A split system is simply an air conditioning system that has two units. One is located outside your house or commercial building and is known as a condensing unit. It houses the compressor and condenser components. The other unit is known as an evaporator or air handling unit. It is located inside your house or commercial room and houses the evaporator fan and coil. This unit is responsible for blowing cool air into a room.
Two Types of Split System Air Conditioning Systems
Ductless Split System Air Conditioning System
These are those units you install on a wall or in the ceiling of the room you want to cool. You can find different sizes to cater to different room sizes and available space.
Central/Duct Split System Air Conditioning System
These require some construction/renovation work to install ducts that run in your ceiling or walls, which exit in vents located in each room of your house or commercial building. You don't have to mount any units on walls or ceilings.
Choosing between the above types of split systems requires you to consider your needs, budget, tastes and preferences.
Things to Keep in Mind When Buying Split Systems
Features
Find out what features each kind of split-system unit has before purchase. This can inform you of multiple benefits you can miss out on if you fail to consider the available features. For example, you can come across split systems that allow you to have different evaporator units for different rooms so that you can separately control the temperature. This means that you can have different temperatures for different rooms. You can also come across evaporator units that only have one temperature control panel, meaning a lack of flexibility in choosing different temperatures for different rooms. If you purchase the latter without knowing the previous one exists, you might have some regrets.
Noise
Some split systems are noisy; if you are a light sleeper and want to use the air conditioning unit at night, it might be a bother. You should, however, note that the more silent a split system is, the more expensive it is.
Energy Saving Properties
Find out whether the split system has energy-saving features. You don't want to run up high energy bills in the name of cooling your spaces. Think about having insulation materials installed in your space to help reduce how often you need to run your split system.