A central air conditioning system uses two main pieces of equipment — an outdoor condensing unit and an indoor evaporator coil / air handler — connected by insulated copper refrigerant lines (the "line set"). Conditioned air is distributed through your home's ductwork to supply registers in each room.
Central AC differs from window units and ductless mini-splits in that one system serves the entire house, run from a single thermostat (or zoned thermostats). The same equipment that cools also dehumidifies — humid air condenses on the cold evaporator coil and drains away.
In Charleston, central AC runs 6-7 months per year. Equipment sizing should be done by Manual J load calculation, not by square footage rule-of-thumb.
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