A New Air Conditioner Can Save You Money

by Tom Olecki, Owner, Broadview Heating

If you are considering replacing your air conditioner this year, you might be surprised at the features new A/C systems can provide. A new air conditioning system will offer lower electricity bills compared to units built just 10 years ago.

When comparing efficiency between systems, look for the manufacturer’s SEER2 rating. The higher the rating, the more efficient the air conditioner will be. Ratings start at 13 and can be as high as 25 or more. Of course, the higher the rating, the higher the price to purchase and install. For our climate in the Cleveland area, I recommend a model with ratings between 13 and 16 SEER. Units with higher efficiency numbers than this can become very expensive to the point that cost savings will not equal the investment cost.

Not only are new systems more efficient, they can also be more comfortable. The old way of cooling your home probably utilized a single-stage air conditioner that was either on or off and was sized to keep your home cool on a very hot day. Single-stage systems can be somewhat noisy both inside and outside. Even if the weather is only moderately hot, the unit will run harder than the weather requires.

A newer technology you will find offered on todays better air conditioners is a unit that can operate with multiple capacities or speeds. High speed is for those very hot days and a slower, more moderate speed is for those average summer days.

Multiple capacity air conditioning systems have many benefits,  including much quieter operations when operating on the lower speeds, both inside and outside; and much better humidity control as a slower, longer cycle allows the system to extract about 10% more water from the air, making your home more comfortable.

The slower, longer run times create better temperature control inside the home and will help to balance out uneven conditioned areas, such as the upper floors in multiple story homes. Even though multiple speed systems run longer cycles, efficiency will still be high because a slower speed equals less electricity draw as the unit actually becomes smaller. Finally, the slower, longer run times will help your filtration system become more efficient at capturing dirt from the airstream.

Most variable-speed systems are energy-star rated and are eligible for a Federal tax credit of up to $600. This helps bring the true investment cost down and the benefits gained are well worth it.

Tom Olecki, Owner, Broadview Heating

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Questions are always welcome. For free help with your heating/cooling system, ask the experts at broadviewheating@sbcglobal.net or call 440-526-7310.

Opinions and claims expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ScripType Publishing.