Central air conditioning (or central A/C) is a system in which air is cooled at a central location and distributed to and from rooms by one or more fans and ductwork. The work of the air conditioner compressor is what makes the whole process of air conditioning possible. The compression of the refrigerant gas enables it to discharge heat out of the house, which is how the cool air is created.
Lennox® air conditioners
Exacting precision makes Lennox® central air conditioners among the quietest and most energy-efficient units you can buy.
Types of central air conditioners
There are two types of central air conditioners: a split system or a packaged unit.
In a split-system central air conditioner, an outdoor metal cabinet contains the condenser and compressor, and an indoor cabinet contains the evaporator. In many split-system air conditioners, this indoor cabinet also contains a furnace or an air handler. The air conditioner's evaporator coil is installed in the cabinet or main supply duct of this furnace or heat pump. If your home already has a furnace but no air conditioner, a split system is the most economical central air conditioner to install.
In a packaged central air conditioner, the evaporator, condenser, and compressor are all located in one cabinet, which usually is placed on a roof or on a concrete slab next to the house's foundation. Air supply and return ducts come from indoors through the home's exterior wall or roof to connect with the packaged air conditioner, which is usually located outdoors. Packaged air conditioners often include electric heating coils or a natural gas furnace. This combination of air conditioner and central heater eliminates the need for a separate furnace indoors.
Benefits of a central air-conditioning system
- Indoor comfort during warm weather – Central air conditioning helps keep your home cool and reduces humidity levels.
- Cleaner air – As your central air-conditioning system draws air out of the rooms in your house through return air ducts, the air is pulled through an air filter, which removes airborne particles such as dust and lint. Sophisticated filters, like those found in the Lennox Healthy Climate® purification systems, may remove microscopic pollutants, as well. The filtered air is then routed to air supply ductwork that carries it back to the rooms.
- Quieter operation – Because the compressor-bearing unit is located outside the home, the indoor noise level from its operation is much lower than that of a free-standing air- conditioning unit.
Lennox® air conditioners deliver efficiency and comfort
Exacting precision makes Lennox® air conditioners among the quietest and most energy-efficient units you can buy. Available with multi-stage and single-stage motors, Lennox air conditioners allow you to control cooling, humidity levels and energy use by matching output to demand. With industry-leading efficiencies of up to 26.00 SEER*, Lennox air conditioners can also save you hundreds of dollars in utility costs every year.
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*Efficiency claim based on comparison of air conditioning and heat pump products' SEER as published in AHRI (January 2015). Actual system combination efficiency may vary; consult AHRI for exact system efficiencies. Precision claim based on the cooling capacity range of the XC/XP25-036 units as compared to equivalent-sized competitive variable-capacity compressor units.