October 10, 2024, 11:02 am | Read time: 5 minutes
As temperatures rise in summer, the desire for air conditioning increases for many people. What options do tenants and owners have? This article explains what you need to consider when buying an air conditioner and how much it costs to cool down in summer.
Anyone who tosses and turns sleeplessly in bed during tropical nights, with temperatures exceeding 20 degrees Celsius, likely dreams of having air conditioning. But which model should you consider, and how much would an air conditioning system cost?
Air conditioning in the home: available designs
Monoblock units are the simplest design for a home air conditioner. They are portable and only require a power socket for operation. The warm air in the room is led outside via a hose. This is a significant shortcoming of this class of appliance, as most owners must lead the exhaust air hose outside through a tilted window. However, warm air can then enter again through the resulting gap. This is less efficient.
A split device consisting of two components is more efficient. The indoor unit draws in the warm air in the room and cools it. An outdoor unit is connected to the indoor unit and contains the actual cooling compressor. Both components are connected via hoses in which the refrigerant circulates.
When an outdoor unit is connected to an indoor unit, it forms a single-split system. If the outdoor unit is dimensioned accordingly, several indoor units can also be connected to it, for example, for each room. The operating principle is identical for these multi-split systems. Split systems generally work more quietly than monobloc air conditioning units and are also more efficient, as the disruptive influence of outside air is avoided.
By the way: If you already heat your home with a heat pump, you can also use it for cooling in summer.
What tenants need to consider with an air conditioning system
From a purely technical point of view, a wall must be broken through when installing a split system so that the outdoor unit is supplied with electricity and the refrigerant can circulate. This type of structural alteration to the rented property is subject to approval. It would be relatively difficult to remove the wall opening when moving out. If the landlord grants permission for the building project, it is advisable to document this.
However, the installation of the outdoor unit in a split system also represents an intervention in the design of the house. This may require the consent of all owners in a homeowners’ association.
Tenants can use a monobloc unit without permission. This option is therefore the cheaper and less expensive option for all tenants.
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The cost of air conditioning for your house and apartment
As tempting as the thought of cool summer nights may be. Before purchasing an air conditioning system, the costs should be considered. These are divided into two blocks:
- purchase and installation
- running costs for maintenance
Portable air conditioning systems are the most cost-effective solution. Depending on the desired cooling capacity, room size, equipment, and workmanship, these are available from electronics retailers for prices ranging from 100 to approximately 1000 euros. Of course, there are no installation costs here.
For stationary systems, installation costs must be factored in. As these are technical systems with a stationary power supply, installation by a specialist company is mandatory (if only for reasons of insurance coverage). However, installation costs can vary significantly based on the required effort.
Then there are the costs for the purchase. These are also variable and naturally depend on the size or desired output. This heavily depends on the size of the room or rooms that need cooling.
For purchasing a single-split system, you should expect to pay between 500 and approximately 2000 euros. For a multi-split system, you should expect to pay at least 1500 euros. Each additional indoor unit costs around 300 euros.
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Consider consumption costs for air conditioning systems
As to the consumption costs, single and multi-split systems also need to be serviced at regular intervals. This includes not only basic functionality, but also checking the refrigerant circuit for leaks. Between 200 and 300 euros per year is not too much.
Electricity consumption is one of the variable running costs. Generally speaking, split systems use energy more efficiently than mobile units. However, the total consumption is easy to calculate. All you need to do is look at the system’s rating plate. With an output of 1,000 watts, the air conditioner consumes 1 kWh of electricity per hour, costing between 25 and 28 cents at the time of publication. So, if the appliance runs for eight hours a day, it will cost at least 2 euros per day.