HVAC Split System vs Package Unit: Which is Better?

For any Phoenix homeowner or business lacking central air conditioning, the decision to go with a packaged air conditioner or a split system may seem less important than just getting some glorious, cooling comfort ASAP.

Yet each method – package unit vs. split system – offers advantages worth considering before you purchase.

What’s the Difference Between a Package & Split A/C Unit?

The two configurations simply mean where the central air conditioner’s main parts will be housed:

Split A/C unit: In split unit air conditioners, the evaporator is inside your home or business, while the condenser and compressor are outside, pumping excess heat into the atmosphere.

Package A/C unit: In a package unit air conditioner, all three components are located together in a single cabinet outside, generally (but not always) on a roof.

For Phoenix businesses, the packaged unit central air conditioner is nearly always a preferred choice for the simple reason that most businesses (unlike homes) have low-slope roofs on which the unit can sit. No interior parts take up valuable real estate, and no exterior parts are visible to customers.

Split System

The split in a split system locates the larger, usually noisier components outside. The evaporator coil and air handler (and often a furnace) are indoors. Because the air handler is inside, it and the evaporator coils last longer than when they are placed outside.

Maintenance is usually very easy, since the air filter can be changed indoors. This encourages homeowners and business owners to change the filter more often, keeping the system efficient.

Split systems are energy efficient, with some Energy Star-labeled central air conditioners earning a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) greater than 20. Combine a high-efficiency split system with a wi-fi (smart) programmable thermostat and achieve substantial energy savings every month.

Package Unit

A package (or packaged) air conditioner combines all the parts in one place, making factory assembly very reliable and completely controlled. (A split system’s final assembly takes place on site.) Packaged air conditioners save indoor space. The units can be serviced without ever having an HVAC technician inside your home or business. Servicing is simpler, too, since all the parts (including the air handler) are readily accessible.

A single unit also tends to create less indoor noise than a split system, since the air handler and fan are outdoors.

Get a New Air Conditioning Unit Quote from Howard Air Today!

In determining the winner in split vs. package air conditioner, only the homeowner or business owner can decide which is better for a particular installation. Contact the professionals at Howard Air today to let us help you with choosing your new air conditioner. We are ready to install either type of central air conditioner.