When you are in the market for an air conditioner replacement in North Charleston, SC, calling Berkeley Heating & Air Conditioning is a great place to start. This professional HVAC company will help you select a system that is perfect for your home. Selecting an air conditioner replacement need not be a stressful or complicated experience. AC service professionals utilize industry accepted formulas, such as the “Manual J” calculation, to determine the size of unit that is appropriate for your living space. AC service professionals are also able to help you understand how energy efficient your new air conditioner installation will be.
Energy Efficiency
The energy efficiency of your new air conditioner installation should always be a consideration. You obviously want to select a new air conditioner that will save you as much money as possible on utility costs. The more energy efficient your new unit, the more money you will save in energy costs to run the unit. A professional AC service company will explain, in detail, how to select a unit that will save you money in energy costs.
Understanding the energy efficiency of AC units is really quite simple. Each AC unit is assigned a SEER rating. This rating is an estimate of the operating costs of the unit over a season. Every brand of air conditioner manufactured in the U.S. is labeled with a SEER rating. Therefore, you can compare brands and different types of AC units according to their SEER rating. A high SEER rating means that the unit is more energy efficient that a low SEER rating.
SEERs for U.S. air conditioners start at 13. Highly efficient units may have a SEER of 25 or 26. Even a unit with a SEER of 13 will likely cost you less to run than your older unit. This is because older units may have a SEER of 8 or 9, which was considered an acceptable level of efficiency even 10 years ago. Now, you will not find a new unit with a SEER under 13 available for sale. Federal regulations require AC manufacturers to produce units with SEERS of 13 or higher. With a new air conditioner installation, you can rest assured that you will save money on your utility bill.
New Technologies
A decade ago, you did not have a wide selection of air conditioning technologies from which to choose. Today, however, you will have the choice of a few new technologies that provide even more energy savings. New variable-speed units, also known as dual-speed units, offer the convenience and savings of a two-speed compressor. The compressor runs on a lower setting when cooling demand is low, such as in the morning hours. However, as the cooling demand rises, the compressor switches to a higher speed. These units save energy by running on the low setting when cooling demand is lower.
Other systems, such as mini-split ductless units, require no ductwork and allow you to control the temperature of each room separately. With zoning control, mini-split systems are very energy efficient and will save energy costs, too. When you are considering a new air conditioner installation, you have many options from which to choose. Call an AC service company like Berkeley Heating & Air Conditioning to walk through your options and assist you with your choice.
