What is Involved in Installing a New System?

The US federal government strongly recommends that homeowners with air conditioner units more than ten years old should replace the units. This recommendation comes with strong reasoning. The Department of Energy and Environment Protection Agency (EPA) points out that air conditioners and heat pumpsthat are ENERGY STAR-qualified can result in significant energy savings for the homeowner. So it makes sense to replace your old, inefficient AC unit with a new and more efficient unit.
Considering your older AC unit may be a power-hungry system that makes up a substantial portion of your energy bill, hundreds of dollars-worth of wasted energy may occur every year. Maybe you have had an energy audit done on your home and your aging AC unit has been identified as responsible for rising energy bills. If this is the case and you are a homeowner, you will probably want to know what is involved in installing a new air conditioning system. The following are the main points that should be considered:1. The upfront costs as compared to the projected long-term savings;
2. Monetary incentives, such as rebates, that you may be entitled to when you install a more efficient AC system; and
3. The overall reputation and dependability of the system you are hoping to install in your home.ENERGY STAR gives the following as reasons why one should replace an old AC unit with a more efficient unit:

• The moment an AC unit reaches the ten year mark, efficiency begins to spiral downward. Installing a new, efficient unit can result in energy savings amounting to about 20% over each year;
• An old AC unit may require frequent repairs that can get costly;
• The cooling system of an old AC unit may be noisy, especially if the indoor coil becomes faulty;

If you discover that your Home Energy Yardstick score falls below 5, then you will find yourself grappling with excessive energy bills.

Rebates

Upfront costs of purchasing a new AC unit will be offset over time, mainly by the lower energy bills. If you choose a high SEER unit, you may receive handsome rebates from the equipment manufacturer or the government.

Installing a New AC Unit

Your home cooling system is made up of various components including the central AC unit, the home ventilation system, thermostats, and programmable controls. The following is an explanation of the listed components.

1. Central Air Conditioning System
The central AC system distributes air through ductwork to provide ventilation, cooling, or heating (if you are using a heat pump). These systems can either be packaged units or split systems. Split systems come in two separate parts; the indoor unit that works together with a furnace or an air handler and an outdoor unit that includes a condenser coil and a compressor. When properly matched, these components work very efficiently.

2. Home Ventilation Systems
The modern trend of tight housing construction can result in the air inside buildings and homes being considerably more polluted than outside air. Since people are now spending a greater amount of time indoors, this can be problematic. Ventilators and air cleaners use central humidifying and/or dehumidifying equipment to help improve the quality of indoor air.

3. Home Thermostats/Programmable Controls
The basic function of a thermostat is to turn the cooling or heating equipment on or off whenever certain, set temperatures are exceeded. Modern thermostats are intelligent and programmable. These devices can communicate with the equipment in your home to ensure proper function.

Snyder Heating & Air Conditioning has been serving Jacksonville, Florida for 40 years. We are family-owned and offer top-notch service to our clients. Our HVAC technicians are trained in the repair and installation of a wide range of HVAC systems. If you are struggling with high energy bills as a result of an old, inefficient HVAC system, call us today. We can install a more efficient unit for you and have you saving money on energy bills in no time.