Consider these tips before purchasing a new AC
Consider these tips before purchasing a new AC
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During the hot summer months it's typical to experience greater humidity and heat in your home. Before replacing or repairing your air conditioning unit consider these tips. You will want to do some homework before buying equipment. First, choosing the right service company to do the installation is very important. Going with the cheapest price may not be your best bet and could end up costing you more money in the long run. You want to make sure that the installing contractor does a few basics.
It’s extremely important that your air conditioner is properly sized for your home. Many people want bigger units, as they think they will cool better. This is the furthest from the truth today. Air Conditioners need to run for long periods of time so that get into what is called steady state. This is when an air conditioner performs at its highest efficiency and pulls the humidity out of the air. When your unit is working properly by running in steady state you will notice an improved comfort change in your home and the highest energy savings. If the contractor does not do a load calculation and just guesses at the size, he can get it wrong. An over sized air conditioner will stop and start all the time and will not perform at its peak performance, therefore making your home humid and cost you more to run. Think of a car driving in a city versus on a highway, new air conditioners work very much the same.
It is also very important that the contractor checks your duct work for leakage. Research by the DOE and EPA have proven that the typical duct system loses between 25-40% of its energy and capacity and in some cases they have found even greater losses. Buying high efficiency equipment without changing leaky duct work will cause your unit to not efficient and result in higher utility bills and decreased comfort.
Bottom line, this is a large investment for your home, so do it right. Don't let the cheapest bid get your hard earned dollars and cost you more money in the long run.
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