Factors to Consider When Buying a New AC Unit

The dog days of summer are upon us. Hopefully you took the time during the spring to buy a new air conditioning unit. If you didn’t, you’re bound to be looking for a new one now before your home becomes too hot to live in. Before you hire HVAC contractors in Kalamazoo, MI to install a new unit, consider the following factors.

First, you need to know what size of a unit you need. Next you want to know how energy efficient you want the new unit to be. Finally, you need to know how much you want to spend on your new unit.

Unit size

As you already know, AC units come in all different sizes. Larger homes obviously need larger units to ensure the whole house is cool. Before you go out and buy the biggest unit on the market, consider the fact that if your unit is too large it’ll be a huge waste of energy. Units too large for your home will constantly be cycling on and off, running up your electric bill.

Larger units are also more expensive upfront and can cost more to repair if they break down. HVAC contractors in Kalamazoo, MI will be able to come to your home and run a test to determine what size unit is right for you.

Energy efficiency

It seems like the term energy efficient is thrown around a lot these days. There are a ton of products that claim to be energy or eco-friendly, but what does that really mean? Luckily, the United States government took the guess work out of it and decided what it means for an AC unit to be energy efficient. The U.S. Department of Energy assigns each AC unit a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). All units must meet a rating of 13 to be sold in America. Units from 14-21 are considered energy efficient.

There’s a direct correlation between a units SEER rating and its price. The higher the rating, the pricier the unit will be. While a unit with a SEER rating of 20 will cost more than a unit with a SEER rating of 13 up front, you’ll end up saving money in the long run each month on your electric bill.

Price

For many of us, our final decision about making a purchase comes down to the cost of unit A compared to unit B. If unit A is cheaper and more energy efficient, that’s an easy decision: obviously you’ll choose unit A. However, more often than not, the less energy efficient unit is going to be cheaper. It’s up to you to decide if you want to save money up front, or spend a little more now and save money each month on your electric bill.

Another price to think about is installation cost. Buying a brand new AC won’t cool your house if you don’t know how to properly install it. Call us today at 269-343-8668 to find out how we can install your new unit for the lowest prices in town.

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