H GADVICE
For Where to Buy, see page 218.A
sthe mercury soars, thoughts
naturallyturntohow tokeep
yourhome andits occupants cool
and comfortable. Passive designisyour
first line of defence when it comes to
keeping costs in check. Setting up your
home to capturebreezes andprevent
heatfromenteringinthefirst place
goesalongway towards reducing
the need for artificial cooling. But
in someparts of Australia, there
will be times when you need toflick
a switchtokeep theheat atbay.
In some climates, nothingcompares
with thereliefanairconditioner
provides on ahotday. There are various
styles to choosefrom: split systemsfor
cooling a single room or area; multi-
systems, where up to four indoor units
are connected to one outdoor unit;
ducted systems for whole-home cooling;
and under-ceiling orfloor consoles.
“Split systems are our biggest sellers,”
says Alex Mackenzie, senior buyer for
Appliances Online.“Energy efficiency
andquieter operationhavebeen twokey
areas of improvement in this sector,
with technology enabling better airflow
through a room.”
Dr Robert Simpson, energy-efficiency
expert at Ausgrid has noted a great
improvement in the amount of power
today’s airconditioners draw.“The
smaller modelsareabout 50-per-cent
more efficient than theywere a decadeago, andairconditioner technology
is still advancing.”
Not only dotheypromise to save
you money,they’re smarter too. LG’s
new Premium 5.0kW Reverse Cycle
Split System allows you to cap your
power consumption and delivers
real-time energy updates to your
smartphone or tablet. Meanwhile, the
latest Fujitsu airconditionersfeature
energy-efficient inverter technology and
aHumanSensorControlfeaturethat
automaticallyreduces power when no
movement is detected in a room for 20
minutes.“Many variables impact on
the running costs ofa reverse-cwycle
airconditioner. While optingfor a
system with energy-management
features is a good place to start, it’sWith the range ofenergy-
efficient coolers on offer,
keeping your home
comfortable is a breeze,
writesGeorgia Madden.Special report
COOLING