The best time to replace your air conditioner is at the beginning of the cooling season. HVAC contractors recommend that if your unit was functioning inefficiently during the last season, this is the best time to replace it.
Factors to consider when undertaking AC replacement
For you to buy a unit that will work efficiently and last for a long time you need to consider a number of factors that include:
Energy consumption: It’s estimated that up to 20% of the home heating bill goes into home heating and cooling. Due to this, it’s very important that you pay close attention to the energy consumption of the new unit that you are buying. When making the purchase, consider the energy efficiency rating (EER). An energy rating of 7-8 is low and such a unit won’t be worth your money. For a great experience, go for a unit with an energy rating of at least 16.
Circuit load: How many amperes does your new unit consume? Before you head to the stores, you should check the breaker box for the number of amperes that are available in the room that you are looking to cool. You should note that when you install a unit that requires a lot of amperes, some of the units such as lights won’t work. As rule of thumb, you should go for a unit that will function optimally at the available amperes.
The amount of noise: Most air conditioners will have noise levels of about 50 decibels. This level is almost similar to the one made by refrigerators. To have a peaceful house, you should go with an air conditioner that doesn’t make a lot of noise.
Venting: There are two types of venting options you can go with: single and double hose. According to AC contractors, a single hose venting system exhausts only a small portion of the cool air that it just produced. A dual hose system, on the other hand, eliminates this problem but produces a lot of warm unconditioned air that cools the compressors resulting to reduced efficiency.
Conclusion
These are some of the factors you should consider when replacing your inefficient air conditioner. To increase your chances of buying a high-quality unit, buy it from a reputable store. After making the purchase, you should have it installed by an experienced HVAC company.
