Your air conditioner has served you well over the years, but it’s nearly the end of the summer, and you want a new system for the next cooling season that will keep your home cool for years to come. Air conditioning replacement is a great step to take towards saving some money every month on cooling costs. While your older air conditioner may have been energy efficient when it was purchased, you probably noticed higher energy bills around the end of your time with it.
This is because, over time, the parts of an air conditioner begin to wear out, meaning your system must work harder to get your home to the desired temperature. Since your system must run for longer periods of time, your bills go up, and you may compensate by running the AC for shorter periods of time or setting a higher temperature. But for your new air conditioner, you want a system that is energy efficient and also won’t fall short when it comes to performance.
You’re in luck! The U.S. government mandates that all air conditioners sold in the U.S. must come with an EnergyGuide label giving pertinent information about the energy efficiency of a unit. The first number you’ll find on this label is the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). The SEER is a number that indicates efficiency, and it is measured by calculating the amount of energy a system uses to cool a given space in a typical cooling season. A higher SEER indicates greater efficiency.
You should also look for the ENERGY STAR symbol when choosing air conditioning replacement. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency only awards ENERGY STAR to systems that meet high standards of performance and emit fewer pollutants than other air conditioners. While an AC only needs to have a SEER of 13 or higher to be sold in the U.S., ENERGY STAR systems must have a SEER of 14 or higher.
Purchasing an energy-efficient system is not enough to ensure the unit continues to save you money. An air conditioner must be the proper size in order to run efficiently.
You should call a technician once per year for professional AC maintenance. To find the right choice for your air conditioning replacement in Oradell, call DB Heating & Cooling today!