Choosing the right A/C System for a new build or existing home is an important decision.
BybrAdam Mennenga, Service Manager, Berkeys
Whether you're building a new homebror need to upgrade or replace the A/C in your existing home, it's important tobrknow what type of system to choose. It's easy to spend way too much money onbrsomething you don't really need that may end up costing you even more in energybrbills in the long run.
How an A/C system works
Before we get into choosing abrsystem, let's briefly review how an A/C works so you have a betterbrunderstanding of how it keeps your home cool. We'll also review how the size ofbrthe A/C system and the number of Condensers matter based on the size andbrconfiguration of your house.
The process by whichbran A/C keeps your home cool is based on some very basic principles, similar tobrthat of a refrigerator. The difference is that your home is insulated to keepbrcool air in vs. the insulated chamber of your fridge. There are 2 sets of coilsbrin the system, one is designed to cool the indoor air, while the other coils,brknown as the condenser coils, cycle the warm refrigerant to a unit outside andbrare cooled by a fan. The fan in your house uses the ducts to draw the air inbrthrough the returns, passes them over the cooling coils and then blows thebrcooled air back out through the vents. This system, in combination withbrinsulation to keep temperatures even, is what cools the ambient temperature inbryour home.
Because not every home is the samebrsize or has the same layout, the coils and condenser units come in differentbrsizes. If you have an average size home and install an A/C system designed forbra house twice the size, not only will you spend a lot more money, but thebrcompressor will actually work harder by turning on and off (cycling) more oftenbrand wasting more energy.
A word on SEER Ratings
By law, manufactures are requiredbrto rate their equipment by energy efficiency. For A/C's this is known as a SEERbrrating, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. The higher this rating, the morebrefficient the equipment, but remember that the higher the SEER rating, the morebrexpensive the system will be. The minimum recommended rating is SEER 13. A licensed technicianwill recommend a SEER rating that best fits your home and your wallet, but willbralso help you leverage long term savings vs initial cost.
Getting the right A/C for your house
A licensed and qualifiedbrHVAC technician will come to your home and recommend a system based on abrnumber of factors:
- brWindow dimensions and exposure
- brFloor space &
- brHeat-generating appliances such as kitchen ovensbrand fireplaces
- brThe direction your home faces and what parts ofbrit get more sun than others
- brEven the amount of trees shading your house
The technician will then specifybrthe cooling capacity of the system expressed in either Btu/h (British thermalbrunits of heat removed per hour) or refrigeration tons (one ton being equal tobr12,000 Btu/h). For multi-story homes, or homes with a large square footage, itbrmay be necessary to install 2 sytems. The reason for this is that a singlebrlarge unit may not be able to efficiently cool a large house and can waste toobrmuch energy, whereas 2 medium sized units will do the job just fine and endbrcosting less in the long-run.
Ductless / Mini-Split Systems
If you have abrseparate, smaller building, or a converted Garage, it maybe more cost-effectivebrfor you to have a ductlessbr/ mini-split system installed. This can help reducebrthe cost of laying new ductwork and work just as well, while still saving youbrmoney on your energy bills. A licensed technician can both recommend the rightbrequipment as well as install it.
Ductless sytems are wall-mountedbrA/C units that also have an outdoor condenser, hence the name “Split System”.brThe difference with these A/C's is that they don't require duct work and canbrtherefore be installed in older homes or places like a Garage or Outbuilding.brAnother convenient feature of these systems is a remote control.
Which System is right for you?
To wrap up, a new A/C system canbrsave you thousands annually in energy bills, while keeping you cool andbrcomfortable throughout the hot Texas summers, but always consult a licensed HVAC technician before you make abrpurchase decision. A professionalbrinstallation can also help save you money in the long-run having ensuredbrthat it was performed to the highestbrquality standards.
About Berkeys
Berkeys is an award winning homebrservice company, providing quality plumbing, air conditioning, and heating servicesbrto homeowners in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex for over 35 years.
All of our technicians, arebrbackground-checked, drug tested and have passed rigorous state examinations andbrare licensed by the State of Texas; they understand the complexity of statebrcodes all the way down to local requirements.
Berkeys maintains an A+ rating withbrthe Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has led the field in area newspapers'brreaders' favorite polls.
For more information visit Berkeys or call 877-BERKEYS.