75% of home in the US use air conditioning, and 75% of those homes have central air.
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Central air conditioners are popular because they deliver more cooling power per square foot for the money than regular air conditioners.
Whether you are purchasing a central air conditioner for the first time, or replacing your current AC unit, this guide is deigned to help you make an educated buying decision. Air conditioning units usually last between 10 and 15 years, as opposed to furnaces, which generally last between 20 and 30 years.
There are many factors to consider when buying a central air conditioner ' size, price, energy efficiency, warranty, ongoing maintenance, and energy rebates, to name a few.
There are a few components that all central air conditioners have: a condenser unit (with a compressor), an air-handling unit with a blower, an evaporator, and a system for exchanging hot indoor air with chilled air.
Supply and return openings move cool air from the air conditioner through the home. As the air becomes warmer indoors, the warm air flows back into the central air conditioner.
The condenser unit usually sits outside on a concrete slab, or on the roof, and contains the condenser and compressor. In packaged central air conditioners, the evaporator may also be placed in the condenser unit. In split systems, and non-packaged central air conditioning units, the evaporator is indoors. Ductwork or air handling lines distribute cooled air to the different rooms in the house.
In the evaporator unit, usually placed indoors, arm air from inside the house passes through an intake with an air filter. This air passes over cooling coils which remove heat and humidity from the air using refrigerant. A fan blower, placed over the evaporator, disperses the cooled air inside the house.
Meanwhile, in the outside condenser unit, in the condenser unit, heat is transferred from coils to the outside. A compressor moves refrigerant between the evaporator and condenser to chill the indoor air. A fan releases warm air to the outdoor air.
This is all a complex way to say that indoor heat is transferred to the outside.
Here is a PDF and infographic that explains in detail how this process works.
A heat pump differs from a central air conditioner in one way. Heat pumps are essentially central air units that can be reversed in the winter to move heat indoors, instead of extracting heat from the home and moving it outdoors.
A heat pump has a valve that reverses the flow of refrigerant, allowing the unit to either heat or cool the home.
Heat pumps extract heat from the outdoor air, moving it into the house. In colder climates, there comes a point where the heat from the outside air is insufficient to heat the indoor home, so a backup heat source, like a furnace, is necessary.
There are two main types of central air conditioners, packaged and split-system.
In a packaged central air conditioner, the condenser, compressor, and evaporator are usually housed together in an outdoor unit. The cooled air is usually circulated through the home using ductwork. The advantage of packaged air conditioners is they provide even cooling throughout the house.
Split systems usually have the condenser and compressor in an outside unit. An indoor unit is oftentimes connected to a heat pump or furnace. The evaporator coil is usually contained in the cabinet or supply air duct of the furnace or heat pump. The indoor unit is usually mounted to the wall in each room. One main advantage of ductless split-systems is you can cool specific rooms. Split-systems cost a bit more than packaged air conditioning units. They are a good option for homes that do not have existing ductwork. Split-systems and mini-splits also work well in all climates.
The US Department of Energy developed a system for rating the efficiency of an air conditioning system. The higher the number, the more efficient the cooling versus the cost of the unit.
This rating is called SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The SEER rating of each air conditioning unit is displayed on the Energy Star label.
The SEER rating of an air conditioner is calculated its cooling capacity in BTUs during a given season, divided by the electric wattage needed to cool the air during the same period.
SEER only takes seasonal use into account, not year-round use. This number is calculated as BTU / wattage, but with an 82 °F outside temperature.
Nationwide, the minimum SEER rating for central air conditioners is 13 SEER. As of , in California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, split-system air conditioning units must be rated at least 14 SEER and also 11 EER (for package systems), 11.7 EER (for split-systems rated 45,000 BTU/hr or more), or 12.2 EER (for split-systems rated below 45,000 BTU/hr.)High-efficiency air conditioners usually have a minimum of 16 SEER and 13 EER.
To be labelled as an Energy Star unit, a central air conditioning system must have a 12 EER rating (for split-systems) and an 11 EER rating (for package units).
Ducted central air conditioning systems can currently reach a peak of about 21 SEER.
As the efficiency goes up beyond 16 SEER, the price also goes up accordingly.
One thing that may be confusing when you are shopping for a new central air conditioner is how the size is referenced. An air conditioner's cooling capacity is measured in a size known as British thermal units per hour (BTU). This is sometimes referred to as 'tons' ' which doesn't refer to the weight of the unit, but the BTU/hour, or cooling power. One ton of cooling power equals 12,000 BTU/hr.
Your HVAC contractor should inspect the interior and layout of your home, as well as the raw square footage. They will use this information to make a recommendation for the proper sized AC system.
If your central air conditioning system is too large, it will cycle on and off throughout the day, which can waste electricity. When the central air conditioner is too small, it will not be able to sufficiently cool your home.
Make sure your central air conditioner system is sized correctly. There is more to consider than the just the square footage of your home! Be sure to choose a contractor who will size your central AC system according to Manual J, a standard developed by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA).
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Ultimately, your best course of action is to buy an energy-efficient central air conditioner which will save you energy and cooling costs. How much money you will save over time, and how much money you should invest depends on several factors, like the overall climate of your area, and the square footage and layout of your home.
Other factors to consider are the age of your current air conditioning unit and whether you need to install or replace ductwork in your home. If you do not currently have ductwork in your home, it may make more sense to buy a split-system air conditioning unit. If your current central air system is older, it may make sense to replace the outside condenser and compressor unit.
Central air conditioners built today use 30% to 50% less energy for the same amount of cooling as systems built in the mid-s. Even AC units built as recently as the early-s expend as much as 20% to 40% more energy for the same cooling power as AC systems built today.
