Deciding on a new air conditioning system is a huge decision, and will play a big part in cooling your home in the summer, as well as in the cost of your home energy. Being the big investment that it is, there are several things to consider when it comes to central air units. Before making your purchase, observe and familiarize yourself with the following qualities, and understand what is true and false about your central air unit.
The Commonality of Good Central Air Units
The most common central air units use ducts to push out cooled air into the house. With a split system, as the typical design, the refrigerant used to cool air will go between an indoor coil and a similar outdoor coil. However, this split system isn’t for every home. Some homes need a split ductless system or pipes instead of ducts. This is where your contractor needs to step in and help.
The best units help limit utility bills by providing an efficient system operating off of minimal electricity. They also need to be dependable, performance-wise, all year round and have a long lifespan when maintained regularly. Regular maintenance includes changing your air filters, seasonal checks, using a programmable thermostat, and making sure your ducts are insulated. Low service needs also plays a major role in great central air units.
Choosing the most reliable unit needs to be considered with a range of variables. Things to be considered are the actual home and design and how the previous unit was installed, such as which duct or pipe system was used, and if they were properly put together.
Energy Efficient Air Conditioners
Air conditioner technology is constantly growing. The central air units considered standard just a few years back, are now below the minimum allowed. The manufacturers of air conditioners are now required by law to rate and evaluate their equipment for energy efficiency using Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating, or SEER. This helps to describe how much cooling your central air unit distributes per each watt of electricity. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the equipment is.
Most of the newer homes are furnished with a standard air conditioner mode. Whenever a homeowner needs to upgrade the unit, they can seek a more energy-efficient system with a higher SEER. Though models with a higher SEER are usually more expensive, they can make it up in the energy saved for your utility bills in time. A great choice would be a system with a SEER of 18.00, whereas most standards have a SEER of at least 13. Talk to your contractor about the central air units with the highest SEERS.
Picking Out the Right Size Unit
When you pick out your central air unit, size does matter. You do not need to over or underestimate your cooling needs. An oversized system may cycle more than needed, meaning that it will shut on and off, wasting energy, wasting money, and putting a strain on the compressor. However, an air conditioner that is too small will not keep your home cool.
With central air units measured in tons or in British thermal units of heat removed per hours, Btu/h, a great HVAC contractor, like ours at Snyder Heating & Air, will be able to carefully study and decide what you need based on the insulation in your home, window exposer and dimensions, local climate, and floor space, as well as the measurements taken by using the duct-sizing method. The amount of your home shadowed by trees and even the direction your home faces will also be taken in account.
Upgrading Your Central Air Unit
When you decide to upgrade your central air unit, whether it is because yours is outdated or because you would like to start saving energy with a higher SEER, it is important to not automatically buy the same size system as you had before. Other changes made, like adding extra insulation, replacing windows, or even adding new rooms can also change your cooling needs and need to be taken in account for your new unit.
Because the compressor is substantial to your central air system, it will work hard and deliver cool air on a hot day. You will need to talk to your contractor about finding a highly advance scroll compressor with a minimized fan noise. Also discuss with your contractor whether or not a simple improvement like the air filtration capabilities will suffice as an extensive upgrade for now. If you decide to upgrade without replacing the whole unit, it is very important that the parts match the overall unit. Just a small out of place part can create a disaster of your system’s effort to cool your home.
Finding a Contractor
It is important that your contractor is trustworthy with great references and referrals specific to your community. Your contractor also needs to be familiar with well-known name brands, and have a wide range of parts in their inventory.
So now it is time to choose the best contractor to suit your needs. As a pillar in the air conditioning industry since 1973, at Snyder Heating and Air, we definitely know our way around the top of the market HVAC products and services. If you are in the Jacksonville area, call us today at [hls_phone_number] for any questions, help, to get a quote, or if you are ready to upgrade your central air unit.
