There are three types of air conditioning; central, split-system and portable. Both cool your home using a cold indoor coil called an evaporator. The evaporator works with a condenser and a pump to create cool airs. In order to reap the most benefits from your air conditioner you need to know the proper size you need for your home.

A room air conditioner cools rooms. The size of a room air conditioner determines how many rooms it will cool. Those drawing less than 7.5 amps of electricity can be plugged into and 15 0r 20 amps, 115-volt household circuit, but larger air conditioners needs its own 115-volt circuit. Some require as much as 230-volt circuit. In warm climates, most homes are equipped with central air conditioning that circulates cool air through a system of supply and return ducts.

A central air conditioner can be split or a packaged unit. The split-system has an outdoor metal cabinet that holds the condenser and compressor. An indoor cabinet has the evaporator in it and contains a furnace or the indoor part of a heat pump. If you already have a furnace but no air conditioner, a split-system is the best wall to install air conditioning. Packaged central air has one cabinet that holds the evaporator, condenser and compressor. The air supply and the return ducts are inside the home's exterior wall or roof and connect to the packaged air conditioner. They often include electric heating coils or natural gas eliminating the need for a separate furnace.