The best central air conditioners are the ones that work best for you in your home and for your particular situation. While a high-efficiency air conditioner may be inexpensive to run, for example, the initial cost may be too high for a particular person or family. Likewise, a unit that runs with a heat pump may work well in the Midwest, but not in the far west.

So looking at the best central air conditioners means looking at the configuration of your home, your needs, and the budget you have for the project.

For a home that has forced air heat with ductwork already running through the home, a cost-effective and energy efficient way to run an air conditioner is through those same vents.

For a home with radiant heat or baseboard heat, then it may be better to choose a ductless, or mini split system for cooling the home. With this system, small cooling units with evaporator coils are installed in the walls of a room, and the large compressor is located outside.

The best central air conditioner for your home will be one that is chosen based on the number of square feet in the home, the home's age, the quality and quantity of windows, insulation, the number of floors, how many cubic feet of living space the unit needs to cool, humidity in the climate, and the average number of days an air conditioner runs in the area.

Making the final decision will require balancing your personal economic situation, the comfort level you'd like, and the environmental concerns you may have.

The basic choices you have make in choosing the best air conditioner is size and efficiency. To get the best efficiency and power for your home, you will need to pay more. However, the return on the investment over the long term will make it a good value.

UTC, Trane and Johnson control the biggest part of the air conditioning market. They each carry units in varying sizes and efficiencies so look around and get multiple quotes. there are certainly other brands, and the big three make air conditioners under other nameplates.

Compare features such as whole-house filtration, humidifiers, programmable controls, etc. after you have decided on the basics of power and efficiency.

The SEER rating on an air conditioning unit is a number defined by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute. This number indicates the efficiency of an electric unit, or how well it turns energy into cooling air in your home. Old units (such as those installed 20 or 30 years ago) have an efficiency equivalent to about an 8 or 9 on the SEER scale. Now, SEER ratings must be at least 13 by law. However, the higher the SEER number, the less you will spend to get the same amount of cooling in your home. These numbers can go up to 20 for ultra high-efficiency units. However, the price also goes up with the higher SEER ratings. A unit with a 12 SEER rating will not cool any faster than a 10 seer unit, but it will do the same amount of cooling for a lower price – a lower fuel cost.

The other factor to consider is the BTUs or power output. While a three ton (36,000 BTU) unit is fairly typical, it may not be the right size for your home. If you need a better air conditioning unit and you only get a three ton, then you will likely negate any benefit you get from higher efficiency.

Looking for the best central air conditioner for your home? Get your project started by submitting a free BuyerZone request for air conditioning price quotes.