Philippines
Looking for a new air conditioner? Whether it's your first one or another unit for the house, the first decision to make is window type or split type.
Both work well in Filipino homes, but they suit different situations. Here are the five things to check before you decide, and where Midea's window type and split type ranges stand on each:
● Installation requirements and cost
● Upfront price
● Monthly electricity bill
● Noise at night
● Room size and capacity
1. Installation Requirements and Cost
Window type: Fits into an existing window or wall opening. No outdoor unit, no refrigerant lines to run. If your home has no existing opening, one needs to be cut to size. The unit is a single body, quick to take down, and it can come with you when you move.
Split type: Comes in two parts, indoor and outdoor, and needs a licensed technician to install. That means drilling through the wall for the refrigerant lines, mounting a bracket outside for the outdoor unit, plus a circuit breaker and the matching electrical provisions. Rental contracts usually rule out wall modifications, and many older buildings have no space for an outdoor unit.
Where Midea stands: The window type range in the Philippines covers 0.6 HP to 2.5 HP, and the split type range covers 0.5 HP to 2.5 HP, so both lines have models at every common capacity.
How to decide: If your home can't take an outdoor unit, or you may be moving, a window type is the one that can actually be installed. If you own the home and have outdoor space, either works.
2. Upfront Price
Window type: Costs less at the same capacity, with entry models starting from around ₱10,000.
Split type: Higher purchase price, plus professional installation on top.
Where Midea stands: The window type range comes in three tiers — remote-controlled non-inverter from around ₱10,000, the Qube Compact inverter series from around ₱19,000, and 2.0 HP and above from around ₱29,000.
How to decide: Looking only at what you pay today, a window type costs less. But the purchase price is only part of the total, which brings up the next point.
3. Monthly Electricity Bill
This is where the two differ most, and it's also the point most often oversimplified.
The usual claim is that window types use more electricity than split types. That holds true for non-inverter window units — a non-inverter compressor only runs at full power or stops entirely, cutting off when the room cools and restarting when it warms up again, and all that cycling is what burns electricity.
Window types now come in inverter versions too. An inverter compressor doesn't stop when the room reaches temperature; it simply scales down and holds it there.
Midea's inverter window type at 1.5 HP adjusts its power draw anywhere between 617 W and 1,370 W. At the Meralco rate of ₱12/kWh and 8 hours of daily use:
| Operating state | Power draw | Monthly consumption | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low load, holding temperature |
617 W | 148 kWh | ₱1,777 |
| Rated operation | 1,005 W | 241 kWh | ₱2,894 |
| Full load, rapid cooling | 1,370 W | 329 kWh | ₱3,946 |
In real use the unit only sits at high load while it pulls the room down at start-up. Once the room is cool it drops into the low-load range and stays there, and that holding period accounts for most of the running time.
At the same 1.5 HP and the same 8 hours, a split type inverter runs about ₱1,260 to ₱1,800 a month. The gap is still there, but nowhere near the gap between non-inverter and inverter.
The split type stays lower because Midea Full DC Inverter puts all three motors — compressor, indoor fan and outdoor fan — on coordinated variable-speed DC, delivering 15–20% higher system efficiency than units with an inverter compressor alone. On top of that, Midea AI ECOMASTER adds over 30% further energy savings, SGS verified.
How to decide: At 4 to 6 hours a day, the monthly difference is small. At 8 hours or more, it adds up noticeably over a year. More on how inverters save energy: why inverter air conditioners save more energy.
4. Noise at Night
Window type: The compressor sits inside the unit, which means inside the room. You hear it running.
Split type: The compressor sits outdoors, leaving only the fan noise indoors.
Where Midea stands: The inverter window type series runs as quiet as 39 dB, roughly the sound of pages turning in a quiet library, and inverter operation keeps room temperature variation within 1°C. On the split type side, the compressor is outdoors, and the Avigator and Chione series hold temperature to ±0.3°C precision, SGS verified.
How to decide: For a living room or home office used mainly during the day, either is fine. For a bedroom running all night, a split type is the better long-term experience. If a window type is your only option, the inverter version runs quieter than the non-inverter.
5. Room Size and Capacity
Window type: The body has to fit the opening, which limits the size, so the practical choice sits in the low-to-mid capacity range. Best for bedrooms, home offices and single rooms.
