10 Questions to Ask When Buying a New Air Conditioner

Buying a new air conditioner for your Frederick, Maryland, home is a significant investment. After all, it&#;s a purchase you need to rely on for a long time to keep your family comfortable. That&#;s why you shouldn&#;t start the process uninformed. Be sure to ask these 10 questions when purchasing a new air conditioner.

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How Large Should the Air Conditioner Be?

When you start talking with Griffith Energy Services&#; experienced air conditioning technicians, one of the first things you&#;ll notice is that we start from scratch. Instead of simply replacing your old air conditioner with a new unit of the exact same capacity, we do what&#;s known as a Manual J load calculation. This HVAC industry standard calculation takes into account a long list of measurements and characteristics including your home&#;s size and layout, your home&#;s orientation, the amount of shade around your home, the number and location of windows, and much more.

With this information in hand, we&#;ll produce an updated, accurate calculation of your home&#;s cooling needs. From there, we&#;ll work with you to design a system that will cool your home efficiently and effectively.

How Efficient Is the New System?

If you&#;ve lived with your current air conditioner for long, you&#;ve probably noticed that it has lost efficiency over time. Upkeep and maintenance keep efficiency-related losses to a minimum, but after a decade or more, most old systems simply can&#;t keep up any longer.

When you start shopping for a new air conditioner, be sure to look for one with an Energy Star label. These systems meet or exceed the minimum energy requirements established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). All Energy Star systems have a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) rating of 15 or higher, which reflects how effectively they remove heat from an air-conditioned space. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are more efficient, which can lead to greater savings on your utility bill.

What New Technology Do I Need?

In addition to greater efficiency, many new air conditioners boast technology that keeps your home more comfortable or helps save you money. Look for features like variable speed motors, which typically operate around the clock at a low speed and only kick into high gear when necessary. Other systems are engineered for perfectly quiet operation or are designed to integrate seamlessly with furnaces, thermostats, and other HVAC equipment.

What Is the Installation Timeline?

If you&#;re planning to purchase an air conditioner to replace a malfunctioning or broken unit, you probably want the new system in place as soon as possible. This is especially true if it&#;s the peak of summer and temperatures are soaring.

In many cases, installing an air conditioner isn&#;t a quick process. With electrical, plumbing, and ductwork components to coordinate, not to mention extensive calibration and testing, the installation process can easily take more than a day. If the system is much larger or requires significant ductwork updates, the process could take several days. When you work with us, you can trust that we&#;ll explain the installation process and give you a reliable timeline for your new air conditioner.

Who Will Do the Work?

Installing an air conditioner isn&#;t a DIY project. Instead, it&#;s a job for a licensed, certified professional. All of the technicians at Griffith Energy Services are NATE-certified, which means we&#;ve passed professional tests with flying colors and we have extensive real-world experience. With over 100 years of service in the Mid-Atlantic region, it&#;s safe to say that we&#;re committed to top-notch work.

What Brands Do You Offer?

Some HVAC companies sell and service just one or two brands. This can be incredibly limiting, especially if you want the best selection and your choice of the latest technology.

At Griffith Energy Services, we&#;re proud to offer systems, components, and service from a long list of HVAC manufacturers. In fact, we&#;re Factory Authorized Dealers for Trane Air Conditioning and Climate Master Geothermal Pumps, and we also offer air quality components from several manufacturers. That means you can choose from our top-of-the-line components no matter what your air conditioning needs entail.

Should I Schedule Preventive Maintenance?

If you think air conditioner maintenance is only a necessity for older systems, think again. Preventive maintenance is important for air conditioners from day one. These days, air conditioners are designed to last for at least a decade. Neglecting basic maintenance, however, could shorten your system&#;s lifespan significantly.

When you purchase a new air conditioner from Griffith Energy Services, we can also set you up on an annual maintenance plan. With this in place, you can rest assured that your new investment will run smoothly, keep cool, and help your family breathe clean throughout the cooling season.

It&#;s best to schedule this type of maintenance during the spring season so you won&#;t have to worry about running into any issues during the summer. If you&#;ve already made it though most of the cooling season without scheduling an appointment, remember that it&#;s better to be late with preventive maintenance than to skip it entirely.

Do I Need Additional Air Quality Components?

Thanks to some pretty impressive technological advances, many air conditioners can simultaneously cool your home, keep the air quality high, and maintain a consistent humidity level. If your home is older, susceptible to air leaks and drafts, or prone to airborne pollutants, you should consider adding on select indoor air quality components for healthier, more breathable air.

