your home. It becomes much easier to suffer a break-in, especially for window units located on the ground floor.

On the other hand, central ACs do not create these vulnerabilities in your home. In other words, you can leave your home and fully lock it up, without a constant concern about trading off a cool home for home safety.

4. Simple Operation

If you ever installed a window AC, you know how big of a pain they are. Windows units are 80-lb heavy, or even more. It is a cumbersome job to be done alone.

And within 4 or 5 months, it comes time to uninstall it and put it in storage somewhere.

Central ACs are installed once. Then, all that remains is the operation via a programmable thermostat, and you are free to move on with your life.

Advanced thermostats allow you to set different temperatures for different times of the day, so your central AC system is always used in an efficient way. This way, you will stay cool and can simply forget about messing with an 80-lb metal box.

5. Air Quality Control

If you or someone in your family has allergies, or you are simply concerned about the presence of air contaminants indoors, a central AC system offers you an extra layer of protection because it is connected to the air handler in your furnace. In short, all the air that circulates in your home gets pumped through an air filter, so all your indoor air is cooled, filtered, and freshened.

Window units, on the other hand, don’t filter air the way they should. They also let warm air get in your home, as well as pollen, dust, and anything else that slips through the cracks.

6. Increase In Home Value

While it is easy to understand that a central AC system represents a big upfront investment, like all good investments, a central air conditioner adds value to your property.

If you decide to sell your home in the future, you can list among the features that you have a central air conditioning system that is well taken care of and very energy efficient.

Homebuyers are always interested in features that simplify their lives. A central AC has got to be as good as possible.

Central Air Wins All-Around

This is not to say that window units are worthless. They can represent an alternative to renters and people who live in small apartments. But when you are talking about a house, you need a solution that can solve your entire problem at once, instead of one room at a time.

Calling in a professional for air conditioner repair in your home can be extremely expensive. There are going to be times when you have to pay for an expensive AC repair because you have no alternative, but you can always take a few steps with your system before you call in an expert. In a lot of cases, you will be able to fix the problem yourself.

Very often an AC unit will stop working for some simple reason. You will not want to pay a technician one hundred dollars to flip a switch or a breaker back on. Here are some quick steps you can perform by yourself that may fix the problem before you have to call in an HVAC technician for air conditioner repair. In many cases, you will be able to save a fair amount of money.

Do It Yourself Air Conditioner Repair Tips

These are some first steps you should take if your air conditioner is not working properly or if it is not putting out a lot of cool air.

1. Check The Breaker

In many cases, having a lot of appliances and lights on at the same time can trip the breaker, causing the air conditioner to stop working. Check this before you call in a technician as it can save you a lot of embarrassment, frustration, and money.

2. Check The Thermostat

Another part of your AC system that can cause problems is the thermostat. If the unit works on batteries, you may need to replace the old batteries with new ones. Be sure the thermostat is set for a temperature that is cooler than the room temperature. Check if the unit has been turned off or if is set to have only the fan blowing. Sometimes settings on thermostats get changed by accident without anyone noticing.

3. Change The Filter

Changing the air filter of your AC system regularly can help you avoid costly AC repair. A clogged and dirty filter can affect the operation of your AC system, causing it to have problems. Poor airflow will cause the system to lose efficiency when trying to cool the home. A clogged filter can even cause the system to develop ice. The filter should be frequently checked and replaced regularly.

4. Melt Ice That Has Formed

If ice has formed in your unit, it will not be able to cool your home properly. It is quite easy to melt the ice that has formed. Turn the system off and let the fan run so the ice can melt more quickly. You can also turn the unit off and allow the ice to melt.

5. Clean The System

Sometimes the air conditioning unit stops working effectively because it has collected a lot of dirt and grime. Your unit may benefit from a cleaning and perhaps an AC repair is not necessary. You can clean the fan blades of the outside unit if you are very careful and you can remove debris that has accumulated near the unit. You can also clean the condenser fins. It is easy to break or bend the fins and blades so you must be very careful when you clean them. It is extremely important that you turn off the unit before you clean it.

6. Examine The Ducts

If you are able to climb up into the attic, you can check the air ducts to ensure that air is blowing out of them. If they are very dirty, they should be cleaned as the dirt may restrict the airflow. Check that the registers are open as they can be closed partially or completely without you noticing it.

The above steps are things you can do if your air conditioning unit at home is not working properly. Taking these steps can help you save money. Of course, you may have a problem that can only be fixed by a professional HVAC technician. Only a specialist in air conditioner repair should add refrigerant to the unit or handle electrical repairs.