It is the first question almost every customer asks when they want to air-condition their home. There is no single answer: it depends on how many rooms you want to cool, whether the house has a false ceiling and how much building work you are prepared to do. Here are the differences, so you arrive at the survey visit with a clear idea.
How each system works
Split. An indoor unit on the wall and an outdoor unit, joined by the refrigerant pipes, the power cable and the drain. It cools or heats the room where it is installed.
Multi-split. Several indoor units (two, three or more) connected to a single outdoor unit. Each room has its own unit and its own remote.
Ducted. A single indoor unit hidden in the false ceiling, usually in the hallway or a bathroom. Ducts carry the air to each room, where it comes out through grilles. A return grille takes the air back to be treated again.
When a split makes sense
- You want to air-condition one or two rooms, for example the living room and the main bedroom.
- You don’t want building work or lowered ceilings.
- You want the quickest option to install.
If there are several rooms and you don’t want the façade or terrace full of outdoor units, a multi-split solves that with a single unit outside.
When ducted air conditioning makes sense
- You want the whole home at an even temperature.
- The house already has a false ceiling or duct pre-installation, which is common in new builds.
- You’d rather not see any units in the rooms: only the grilles.
With a zoning system (motorised dampers and a thermostat in each room) you can control each room separately and not air-condition the ones you aren’t using.
What to consider before deciding
- Building work. Ducts need a false ceiling. If there isn’t one, the ceiling has to be lowered where the installation runs.
- Outdoor space. Each split has its own outdoor unit; a multi-split or a ducted system needs only one.
- Maintenance. With ducted units, there must be an access hatch so the unit can be cleaned and checked without breaking the ceiling.
- Noise. Correctly sized, ducted systems are very quiet because the unit is away from the rooms. A good-quality split is quiet too.
Our advice
Before choosing the unit, a technician should see the home: where the pipes can run, where the outdoor unit fits and what output each room needs. That is what we do on the survey visit, and then we give you a fixed proposal.
