When you’re in the process of upgrading your air conditioner, using the expertise of trusted local HVAC technicians will provide you with information you can count on. Air conditioners are complex pieces of machinery, and today’s systems give you more choices to increase your indoor comfort and lower your cooling bill.
The first step an HVAC contractor takes you through when upgrading your air conditioner is to evaluate your home to properly size the appliance. The tool commonly used is Manual J, which takes into account these factors:
- Cubic footage of home;
- Insulation levels;
- Windows, their location and energy efficiency;
- Air infiltration rates;
- Number of heat-emitting appliances and lighting;
- Preferred temperatures;
- Duct efficiency;
- Number of occupants; and
- Lifestyle factors.
When you know the ideal size, you can select features for the air conditioning that have a direct impact on your electric bill and interior comfort. Some of the energy-saving upgrades include:
- Variable-speed motors. These power the blower and use significantly less electricity than single-speed motors. They usually run slower than single-speed motors but do so almost continuously. This provides more efficient filtration and humidification than a singles-speed motor.
- A filter sensor. This tells you when to change the air filter for the blower. A dirty filter is the primary cause of system failure or inefficiencies inside both the blower and the outdoor compressor. It’s easy to forget filter changes unless you have a sensor that alerts you when it’s time for a change.
- Dual-speed compressor. The compressor operates at different speeds and only on high when temperatures are excessively hot. This lowers your electric bill.
After installing the equipment, technicians will help you after upgrading your air conditioner by servicing the equipment according to the factory guidelines. The service may be a requisite to maintain all or some of the warranty current. Ongoing servicing also helps your system work at the manufacturer’s specifications, keeping utility bills lower.
Geisel Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing has been providing the Greater Cleveland area with HVAC services for more than 77 years. Contact us to learn more about upgrading your air conditioner.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about upgrading your air conditioner and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Geisel Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing services Western Cleveland. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today! For those Do it Yourselfers who would rather take control of your own indoor comfort, you can shop our online store for replacement parts, products and accessories!
