5 New Air Conditioner Installation Features to Consider

Air Conditioner Installation Features for Your New AC Unit

Summer has arrived and it is hot! That is the good news for the times you want to be outdoors to swim, fish, or go boating. It is not so good when you want to be indoors and have learned your air conditioner is failing.

If your “old friend,” the air conditioner, needs to be replaced, you must gather a lot of information quickly to make a decision before it fails. This article attempts to give you enough information to ask good questions about a new air conditioning system.

New Air Conditioner Installation Options

There are many methods of cooling air, but only a few options for residential use. The differences will help you determine which option is the best for your home.

• In very dry regions of the country, some air conditioners distribute cool, moist air to humidify and cool living spaces. Humidity is often very high, so a humidifier/air cooler is not a good option here.
• The most common air conditioning type used across the country uses heat pump technology in a variety of configurations. A heat pump uses a refrigerant gas to move heat. For air conditioning, it moves heat from inside the house to the outside of the house; for heating, it moves heat from outside the house to the inside of the house. The heat is exchanged indoors and a blower motor moves the conditioned air through a network of ducts. Since heat pump technology works best when the difference between indoor and outdoor temperature is only 20⁰ different, a heat pump is often paired with a furnace for times when the temperature is extremely low.
• A notable variation to a central heat pump is a ductless, mini-split system. The heat pump is installed outdoors with exterior coolant lines connected to individual room blower motors.

Sizing an Air Conditioner

Both an undersized and an oversized central air conditioning system will work inefficiently and wear out prematurely. How can you get the right size? An HVAC technician should run a load calculation on your home.

He will measure square footage, wall openings (windows and doors), and insulation, among other things, to determine how much heat needs to be transferred from your home’s volume. The heat is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). From BTUs/hour, the size is determined in tons. Expect to hear those terms as you explore your options.

Air Conditioner Efficiency Ratings

The U.S. Department of Energy developed a method of determining air conditioning energy efficiency—how much energy does it take with system A to move a given number of BTUs. This rating is called SEER or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating—pretty straightforward. How that number is determined is available online if you are interested, but the basic information is:

• The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the air conditioner
• The air conditioner with the lowest SEER rating available in Texas is SEER 14. Residential units are available in the mid-20s.
• SEER rating will influence the cost of the equipment

Pricing an Air Conditioner

An air conditioner is usually sold along with the price of installation; that’s a good thing for most of us. The quote should be pretty simple: cost of materials + cost of labor. Both size and rating will influence the cost of materials.

An added fee for handling refrigerant gas might also be separated as a line item. For most installations, the furnace and air conditioner will be replaced at the same time.

Which Type is Best?

If you are replacing a central air conditioning unit with ductwork, a central AC unit will be your best option. They serve large spaces better than a mini-split system.

If your home does not currently have ductwork, installing a mini-split ductless system should be more affordable than installing a network of ducts throughout an existing home.

If you are adding air conditioning to a small space, a recent room addition, for example, a mini-split might fit the space better than replacing/enlarging your existing central air unit.

Need help with your Air Conditioner Installation?

Northwind Air Conditioning and Heat can help with Air Conditioner Installation and regularly scheduled HVAC maintenance. Contact us and get the answers you need.