Central air conditioner | Air Conditioning Design

Central Air Conditioner Unit Sizing

Hire only a licensed contractor who will perform a Manual J calculation to size your unit.
Or have the Manual J calculation done yourself, and then hire a reputable contractor to install the system. Perfect-Home-Hvac-Design can provide this Service for you.
Stick by the calculation. Don't second-guess the calculation! Do NOT oversize or undersize, or the unit will not perform as designed.

Consider efficiency

The higher the SEER and EER ratings, the less it will cost you to operate. This does translate to increased installation costs though.
SEER ratings must be a minimum of 13-SEER and can be as high as 22-SEER.
Have the unit you are considering looked up in AHRI website for actual SEER and EER ratings.
Consult your local utilities for rebate programs for higher SEER units.
A higher efficiency unit may qualify for a federal tax credit, as well.

Consider installation cost vs. operating cost

Cheap will most likely mean an inferior unit, which will cost more to operate each month, and probably cost more to service and keep running.
Stick with the name brand units. They are superior in quality, will cost less to maintain, and parts are readily available if a breakdown should occur.
Figure a rough monthly savings for a higher SEER unit. For each 1 point in SEER upgrade, your savings will be approximately 10% in operating costs. Compare that to your initial installation increased costs.

Choose that contractor

See our Quality Installation Checklist.
Take as many bids as you need to feel confident in your decision.
Do NOT let price be your only guiding factor. The trustworthy, skilled contractor is probably not going to be the cheap guy.
Immediately weed out the contractors whom tell you that a Manual J calculation is not necessary.
Let your contractor impress you with his knowledge of his product, his recommendations should be best for you, the customer, not necessarily best for his pocketbook.
Check his references, and his credentials.

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