How to Choose The Right AC Unit for Your Home
RH Business Marketing Solutions
Installing air conditioning is one of the most significant improvements a homeowner can make in terms of household comfort.
It also happens to be one of the most expensive, especially if you go for an entire central air conditioning system, which could cost anywhere between $3,000 to $8,000 on average.
Homeowners planning to install air conditioning must know how to choose a new AC unit to ensure that they get nothing but the right air conditioner for their needs.
For a homeowner on the lookout for a new AC unit, here are some tips that will help.
Determine The AC Type You Need
Some only need window air conditioners, which are big enough to cool a single room. They’re affordable and easy to install. You can also opt for through-the-wall air conditioners, which, as their name implies, must be installed through a wall instead of a window.
If your goal is to cool an entire house, your best bet would be a central air conditioning system. As already mentioned above, central air conditioning systems can get expensive. Still, if it’s within your budget, there are dozens of types and brands available in the market that you can check out.
However, keep in mind that unlike window or through-the-wall air conditioners, central air conditioning installation requires the expertise of professional HVAC technicians, who can also make recommendations about AC units that will serve your cooling needs best.
Choose The Right Size
In air conditioning terms, the “size” refers not to the physical dimensions of the AC unit but its cooling capacity as measured in British thermal units (BTUs).
For example, a 1-ton AC unit has the capacity to remove 12,000 BTUs of hot air from a given space per hour. The bigger the AC unit’s tonnage, the more BTUs of hot air it can remove.
In the world of air conditioning, bigger isn’t necessarily better.
An AC unit that is much too big for a given area will cycle on and off too frequently, leading to issues that include high levels of humidity, high energy consumption, and shortened AC unit life due to wear and tear.
On the other hand, a small AC unit in an area that’s too big for its capacity means it won’t be able to cool the space properly. Nevertheless, it will work tirelessly and virtually non-stop to do its job, which means it would have to use more electricity. All that hard work also means plenty of wear and tear and a shorter lifespan for the AC unit.
To ensure that your AC unit is the right size, you need to measure the square footage of the area that needs cooling and refer to BTU charts that AC sellers and professional AC technicians would be glad to provide you.
Other factors that you need to consider to make sure you get the right size AC unit include:
The number of occupants
Your home’s age
The number of heat-generating appliances
The amount of shade and sun your home gets
The number and size of windows
The height of the ceiling
With a right-sized air conditioner, your home should get cooled perfectly in the most efficient way.
Check the SEER
When shopping for a new AC unit, always consider the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio or SEER if you want an efficient way to cool your home.
The SEER is an essential efficiency rating for AC units, and it’s calculated by dividing the total number of BTUs of heat removed from the air over a cooling season by its total electricity consumption for that same period.
For air conditioners, the higher the SEER, the more energy-efficient it is. So, if your old AC unit had a SEER of 9, installing a new air conditioning unit that carries a SEER of 18 would translate to a 50% drop in your unit’s electricity use and lower utility bills.
Aside from providing energy savings, a high SEER AC unit cooling your home would also be more favorable to the environment.
It would also be fair to note that AC units with high SEER ratings tend to have higher price tags, too, although the energy savings would more than make up for the steeper initial cost in the long run.
Hire Dependable HVAC Contractors
The AC unit you buy tends to be only as good as the professionals who install it. Even if you purchased a perfectly sized, highly-efficient AC unit, it wouldn’t run as well as it should if the people who install it do not do a good job.
When hiring air conditioning technicians, always do your homework.
Ask for recommendations from people you know.
Contact at least three air conditioning contractors and ask for quotes.
When interviewing prospective contractors, always ask for licenses, certifications, and proof of insurance to establish that they’re legitimate air conditioning technicians.
About the Author
Rachel Watson is the Senior Content Editor of New AC Unit. Aside from heading the company's content marketing strategies, she writes articles about how to stay fit and energy-efficient home living.