What Are The Benefits Of A New Air Conditioner?

Energy Efficiency

This one is self-explanatory, for the most part. But how do you save money on your energy costs with a new conditioner?? The science behind a new air conditioning system has a lot to do with how the air condenses throughout the system. FACT: moist air holds more heat. Older evaporator coils condense the air a lot more which in turn can cause a muggy or stale feeling when your old air conditioner runs. New evaporator coils have larger surface areas allowing more moisture to be “rung out of the air”. The air will feel a lot cooler simply because a new evaporator coil is removing more moisture during operation.

Additionally, the blower fan operation has a lot to do with how much condensation is being removed. New blower motors will run for a few extra seconds after the air conditioner turns off to further dry the evaporator coil which means the next time the a/c starts up it isn’t pushing all that moisture through the house. So, just how much green will you save with a new air conditioner? Use this nifty tool to find out! In most cases, we see about 20%+ savings over your existing system. The larger your home and square footage the greater impact/savings you will notice.

A recent technology that has made a great push into the residential scene is known as TXV or thermal expansion valves. Not all days during the summer are the same temperatures which mean your home doesn’t need 100% of your air conditioner’s capacity every day. When it’s 80 degrees outside, the demand for cooling is a lot less. But, when it’s over 105 during the hot Boise summers, your home will be using all the capacity your air conditioner has. How does your air conditioner know when it’s hotter or cooler outside? This tiny, yet effective “valve” will sense pressure on the outdoor unit which is based on outdoor and indoor temperatures, and will adjust according to the pressure designed to maintain the maximum cooling efficiency.

SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) has a direct relation to your utility costs. The higher the SEER rating the lower your utility costs will be during the summer months. Like miles per gallon.

Peace of Mind

Sound like a sales pitch? Well, imagine doing fireworks on the Fourth of July with your neighbors, friends, and family only to come into a hot house! How does “peace of mind sound” now? New air conditioners will provide you the assurance that they will work for many years to come. If your air conditioner is more than 10 years start saving for a new system as soon as you can. Also, you can rest assured that a new air conditioner will come with warranties that will cover repairs well into the future! At Access Heating & Air Conditioning, we strongly recommend extending the coverage of your warranty on both parts and labor. Many manufacturers provide 10 years of warranty for any part failures; labor would be additional but worth it. Especially when talking about peace of mind. Sure, your air conditioner is new and most likely it won’t break down, but I mean come on. It’s mechanical! Anything can happen between now and the next decade!

Environmentally Friendly

Old(er) air conditioners have old freon-R22. New air conditioners are manufactured with a friendlier R410a. If your air conditioner is more than 5 years old, chances are it has ozone-depleting chemicals that are more harmful than good. Read more about these changes in our latest interview. This freon “phaseout” took place in 2010 and the industry has not looked back! You can still purchase a new air conditioner known as “dry charged” or “dry-shipped” to cut the costs of a new air conditioner but we strongly recommend against that simply because of the exorbitant rates for R22 freon compared to the costs of R410a.

Improved Air Quality

Remember our earlier topic of moisture and condensation? That has a great impact on the quality of the air in your home. However, chances are that the last guy who installed your air conditioner may have been using techniques that were up-to-code back then. Many new improvements have been made with installation techniques. Home sealing, duct blasting, energy star-rated homes, and negative and positive pressurization (all the science our award-winning technicians know inside and out) have caused new air conditioners to be installed with greater care and expertise than ever before. Old air conditioners and their beloved evaporator coils often would leak dust from the garage, attic, and crawlspace where all that fiberglass insulation resides! YIKES! Better sealing on the cabinet and sheet metal allows the system to pull air only from the conditioned space.

Properly Sized System

Chances are that you have made improvements in other areas of your home such as attic insulation or new windows. Older, outdated homes required larger systems because of the amount of loss throughout the building envelope. If you have made any improvements to the energy efficiency of your home, a new air conditioner can provide you with a system that is better sized and equipped to handle the space. In many cases, we can decrease the size of the new air conditioner which means greater electrical savings over the years. Ask your company to provide data that can verify the size (tonnage) needed for the capacity of your home. Often referred to as a “heat loss/heat gain calc”, this will provide the guarantee that what your home needs is what’s being installed. The old notion of bigger is better is an old and antiquated way of providing air conditioning for homes. Many factors need to be taken into account when looking at the benefit of a new air conditioner and what size you will need to invest in.

Re-sell Value

While this is not a benefit in all regions across the country, it is nice to be able to put your home on the market listed with a new air conditioning system that is up-to-date and energy-star rated. Check with your local realtors to find out if installing a new air conditioner provides any return on your investment.

And, while you are considering the benefits of a new air conditioner and whether it’s worth it or not, also consider upgrading your air filtration capabilities at the same time you install your new air conditioner. In most cases, it is easier to install a better air filter system because of the reduced sheet metal fabrication which means you can get a great deal!

Well. Now that you’re ready to go shopping, blog to find out what to ask and what things to look for! The more armed you are, the better equipped you will be able to make the best decisions for you and your home.

As you can see, the benefits of a new air conditioner are numerous! What are you waiting for??!! If only we could find that money tree… As a homeowner, you can make the conclusions of what the benefits of a new air conditioner are- if you find any additional benefits, please drop us a line in our comments! We would love to hear from YOU!