subject: Distinguishing The Best Central Air Conditioning Systems [print this page] To identify the best central air-con systems, you have got to do more than depend on the word of the vendor. A cooling and heating company is like every other company : it's in business to earn income and will present you with the best case scenario for all of its products, even if some of those products represent a "good" choice and not the absolute best choice for your present position.
Generally, the best central aircon systems are the ones that operate on nominal electricity to keep your electrical bills as low, offer reliable performance for their projected lifespan when correctly maintained, operate silently and need minimum servicing all though their life-span.
To evaluate particular air conditioning systems by these criteria, researching professional and customer reviews is an excellent resource. But before you decide to buy an air-conditioner, you'll need to answer two questions concerning your particular needs and wants.
While an air conditioner that is too tiny will not be well placed to keep your house as cool as it should be, purchasing an air conditioner that is too giant will turn off and on more often without providing a raised level of cooling. As well as adding up to wasted money in term of clobber cost, a system that is too giant can also saddle you with seriously higher electrical bills alongside lower the lifespan of the air conditioner thanks to the additional strain that results form its turning off and on so often.
To determine the right size air-conditioner for your home, it's best to have an HVAC technician conduct a thorough study of your cooling requirements, which will depend on such factors as window dimensions and exposure, square footage, your house's landscape orientation, the presence of direct shade, local climate and insulation. When the technician finishes his investigation, he'll identify what size air-conditioner you need in terms of Btu/h or tons. Btu/h stands for British thermal units of heat removed per hour and one ton is equal to 12,000 Btu/h.
Air conditioner makers are legally required to rate their air con apparatus vis energy conservation, which is sometimes known as a Seasonal energy conservation Rating ( SEER ). The higher an air conditioner's SEER rating the larger its energy conservation. Mostly, new houses are built according to a typical builder's model.
But when it comes time to replace your air conditioner, moving to a more energy efficient model is always a plus. Energy efficiency air conditioning is an option for every home, and while air conditioners with the highest SEER ratings can cost more than lower rated air conditioners upfront, they typically more than make up for your initial investment by offering you significantly reduced electric bills over the course of their lifespan.