If you’re looking for home air conditioners, it can get overwhelming. Figuring out what’s best for your needs is tough, with so many factors involved and so many systems. But by understanding what the different types are, hopefully things will be a bit easier.

A few things to think about are the size of your house, your budget, the climate you live in, and what areas you want to cool. It doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money on a system if you don’t have a lot of hot days. But on the other hand, if you live in a warmer climate, you may want a more comprehensive system.

So check out the most common types of home air conditioners:

• Window Air Conditioner
• Portable Air Conditioner
• Split or Ductless Air Conditioner
• Central Air Conditioning

Window air conditioners are stationary units that are placed in a hole in the wall. Most commonly, people place them in the window because punching a hole in your wall seems kind of silly. Because it’s stationary, this home air conditioner might not be best for cooling your entire house, unless you’re leasing or have a small home.

Portable air conditioners are units that you place on the floor in a room. The device ejects heat through a hose vent in an exterior wall. Generally portable air conditioners are used not as standard home air conditioners, but to take care of some rooms that stay too hot. Unfortunately, they’re pretty noisy.

The split or ductless air conditioner is becoming more popular as of recently, but you mostly find them in hotels and apartments. As you might have guessed from the name, the split system is actually split! The air conditioner is in two packages, with refrigerant tubing connecting the two. Ductless systems are great as home air conditioners if you’re trying to add on air conditioning to an extension in the house.

The epitome of home air conditioning is central AC. It’s quiet, it operates well, and keeps the whole house cool. The most important thing to remember about central AC is sizing it for your home. If it’s too large, it will not operate well and may short cycle.

Of course, the best way to figure out the right option for you is to talk to an expert. They’ll be able to help you pick the unit you need.