Tips for a New Air Conditioner Purchase

Tips for a New Air Conditioner PurchaseWith Southwest Arizona’s eternal summer nearly here, if you’ve been thinking about replacing your home’s old cooling system with a new air conditioner, you’d best get to work. You don’t want to be stuck with an under-performing A/C when the temperatures soar. But how do you go about choosing a new air conditioner? Following are some tips that should make the task easier.

What kind are you looking for? Your choices include the popular split-system A/C or heat pump, a package system, one or more room air conditioners, or a ductless mint-split system. If your house already is set up for a split-system with an inside and outside component, that’s likely your best bet in a replacement. When it comes to brands, choose a name brand that enjoys a good reputation for performance and durability.

What efficiency level is best? With cooling systems, efficiency refers to how much of the electricity that goes into the system is converted into cooling for your home. This typically is measured by SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). The higher the number, the more efficient the air conditioner. While you’ll pay more upfront for a high-efficiency A/C, your monthly bills will be lower. In our region, with long, hot summers, it’s worth paying more for higher efficiency. It won’t take long to recoup whatever extra money you paid at purchase.

Should you get the biggest available A/C? Well, no. Rather, your HVAC contractor should perform a cooling load calculation on your home, then, using that information, recommend an A/C or heat pump system that’s sized for your particular home. If you get a cooling system that’s too big, or too small, you’ll end up wasting energy and not getting the cooling comfort you desire.

Are advanced features worth considering? In most cases, features such as a variable-speed air handler, multi-stage compressor and thermal expansion valve are worth paying for, since they will provide long-term savings on energy without any sacrifice of comfort.

For more help choosing your Yuma area home’s new air conditioner, please contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration & Electric Company.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about buying a new air conditioner and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 928-723-3183.

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