Wall-mounted heat pump vs. central air conditioning
Air conditioning and heating are essential to the comfort and livability of a home. Making the right choice of system and equipment is important to ensure optimal performance and energy savings. To help you, here is a comparison between wall-mounted heat pumps and central air conditioning.
Versatility: the strength of the wall-mounted heat pump
The wall-mounted heat pump allows you to cool the interior of your home in the summer, and also serves as a heating system in the winter. This versatility is the first real strength of this device. The central air conditioner, on the other hand, is only used to cool the rooms during hot periods.
Thus, the wall-mounted heat pump can be used almost all year round, while the central air conditioner is only turned on during the warm seasons.
The space requirement: advantage to the central air conditioner
The wall-mounted heat pump is composed of two interconnected units: one unit is installed outside your home, while the other is attached to the wall in one of your rooms. The first one will collect outside air to cool it before diffusing it in the house to cool the occupants.
A central air conditioner takes up much less space with a single unit that circulates cool air through the ducts in your home. It has a built-in air purifier that will optimize the quality of the air circulating in the house.
The cost of purchase and installation: the strength of the central air conditioner
The wall-mounted heat pump is more complex to install and costs relatively more than a central air conditioning system. Moreover, if you choose a multi-zone device, it will be composed of several indoor units that will be installed in different rooms of the house. Their cost will further increase the purchase price of the kit.
Central air conditioners are generally less expensive to purchase and easier to install. The use of air ducts allows fresh air to be efficiently distributed throughout the house without the need for multiple units.
Energy efficiency: advantage to the heat pump
The heat pump is known to be more efficient than the air conditioning system in saving energy. In fact, whether it is a wall-mounted or central device, a heat pump operating under the best conditions can save up to 50% in energy costs.
Thus, despite a higher purchase and installation cost, it is possible to make this investment profitable in the long term thanks to this better efficiency in terms of energy saving.
Durability: slight advantage to the central air conditioner
Generally, the longevity of both systems depends on their brand, regular maintenance, quality of installation and operating condition. Thus, it would be difficult to compare this aspect.
Nevertheless, we put a small advantage to the central air conditioning because of its duration of use during one year. In fact, the system is only used to cool the house and is only turned on during periods of high heat, a maximum of 3 to 4 months per year. The heat pump that serves as both heating and cooling is used up to 9 to 10 months out of the year, wearing out its components more quickly.