The warranty on your air conditioning unit will help keep it running for many years to come. Before you buy an air conditioning unit, be sure to read the warranty in full, and make sure you understand the terms and restrictions. Warranties can vary by manufacturer. Some warranties cover most of the AC unit, while other may only cover specific parts. A 10-year warranty on the compressor and five years on the remaining parts is normal. Some models may offer a lifetime warranty on the compressor, which is the most expensive part of most central air conditioning systems.
Depending on what state you live in, there may be various financial incentives for homeowners for purchasing energy-efficient heating and cooling units. In California, you may qualify for the Energy Upgrade California' program, which includes rebates for certain upgrades and energy-efficient equipment.
As a proud participating Bay Area contractor in the Energy Upgrade California program, Ventwerx can help you find the right package for you, and make sure you fulfill the criteria of the energy upgrade program.
For a list of nationwide rebates and energy incentives, visit https://www.dsireusa.org/.
Always make sure your air conditioning contractor is licensed, bonded, and insured. Good contractors will usually have a stellar record and reputation. They may also be part of a professional contracting organization.
HVAC contractors who submit a bid on your job should calculate the necessary cooling capacity by using a recognized methodology, such the ACCA's Residential Load Calculation Manual, aka Manual J. If they are assessing ductwork, this should be assessed using the ACCA's Manual D. These manuals produce a room-by-room analysis and calculation of cooling needs. Make sure they give you a printout of all calculations and estimates, including any ductwork. If your contractor produces estimates based only on rough square footage or a 'rule of thumb' ' run. These contractors are not following best practices agreed upon by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America organization.
Many air conditioning manufacturers recommend annual maintenance on your central AC system. Energy Star recommends an annual tune-up on your central air conditioning unit. The best time to plan this is in the spring, before the weather starts to heat up.
During the service call, the HVAC technician should change all the filters, clean out the blower compartments, flush the coils, and drain the pan and drainage system. After the AC cleaning, your HVAC technician should make sure all the parts are working correctly. This includes checking electrical connections, lubricating internal moving parts, and measuring the airflow over the indoor evaporator coil. If the airflow is at the proper level, it can improve the air conditioners efficacy from 5% to 15%.
Keep plats, hedges, and foliage at least two feet away from the outside condenser unit. This will prevent the airflow and outside coils from being blocked.
Buying an air conditioner is a big decision that you'll likely be living with for many years. There are a lot of fine points and things to watch out for that the average homeowner isn't aware of.
A good installer like Home Service Plus®' (HSP) will hold an in-home consultation with you to help you decide and to answer any questions you have. But what are the right questions to ask?
Below you'll find a breakdown of the various considerations of the air conditioner buying process, followed by sample questions to ask your sales rep. '
Armed with these tips, you'll be able to narrow the wide world of AC types, brands and models down to the perfect choice for your home.
Two-thirds of American homes that use air conditioning use central AC units, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), making this type of AC system the most common by far. 'Central air conditioning' can mean either a split system or a heat pump.
Split systems and heat pumps both comprise an indoor and an outdoor unit that work together to push cool air around your home through a system of ducts. The key difference is that unless it's paired with a furnace, a split system only cools, while a heat pump can both cool and warm your home. It does this by transferring heat between indoor and outdoor air.
There is a third type of central air conditioning known as a packaged unit, in which there is only an outdoor unit, no indoor unit. However, these are typically installed in situations when indoor space is limited, such as mobile homes.
Central air conditioning cools the entire home, but it requires a lot of energy to do so. For homeowners who desire more targeted cooling, lower electricity usage or who don't have existing ductwork, room air conditioners are an alternative and the second-most popular category of air conditioner.
Room air conditioners include ductless mini-splits, window units, and portable units. Ductless systems are extremely energy-efficient that can be installed in a wide variety of living spaces and configurations to cool a single room or up to as many as nine. Window and portable AC's are relatively inexpensive to purchase, are not nearly as energy efficient as a ductless system and require a partially open window to operate, creating security concerns.
As the name implies, portable ACs are able to be moved from room to room as needed via caster wheels on the bottom. They are roughly the size of filing cabinets, although they can weigh upwards of 80 pounds and therefore may not be as portable as desired.
Some portable air conditioners are able to provide both heating and cooling, but regardless, all portable units generate heat that has to be vented. Most models come with a window kit for venting hot air outside. They also have to be manually drained of condensation periodically, unless the unit has an automatic drain feature.
Window air conditioners have been a go-to cooling method for decades. Many homeowners will be able to install a window unit themselves, which involves little more than placing it in the window, fastening it in place and plugging it into an outlet. Like portable units, many window units can heat and cool the room for year-round use. And though they're not classified as 'portable,' window units can be uninstalled and reinstalled somewhere else with minimal effort.
Ductless mini-splits are a slightly more complex type of room air conditioner that still delivers excellent energy efficiency and the ability to scale up the number of conditioned rooms to rival central ACs. These systems connect an outdoor unit to one ('single-zone') or several ('multi-zone') wall mounted indoor units via refrigerant tubing and electrical wiring; no ductwork is needed. They can deliver heating and cooling and be sized to work with any ceiling height or room configuration.
A new central or ductless AC system is a big ticket item. As you budget for it, you'll need to factor in not just the purchase amount but the cost to install it. If you previously have not had air conditioning, you'll also need to prepare for the higher energy costs, as well as the cost to maintain the system.
Because of the high costs, HVAC financing is commonly offered by both manufacturers and contractors. There is even a class of personal loans dedicated to the purchase.
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