When Buying a Central Air Conditioner
Factors to consider:
- Are you paying a reasonable price for your central air conditioner?
- What capacity of central air conditioner should you buy?
- Should you buy a high, middle, or low-efficiency air conditioner?
Dakota Air Conditioning and Heating can help you with these factors.
Are you paying a reasonable price for your Central Air Conditioner?
There are essentially two costs when purchasing and installing a new central air conditioner: equipment costs and labor costs.
As with installing a furnace or boiler, you will need to work with a good HVAC contractor when you install a new central air conditioning system. Make sure to screen your potential contractors to ensure that they have happy customers and no complaints.
Choosing the right size Central Air Conditioner.
As with sizing furnaces or boilers, it is important to have an HVAC Contractor perform a load calculation before you decide which size air conditioning system to buy. If you install an air conditioner which is too large, it will cycle on and off too often, substantially reducing the efficiency of the system. Too small, and your air conditioner may not be able to meet the demands of a hot, humid day. The industry standard load calculation is called the Manual J calculation. It takes into account the size of your house, the amount of insulation installed, the square footage, and a host of other factors.
Central Air Conditioner Efficiency
The most common measure of the efficiency of a consumer central air conditioning system is the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). Beginning in 2006, an air conditioner must have a SEER of at least 13 to be sold in the United States. Higher efficiency models have a SEER between 14 and 22. A more common rating method for commercial air conditioners is the EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio). EER is a measure of the ratio of the amount of cooling (measured in BTUs) to the amount of electricity it consumes (measured in watt-hours). The EER is a steady state measure — that is, the efficiency is only measured once the unit has started up and is running at a steady capacity. SEER takes into account the startup and shutdown time as well, making it a more accurate measurement for determining the actual energy costs for the end user.
Call today for one of our NATE-certified technician who will properly match, properly size and properly install the equipment in your home.
High-Efficiency Furnaces
Sky-high energy bills, diminishing resources and a healthy concern for our environment have brought a great deal of attention to the topic of home energy efficiency in recent years. Homeowners everywhere are struggling to spend less, use less and pollute less without giving up the warmth and comfort they’ve grown to cherish.
Almost 35 million homes in America are heated by natural gas–fired, forced-air heating systems. Unfortunately, nearly all of these households have been sending 30% or more of their energy dollars up the furnace flue and, in doing so, each has pumped up to 4 tons of carbon dioxide, the “greenhouse gas,” into the atmosphere every month. Most conventional forced-air furnaces operate at very low efficiencies—some taking advantage of only half the fuel they burn.
In an effort to curb this waste and pollution, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) instituted rigid new standards at the beginning of 1992 that required every new furnace to turn at least 78% of its fuel into heat. Manufacturers responded with models that meet and sometimes far surpass this.
The measurement for efficiency is called an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. All furnaces now come posted with this rating, generally in the form of a yellow “Energy Guide” label. AFUE ratings run from the 78% minimum to the Carrier SXC’s 96.7%. Though most makers list their furnaces as “high efficiency,” the DOE sometimes refers to units with an AFUE higher than 90% as “high efficiency” and lower-AFUE models as “mid efficiency.”
Yellow Energy Guides list estimated annual operating costs for furnaces given specific conditions; they’re meant for comparison only. When buying a system, you should ask your dealer to help you figure actual payback.
A new, high-efficiency furnace can save you money in the long run, so if your furnace needs replacement, it pays to get a new, high-efficiency model. But does your furnace need replacement? Do you want a new furnace because your present one isn’t heating properly or is making too much noise? You may find that simple repairs are all that’s needed. If you’re considering a new furnace call today for one of our NATE-certified technician who will properly match, properly size and properly install the equipment in your home.