Air Conditioner on Your Shopping List? Do Your Research

With summer fast approaching, now is the perfect time to consider buying or upgrading your air conditioner. Whether you simply want to save energy while remaining comfortable throughout the warm months or if your current system needs replacement, you’ll find a variety of units that efficiently and effectively meet your home’s cooling needs.

Most central air conditioning systems are either split-system units or package units. With a package unit, the entire system (condenser, compressor and evaporator) are located within a single outdoor unit, often placed on the roof. Packaged air conditioners are often combined with electric or natural gas heating equipment for efficiency and simplicity. With split-system units, the condenser and compressor remain in an outdoor cabinet while the evaporator is located inside the home. These systems are economical to install in homes where there’s no existing air conditioner or where there’s already a split-system unit in place.

Here are some other considerations you should keep in mind when it comes to upgrading or replacing your air conditioner:

• Upgrading your A/C after 10 years or more brings efficiency gains and lower energy costs. Today’s A/C systems are capable of providing an equal or even greater amount of cooling capacity as older units while using 30- to 50-percent less energy.
• The seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) can help you find the most efficient A/C unit for your home. Older systems usually have SEER ratings of 6 or lower, while today’s air conditioners and heat pumps have a SEER rating of 13 or greater. High-efficiency models start at SEER 16.
• The cumulative costs of repairing an old A/C system can easily add up to the cost of replacing it with an efficient, energy-saving model. Upgrading to a new A/C system can actually be more cost-effective in the long run.

For more information about buying or upgrading your air conditioner, turn to the experts at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. For over 40 years, we’ve delivered fast and excellent service to homeowners in northwest Arkansas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Northwest Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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