Central Air Conditioning
Updated
Central air conditioning cools the whole house from one system. An outdoor unit holding the compressor connects to an evaporator coil that sits in the plenum above your furnace, and the furnace blower pushes cooled air through the ductwork to every room.
One thermostat runs the show, which is the main practical difference from ductless equipment. The whole house gets one setting instead of room-by-room control. Central AC makes sense in homes that already have good ductwork; where ducts do not exist, adding them is usually the biggest line on the quote.
Common Questions
How does central air conditioning work?
Refrigerant absorbs heat at the indoor coil, the compressor pumps it outside where the heat gets released, and the furnace blower circulates the cooled air through the ducts. It is the same refrigeration cycle a mini split uses, scaled to serve the whole house through ductwork.
What is the difference between central AC and a ductless system?
Ductwork and zoning are the real differences. Central AC conditions the whole house to one thermostat setting through ducts, while a ductless system gives each room its own air handler and its own setting. Which fits better mostly comes down to whether good ductwork already exists.
Why is my central AC running but not cooling?
Common culprits are a clogged filter, a failed capacitor, low refrigerant from a leak, or an outdoor coil packed with debris. Some of those are homeowner fixes and some are not, so if a filter change and a cleared outdoor unit do not help, an AC repair visit sorts out which one you have.
Related Terms
Questions about your heating or cooling?
We install and service mini splits, furnaces, heat pumps, and central AC throughout Charlestown, IN and the surrounding area. Written quote before anything starts.