If you’ve chosen to install a new air conditioner in your home this spring, congratulations! You’re making a wise investment in your property that should pay off for many hot Indiana summers to come. Beyond selecting the right technician to perform the operation, you need to do your research and select a new air conditioning system that fits the specific needs of your home. That way, it will perform as efficiently as possible and minimize the impact of wear-and-tear: helping you make the most out of this very important investment.
More specifically, there are 3 key factors you need to keep in mind when choosing a new air conditioner to help guide your decision.
1. The Type of Air Conditioner
Most air conditioning systems in the Fort Wayne area are traditional centralized units, which generate cool air in a single spot and distribute it to the home via a series of ducts. It’s an effective and comparatively inexpensive system, and if your home is set up for it, it’s a great fit. Bu some homes may benefit from an alternative form of air conditioning, which can include:
- Ductless systems, which use multiple smaller units to cool different sections of the home individually. It allows you to turn off the cool air in parts of the home you aren’t using while still running it in parts that you are.
- Geothermal systems, which utilize energy from the earth to provide heating and cooling power.
- Heat pumps, which combine the functions of a heater and an air conditioner into one.
If you’re not certain that a centralized air conditioner I the best fit, talk to your technician about your options.
2. Power Levels
The power output of your air conditioner is vital to ensuring your air conditioner works as intended. You probably know that you can’t install an underpowered air conditioner. Otherwise, the system will run constantly and waste a great deal of energy without getting the home cool. But overpowered systems suffer a similar problem. It will col the air too quickly and shut off, only to turn on again as the summer heat wars the home. The process is known as short cycling, ad since air conditioners use far more energy an effort to start up and shut down, it results in huge amounts of wasted energy and a great deal of wear and tear. Your system needs to be balanced between those two extremes: neither too larger not too small but just right.
3. Efficiency
Once you’ve determined the proper power levels (usually by a thorough examination of your home from the technician), the next step is to consider the efficiency levels of the system. Air conditioning efficiency is measured via a SEER rating, which stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the rating, the more effectively the air conditioner will work and the less it will cost you to run. You should look for the system with the highest SEER rating in your budget
For high quality air conditioning service and installation in the Fort Wayne, IN area, call on the friendly professionals at Collier’s Comfort today.