When the weather starts heating up and reaching the sweltering level, most people want nothing more than a cool place to relax and escape from the scorching heat. Having home air conditioning is an important and integral tool in making family and guests feel comfortable and taken care of while within the walls of your house. This is particularly true if you happen to live in a very warm and humid climate.

When thinking about purchasing a home, again especially in the warmer climes, it is a good idea to carefully examine the existing air conditioning system in the home. At the same time, anyone looking to build a new house should also carefully consider the air conditioning options that are available, as it is much more cost effective to put a whole-house air conditioning system in during the building process, rather than install it later.

Where the climate in very warm and humid, centralized home air conditioning is common in homes and is hard to get along without. While central air conditioning systems are more expensive to install initially, they do provide more control over the indoor environment and are usually more energy efficient when there are more than just a couple of rooms to be cooled.

There are a number of different types of central air conditioning units available for homes. Each type has its strong points and advantages and some have drawbacks, or at least considerations that need to be taken into account when making a decision. It makes sense to spend some time reviewing the different models available and also consulting with heating and air conditioning professionals if there is any confusion about what might be the best type of equipment for your particular situation.

Most people will choose to install a centralized, heating and air conditioning system that will heat as well as cool the home. Purchasing one of these heating/cooling systems will provide functionality no matter what the time of year. Most of the time, you can more than recoup your investment in these systems through an increase in the value of your home. One of the best ways to finance this kind of upgrade is through the use of a home equity line of credit, which generally provides the best interest rate for home improvements.

These central, air conditioning and heating units are available for use with gas for the heating, or you can choose the models that provide heating and cooling using only electricity. In areas of the country where it gets very cold in the winter, gas heat is recommended because it is more efficient and will cost less to run.

It is becoming more popular to select energy efficient home air conditioning models. This is not only because of the monthly savings in terms of lower electricity bills, but there is an additional advantage as well. There is a federal tax credit of as much as $300 that people can take advantage of when they choose approved models of air conditioning systems.