At Griffith Energy Services, you&#;ll find a range of products including dehumidifiers, ventilators, air cleaners, and even ultraviolet (UV) lamps. Dehumidifiers are ideal for Frederick-area homes that tend to get hot and sticky, while whole-home ventilators help homes with tight building envelopes to pull in fresh air and push out stale air. UV lamps ward off bacteria and mold that tend to grow around air conditioners, and air cleaners capture pollen, dust, tobacco smoke, mold, and even bacteria circulating through the air.

Should I Purchase a New Thermostat?

Thermostat technology has advanced substantially in the past decade. If you haven&#;t updated your thermostat since the last time you purchased an air conditioner, then you should almost certainly purchase a new device. More recent thermostats may also be worth updating, especially if they only offer limited functionality or if they don&#;t work seamlessly with your new air conditioner.

If you&#;re concerned about the cost of a new device, remember that the right thermostat can ultimately help you save on energy costs throughout the year. Basic programmable thermostats allow you to set a cooling schedule that varies depending on the day of the week. That way your air conditioner will keep you cool without wasting energy while you&#;re not at home.

Advanced smart thermostats have the same functionality as programmable devices, but they also allow you to adjust temperature settings from your smartphone or tablet. Some even have geo-fencing capabilities, so they sense when you&#;re close to home and adjust your cooling schedule accordingly. Others provide energy reports so you can make informed decisions to lower your energy consumption and save on cooling costs.

What Is the Total Cost?

When it comes to complex systems like air conditioners, you want to know exactly what you&#;re getting into. Comprehending the total cost of your new system starts with understanding the installation estimate. Our knowledgeable technicians can explain the cost breakdown, including the system pricing, the labor cost, and charges for extras like air quality components or thermostats.

In addition to the installation cost, you&#;ll want to anticipate the cost of operating the air conditioner. After all, energy isn&#;t free. Look for the bright yellow EnergyGuide label on the air conditioner, which outlines the estimated annual energy consumption. This label relies on Department of Energy-approved testing procedures to give you an accurate depiction of both energy usage and operating costs. With this data in hand, you can truly understand the cost of your new air conditioner.

Ready to take the plunge and upgrade your aging cooling system? Call Griffith Energy Services, Inc. today to learn more about our air conditioner installation process: 888-474-.

Do you need help maintaining your HVAC system? Call Fast Air Repair at 352-290- to keep your system running smoothly. 

Sino Air Conditioner contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.

Responsible for keeping you comfortable and safe all year round, your HVAC system should always be working properly. But because of the system&#;s complexity, many homeowners have important HVAC questions.

As a top-rated HVAC repair company in Ocala, FL, our Fast Air Repair team provides the answer to the most common questions about HVAC systems. While no one should try to maintain their system without professional help, knowledge goes a long way in preventing expensive repairs. Keep reading to discover the basics of your HVAC system.

1. Do I Need Regular Maintenance?

The most important factor in keeping your air conditioner and furnace working is regular maintenance and HVAC system inspection. For your air conditioner, schedule professional maintenance in the spring to verify it&#;s ready for heavy usage during the summer. Many people schedule a second maintenance check in the fall to determine how summer affected their air conditioners.

For your furnace, schedule annual maintenance in the fall right before winter comes. If scheduled efficiently, your HVAC technician could check the cooling and heating units during the same appointment.

2. Does Indoor Humidity Matter?

High humidity can damage your health and property, but a fully functioning HVAC system should reduce the humidity to appropriate levels.

Low humidity is anything below 30% and is most common during winter or in arid climates. Unfortunately, your HVAC system doesn&#;t naturally raise the level of moisture in the air. If you&#;re experiencing the effects of dry air, consider installing a whole-home humidifier.

3. Can Adjusting My Thermostat Save Money?

A minor thermostat adjustment can help your HVAC system run more efficiently and save you money long-term. What&#;s the ideal temperature? Experts suggest setting it six degrees higher (or lower) than your ideal temperature.

For example, if you like to keep your home at 68 degrees in the summer, consider raising it to 74 instead. If you prefer 76 degrees in the winter, consider setting it at 70.

While the difference might cause a bit of discomfort, many homeowners find the savings on their utility bills are worth it.

