Reverse Cycle Vs Cooling Only Air Conditioners

Want to cool and heat your home with one system? A reverse-cycle air conditioner can do both and is a very efficient way to manage the temperature of your home.

You might think that cooling-only air conditioning systems would be more efficient than reverse-cycle systems but that is not necessarily true. Reverse-cycle air conditioners are generally just as efficient for cooling even though they have the added functionality of heating.

For homes in areas that don’t have a need for heating such as those with mild winters, it may be a better option to install a cooling-only system because they are a bit cheaper than reverse-cycle systems. However, if your heating needs are low but still infrequent, a reverse-cycle air conditioner may still be the best choice.

How reverse-cycle works

When a reverse-cycle air conditioner is in cooling mode it works just like a cooling-only system by pulling heat from inside the room, sending it to the outside unit where heat is released and cool refrigerant gas is pumped back inside. From there the process begins again. When a reverse-cycle air conditioner is in heating mode, this same process takes place, except reversed. Heat from outside is sent into the room.