In Australia’s ever-fickle weather, choosing a cooling system for your home can be daunting. No one wants to feel stuffed and sweltering inside their house in the extreme summer heat, so your choice of cooling is better settled sooner than later.
Two contenders come top-of-mind: evaporative and refrigerated cooling systems. They’re both very powerful, so it comes down to what’s right for you and your family, like most home-buying decisions, there are various factors to consider such as budget, eco-friendliness, climate, usage, and ongoing maintenance.
What is evaporative cooling?
Evaporative cooling is a central cooling system installed on the roof of your home and connected to a series of ceiling ducts or vents. The warm air from outside gets cooled as it passes through the moistened pads. Evaporation occurs. The cool air is then dispersed through the ducts in your home. Evaporative cooling works best in dry climates as the cooled air carries moisture and creates a feeling of humidity.
Benefits of evaporative cooling
Fresh air circulation
Evaporative cooling circulates air which can trap and filter out allergens and harmful dust particles; the air is also never re-circulated as it comes from outside.
Energy-efficient and cost-effective
Requiring electricity only for its fan and water pump, evaporative systems can be more than seven times cheaper to run than a refrigerated cooling system.
Sustainable and eco-friendly
Because an evaporative system uses less electricity to cool your home, it can reduce your carbon footprint by a long shot.
Other considerations
Allergens
Windows need to be open for evaporative cooling to work and allow warm indoor air to escape. While the system itself can trap allergens, it may not be able to filter out everything entering through your windows. As such, it may be tricky to avoid all allergens.
Routine maintenance
If the system isn’t cleaned, the filters may get clogged and become less efficient in trapping allergens. If left for too long, it can start to breed bacteria and mould. Experts suggest cleaning the evaporative cooling system annually.
Reliance on outdoor weather
Evaporative cooling relies on the outside air, so you won’t have total control over the type of air that enters your home. This is why evaporative cooling is recommended for dry climates as it can exacerbate indoor humidity levels.
Reliance on water
As evaporative systems rely on water to reach the filters for cooling, it’s good practice to be on top of your water consumption. Depending on your usage, the costs of your water bill may still turn out cheaper than your electricity bill if you had used a refrigerated air conditioner.
What is refrigerated cooling?
Refrigerated cooling systems take in the warm air inside the room, cool it with refrigerant gases, and return cooler air into the room. Your refrigerator works the same way! The air re-circulates in this system, so windows need to be shut to keep the cool air in.
Benefits of refrigerated cooling
Suitable for all climates, all-year-round
Refrigerated cooling doesn’t need any outdoor air, so it can operate any time of the year.
Temperature regulation
You’re in charge of the temperature setting. You may also be able to achieve a cooler temperature with a refrigerated system - crucial in Australia’s extreme weather conditions!
Ducted zoning or split system
Depending on your needs, you can either choose to implement ducted zoning or a split system. Through zoning technology, you can control the areas of your home that will receive cooling. This allows you to be smarter with your air conditioner use and save more money on electricity bills. A split system, on the other hand, can be installed in smaller and individual rooms - perfect if you only use an air conditioner in certain areas of the house!
Other considerations
More costly to run
Refrigerated systems depend on electricity to operate, so depending on how often you use them, your electricity bills may cost more. Common workarounds to make this system more cost-effective are zoning or solar systems.
Regular maintenance
The re-circulation of air necessitates that the filters be cleaned out regularly. Experts recommend cleaning or replacing the dust filter screens in the indoor unit of a split system bi-annually (or to do it more often if you live in a dusty environment).
Quick Recap
Evaporative | Refrigerated | |
Climate | Hot and dry | All climates |
Budget | Up to 7x cheaper than refrigerated systems | Can be more costly due to heavy reliance on electricity |
Temperature regulation | Relies on the outside temperature | Full control of temperature setting |
Maintenance | Annual | Bi-annual, or as needed |
Eco-friendliness | More eco-friendly | Less eco-friendly due to heavy reliance on electricity |
Factor in all these considerations before choosing between evaporative and refrigerated systems. Make a decision that can make you and your family comfortable in your home for many summers to come.