4. How Often Should I Replace My Air Filter?

Aside from annual maintenance, air filter replacement for both your furnace and air conditioner is the best way to keep your HVAC system functioning. Depending on your type of heating and cooling device, it could use a replaceable air filter or one that only requires cleaning.

Change or clean your air filter every 30 days. Some filters can last up to 90 days, depending on the brand and type. If you smoke, have pets, suffer from respiratory conditions, or live in an area with high pollution, consider checking it more frequently.

5. What Size Filter Do I Need?

Use the following process to determine what size filter you need:

1. Locate the frame that houses the air filter.
2. Remove the current filter to check for dirt accumulation.
3. Look at the frame of the air filter for its size.
4. Look for a three-number dimension, such as 16 x 18 x 2.

Once you know the correct size, you can find it at any hardware store or large retailer.

6. Should I Clean My Air Ducts?

One of the most common HVAC questions concerns air duct cleaning and whether homeowners should do it themselves. Your air ducts can accumulate mold, dust, allergens, and other pollutants that can damage your health.

As such, you should schedule professional cleaning every three years. Don&#;t try cleaning the system yourself, as you could damage your air ducts, requiring expensive repairs or replacement.

7. Why Is My Air Conditioner Freezing?

Whether it&#;s summer or winter, your air conditioner shouldn&#;t have ice building up. When the ice blocks your air conditioner, it indicates one of two problems:

• When your evaporator or condenser coils build up dirt or become clogged with leaves, they can freeze over and eventually break your air conditioner beyond repair. Cleaning and clearing the coils usually resolves the issue.
• Leaking refrigerant can cause low pressure within your air conditioner and freeze the entire device.

8. How Does an Air Conditioner Work?

Though complicated pieces of equipment, at the basic level, air conditioners work through a combination of cooling the air and transporting the warm air outside. With the warm air expelled outside your home, the air conditioner replaces it with air of your desired temperature. Refrigerant, the evaporator and condenser coils, and the blower fan are some of the most important air conditioner components.

9. What Size Do I Need?

The best HVAC system size depends on multiple factors, but it shouldn&#;t be too large or too small. Your HVAC specialist can help determine the best size for your home by using the following factors:

• Size of your home: In general, the larger your home, the bigger the air conditioner and furnace you need.
• Insulation: Insulation provides the essential function of keeping air from leaking in and out of your home and regulates the temperature more effectively. If your home has poor insulation, you&#;ll likely need a more powerful HVAC system.
• Layout and location: If you have many windows, especially if they face south, you could need a bigger unit. With a house designed to utilize natural shade, you can reduce the size HVAC system you need.
• Number of people: All other things being equal, the number of people in your home affects your HVAC requirements. Five people produce more moisture from sweat and respiration than two people, so they need a bigger system to keep up the temperature regulation.

10. How Can I Make My System Last Longer?

To make your HVAC system last longer, schedule regular maintenance and repair issues quickly. The various devices within your system should last for the following number of years:

• Air conditioner: 10 to 15 years
• Furnace: 15 to 20 years
• Heat pumps: 10 to15 years
• Traditional water heaters: 10 years
• Tankless water heaters: 20 years

11. What Are the Signs of HVAC Problems?

You can tell your HVAC system needs repairs or replacement when you observe one or more of the following signs:

• Bad smells: The most common foul smells you might notice in your HVAC system include mold or mildew, burning, and decomposing. The problem could range from a dead animal to burning components.
• Poor air quality: If your air isn&#;t at the right temperature or isn&#;t circulating through the home, your system could suffer from a variety of issues.
• Weird noises: Unusual noises include banging, clanging, humming, rattling, buzzing, or clicking.
• Power issues: If a device doesn&#;t turn on, doesn&#;t turn off, or turns on and off too quickly, it&#;s likely a power issue.

12. How Can I Lower My Energy Bills?

To help lower your energy bills, use the following best practices in addition to the ones discussed above:

• Upgrade your furnace, air conditioner, and water heater to more energy-efficient models.
• Install a programmable thermostat.
• Use ceiling fans to cool your home or open windows to create a breeze.
• Don&#;t run your HVAC system when you&#;re not home.
• Ask a technician to inspect your insulation and address any weak points.

Call Fast Air Repair for HVAC Help

You&#;re on your way to understanding your HVAC system, but there&#;s so much more to consider. Equipped with this knowledge, you can help us maintain your HVAC system so it lasts its full life expectancy.

For more One-Stop Air Equipment and Spare Partsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.