Choosing an air conditioning system for your home

With several system types to pick from, the right choice usually comes down to three things: how many rooms you want to cool or heat, whether you want the system hidden, and whether you own your home or are renovating. Answer those and the field narrows quickly.

Start with these questions

  • How many rooms do you want to condition — one, a few, or the whole home?
  • Do you want the indoor unit on show, or hidden away?
  • Do you own the property, and is it a finished home or a build/renovation?
  • Is there somewhere acceptable outside for the outdoor unit(s)?
  • Is winter heating a priority, or mainly summer cooling?
  • What’s your budget — to buy, and to run?

Quick guide: situation → best-fit system

One room, simplest and cheapest

Best-fit system
Wall-mounted single-split

One room, no high wall space or lots of glazing

Best-fit system
Floor-standing

A few rooms, want just one outdoor unit

Best-fit system
Multi-split

One larger or open room, discreet finish

Best-fit system
Ceiling cassette

Whole home, hidden, building or renovating

Best-fit system
Ducted

Renting, can’t install, or occasional use

Best-fit system
Portable
If you're doing one room

A single-split is almost always the answer — a wall-mounted unit for most rooms, or a floor-standing one where there’s no good high wall space or lots of glazing. It’s the simplest and cheapest route.

If you're doing several rooms

You have two main routes. A multi-split runs several indoor units from one outdoor unit — tidy, and good value once you’re past two or three rooms. If you’re building or renovating and want the system hidden, ducted conditions the whole home through concealed ductwork. Bear in mind that a standard multi-split usually makes all rooms share one mode — heating or cooling — at any one time.

If you want the whole home done, hidden

Ducted is the premium answer for air conditioning throughout with as little on show as possible — but it’s far easier and cheaper to fit during a build or major renovation than to retrofit into a finished home. For one discreet larger room, a ceiling cassette gives a hidden finish without full ductwork.

If you're renting or can't install

If you rent, live in a listed building, or have nowhere to put an outdoor unit, a fixed system may not be possible. A portable unit is the fallback — less efficient and noisier, but it needs no installation. Be clear-eyed about the trade-offs.

Other things to weigh
  • Heating as well as cooling — almost all modern units do both; if winter heating is a priority, look at heating output and efficiency (SCOP).
  • Outdoor space — every outdoor unit needs an acceptable position; fewer units (a multi-split) means less clutter and simpler siting. See planning permission.
  • Looks — wall units are visible, floor units sit at eye level, cassettes show only a grille, ducted shows almost nothing.
  • Budget — broadly, wall-mounted is the most affordable, then floor-standing, cassette, and ducted at the top. See the home cost guide.
  • Running costs — over time, efficiency matters more than the headline price. See running costs.

Know exactly what to ask for

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