Window air conditioning (AC) units are inexpensive to buy, easy to install without any professional help, and fairly efficient. However, window air units are not quite as upstanding as a professionally installed central air system.Take a look at some of the pitfalls of window AC units compared to central cooling systems. 

Window air conditioners tend to have a shorter lifespan. 

If you pick up a window air conditioner and maintain it well, you will get about ten good years of service out of it if you're lucky, which is nothing to complain about for the price. However, a good central air conditioning system will last you longer than a window unit. According to Home Guides by SF Gate, a well-maintained central cooling system will last as long as 15 years, sometimes even longer in some cases and with some types of systems. For example, a heat pump cooling system tends to have a much longer lifespan.

Window air conditioners have a limited reach inside the house. 

One of the biggest downfalls of a window air conditioning unit is it only blows cold air into one space; there's nothing to carry the air throughout the house. It can be difficult to get air beyond the room where the air conditioner is located without using fans to carry the cooled air throughout the house. This is the reason that larger homes often require multiple window units and not just one. 

Window air conditioners can be a security concern. 

In order to install and use a window unit, you have to open a window and leave it open, that is unless you would rather pull the window unit out of the window every time you leave the house, which is a hassle. If you live in a high-crime area where break-ins are a concern, leaving your window propped open with a window unit can be an open invitation to thieves and vandals. Essentially, all a potential thief has to do to gain access to your house is take out the AC and climb inside. With a central air conditioning unit, this kind of thing would never be a concern.  

Overall, window air conditioning units can be an excellent temporary solution for keeping your home cool. However, in the long-term, a central cooling system makes more sense. Reach out to a company that offers air conditioning services to find out what home cooling options are right for your home.