Split type: The indoor unit can go on almost any suitable wall, and the outdoor unit can sit on the roof, at the back of the house, on a balcony, even in the garage. More placement freedom, and more capacity options.
Where Midea stands: A 1.0 HP window type suits a standard bedroom of 10–15 m2. The split type range runs from 0.5 HP to 2.5 HP, covering everything from a 6 m2 single room to a 54 m2 open-plan living and dining area.
How to decide: For bedrooms, home offices and single rooms, either works. For large living rooms and open layouts, a split type gives you more room to work with. Capacity by room size is covered in the Midea air conditioner size guide for Filipino homes.
The Five Points Side by Side
| Window Type | Split Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Fits an existing opening, no outdoor unit | Licensed technician, wall drilling, refrigerant lines |
| Upfront price | From around ₱10,000 | Higher, plus installation |
| Monthly bill (1.5 HP, 8 hrs) | Inverter ₱1,777–2,894 | Inverter ₱1,260–1,800 |
| Noise at night | Compressor indoors, inverter from 39 dB | Compressor outdoors, quieter room |
| Capacity | 0.6–2.5 HP, best for small to mid rooms | 0.5–2.5 HP, more placementand capacity options |
| Moving house | Comes down and travels with you | Removal and reinstallation cost adds up |
| Routine cleaning | Slide-out chassis, can becleaned at home | Deep cleaning needs a technician |
Midea's Two Ranges in the Philippines
Window type (0.6–2.5 HP)
Available in both non-inverter and inverter. The Qube Compact inverter series comes with Full DC Inverter and Cool Flash one-touch rapid cooling, dropping room temperature by up to 6°C in 10 minutes. Main models carry Prime Guard Hyper Grapfins graphene-coated fins, and larger capacities use Prime Guard Golden Fins, both engineered for coastal salt air. Full model list and price tiers: how to choose a window type air conditioner in the Philippines.
Split type (0.5–2.5 HP)
Three series — Celest, Chione and Avigator — all built on Full DC Inverter with AI ECOMASTER, and all rated for 80V–265V wide-voltage operation to handle typhoon-season power swings.
Configuration comparison: what is the best inverter air conditioner in the Philippines.
What to Confirm Before You Order
If you're going with a window type
1. Measure the opening width and height, allowing clearance for installation and support
2. Ask whether it has a slide-out chassis — this decides whether future cleaning needs a technician
3. Check the input power on the spec sheet: a single figure means non-inverter, a range means inverter
4. If you live near the coast, confirm the fins have an anti-corrosion coating
If you're going with a split type
1. Confirm there's space for the outdoor unit and that building management allows it
2. Ask what the standard line length covers — anything beyond is usually charged separately
3. Check whether a separate circuit breaker is required
4. Match the capacity to the room area
Cleaning intervals are set out in the aircon cleaning schedule for the Philippines.
Where to Buy
Through authorized retailers, Midea AC specialists, and online platforms such as LazMall, Shopee Mall, and www.midea.com/ph. Use the Store Locator to find a dealer near you.
FAQ About Window Type and Split Type Air Conditioner in the Philippines
Q1: Which uses less electricity, a window type or a split type?
Comparing inverter to inverter at 1.5 HP and 8 hours daily, a window type runs about ₱1,777–2,894 a month and a split type about ₱1,260–1,800, at ₱12/kWh. The gap widens at 8 hours or more.
Q2: Should renters get a window type or a split type?
A window type. It fits an existing opening, needs no wall drilling or outdoor bracket, and can be taken along when the lease ends.
Q3: Which is quieter?
A split type, since the compressor sits outdoors. Midea's inverter window type series runs as quiet as 39 dB.
Q4: Do window types always use more electricity than split types?
No. That applies to non-inverter window units. An inverter window type adjusts its power draw and uses considerably less than a non-inverter at the same capacity.
Q5: How can I tell whether a window type is inverter?
Check the input power on the spec sheet. A single figure means non-inverter, a range means inverter.
Q6: Can a window type be cleaned at home?
Models with a slide-out chassis can — the body pulls out of the casing without full disassembly. Split types generally need a technician for deep cleaning.
Q7: Does Midea offer an inverter window type in the Philippines?
Yes. The Qube Compact Inverter series covers 0.8–1.5 HP with Full DC Inverter and Cool Flash.