Central air conditioning, commonly referred to as central air (
U.S.) or air-con (UK), is an air conditioning system that uses ducts to distribute cooled and/or dehumidified air to more than one room, or uses pipes to distribute chilled water to
heat exchangers in more than one room, and which is not plugged into a standard electrical outlet.
With a typical split system, the condenser and compressor are located in an outdoor
unit; the evaporator is mounted in the air handler
unit. With a package system, all components are located in a single outdoor
unit that may be located on the ground or roof.
Central air conditioning performs like a regular air conditioner but has several added benefits:
When the air handling
unit turns on, room air is drawn in from various parts of the building through return-air ducts. This air is pulled through a filter where airborne particles such as
dust and lint are removed. Sophisticated filters may remove microscopic pollutants as
well. The filtered air is routed to air supply ductwork that carries it back to rooms. Whenever the air conditioner is running, this cycle repeats continually.
Because the condenser
unit (with its fan and the compressor) is located outside the home, it offers a lower level of indoor noise than a
free-standing air conditioning
unit.
