subject: Breathe Fresh Air By Introducing Air Conditioning [print this page] They say that the air we breathe indoors is usually more dangerous and full of pollutants than the air outdoors, and as difficult as many people find that claim to be it is true, and it demonstrates what an important task it is to control and guarantee the quality of the air inside our homes. Not only from the perspective of air cleanliness, but also in terms of creating a pleasant indoor environment, regulating the air within a home is a serious chore that can translate into a very significant home improvement job. Between having an old unit removed and a new one installed and configured properly, a home owner can become a bit overwhelmed with the whole home improvement project, which is why it is always a good idea to get the help of a professional home improvement contractor to do the job right.
There are lots of companies out there on the market offering to provide such services, and many companies are specifically and solely dedicated to removing and installing HVAC units. Hiring the services of such a company is a good bet, as some contractors that claim to do a truly wide variety of home-related services end up providing mediocre services (or worse) and lack the necessary expertise. And considering that a new air unit is a major monetary investment and a physically large object that presents certain logistic issues, its best to go the safe route in this regard to keep the project from stretching out longer than necessary.
For HVAC fixes that dont require a new unit to be installed but rather for a present unit at home to be fixed up by a technician or engineer, make sure to hire the services of somebody with American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) accreditation. This is the professional organization that in the US (and in many foreign countries) monitors and helps regulate the HVAC industry, and any reliable engineer that can fix air units is likely to be (or should be) a member of ASHRAE.
As far as knowing how to pick the right unit is concerned, home owners should keep a few issues in mind: first of all, that the unit is energy efficient; secondly, that it is of a reasonable size and able to meet the environment demands of a home with the size of theirs; and thirdly, that the price is not too extraordinary.
The most trusted energy efficiency rating provider out there at the moment is Energy Star, which is a government backed group that is widely considered to be the top authority on the matter. When buying an air unit at the store, try to stick with units that have a favourable rating from Energy Star. Of course, greater energy efficiency does imply a higher original price tag, but in many cases the increase is not that ridiculous and when you think about it the difference will be made up in a few short months with more manageable utilities bills.
