A central air conditioner and a portable air conditioner give different sets of benefits. When considering which type of air conditioner to choose, the following factors will help you choose the one that best suits your requirements.
Installation: There is a great difference between the installation processes of these units. Central air conditioners are installed permanently. A duct-work in the wall, ceiling or floor, holds the central unit. On the other hand, portable air conditioners are easy to set up because they do not require any installation, as the name suggests they are portable.
Energy consumption: There is a great variation in energy consumption of the two. A portable unit if kept in every room of a large house, it will consume more energy than a central air conditioner.
Convenience: Buildings that are difficult to renovate or reconstruct, portable air conditioners are best for such buildings. People who live on rent often prefer portable units because they can easily carry it as and when they are planning to move. When owning or constructing a house, if you are deciding to install a central unit, make sure to have provision in walls or ceilings or floor. This will help you in fixing the central air conditioner. Central air conditioning units have a good system for cooling the entire house, building, etc.
Space consumption: As the central air conditioners are attached to the duct work of wall or floor or ceiling, it does not occupy place on wall or floor as a portable unit does. Moreover, they are noiseless and comfortable when compared to portable units.
Ventilation: Portable units need some ventilation or should be installed near window to take away the moisture and if there is excess moisture, the air conditioner fails to cool the indoor air. If there is no window, you need to make provision for the window. If you are not willing to make any provision or modifications in the wall or ceiling, it is better to consider central air conditioner because it doesn’t require a window, it is simply installed to the duct work of the wall.
Maintenance: When it comes to maintenance, portable air conditioners require more maintenance than central air conditioners. It is not that central air conditioners don’t require any maintenance, they also should be maintained for efficient operation.
Warranty: Central units come with longer warranty, whereas portable air conditioners have lesser warranty period.
Before purchasing a particular air conditioner, get to know about the pros and cons of it as it will help you in deciding the best.
Additional Resources:
http://www.wittindia.com/html/key_markets_tunnel_and_underground_ventilation.htm