Sleep is essential to your health, but if your bedroom is too hot, it can be really difficult to get a good night’s rest. Sometimes, central air systems don’t cool houses evenly.
Perhaps you don’t even have a central cooling system because most of your home doesn’t need it. In this article, we’ll look at a few different ways to cool individual rooms in your home and the pros and cons of each.
One of the best things about cooling individual rooms is that you can set each room in your home to the exact temperature that you like. Each of our options is highly customizable, so you’re sure to find the ideal bedroom installation for your unique needs.
Is a Portable Air Conditioner Right for My Bedroom?
Portable air conditioners are a bit different from window units because they’re usually on wheels and sit inside your room rather than on your windowsill. They’re great for people who rent their home or apartment because you don’t risk scuffing your landlord’s window.
They’re usually larger than window units, and since the entire system sits inside your room, they take up quite a bit of space. Portable units have exhaust pipes that need to vent out a window (or ceiling, wall, or door), and they need to sit out from the wall a bit for adequate air circulation. However, they’re affordable and very simple to install and use.
Some portable units have exciting features like being controllable from a remote or phone app. Several brands feature dual temperature control, so the unit will detect the temperature where the remote is rather than just at the unit to keep you the perfect temperature whether you’re sitting beside it or across the room.
Depending on your portable unit, it can have a dehumidifier, or it can be evaporative to add humidity if you live in an arid region. Some models heat and cool, so you can use the same unit to customize the temperature in your bedroom year-round.
Is a Ductless HVAC System Right for My Bedroom?
Ductless air conditioners typically have in indoor wall-mounted unit plus an outside compressor. Unlike portable AC, ductless units require a small hole in the wall, so they’re not a suitable option for renters.
Some people prefer wall-mounted ductless units over window air conditioners because they leak less air and present fewer home security issues. Ductless HVAC systems are much more energy-efficient than central cooling systems.
A lot of heated and cooled air gets lost in ductwork, so your central systems have to run more often. Also, ductless units speed up and slow down based on the temperature in a room instead of shutting down like central systems. It takes a lot of energy to restart, which helps ductless systems save you money on your energy bill.
Ductless systems are perfect for homes that either do not cool evenly or for homes where only a few rooms need to be cooled. If most of your home is comfortable in the summer heat, but a cooler bedroom would help you sleep better, a ductless unit in your sleeping space is a smart solution.
Is a Smart Thermostat Right for My Home?
If you already have a central cooling system, smart thermostats are a convenient way to control the temperature in your home. You can have either sensor or system-based zones.
Sensor-based zones have a single thermostat in the house that detects when someone is in a room so that it heats and cools accordingly. System-based systems have thermostats in multiple rooms that you control individually, so they’re great for large homes or families.
Smart thermostats can be very energy-efficient, which has helped them become a popular home accessory. Many smart thermostats have geofencing capabilities that detect when your phone is in the home or out of the house, and the temperature adjusts accordingly.
Also, the thermostat will learn your habits and can predict when you leave for work and come home, for example, so the temperature rises and falls to save money and keep your home a comfortable temperature.
The only downside of smart thermostats is that they usually require a house-wide cooling system, so if you don’t currently have central air, one of the other two cooling options would be better for your bedroom.
If you need help choosing the right AC system for your bedroom or home, schedule a consultation. At RupCoe Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning we’d love to help you select and install the best option for you.
