Thanks to the miracles of modern science, air conditioners can save you from the fire and brimstone of summer heat. When you are out looking for air conditioners there are two main styles that you will be sorting through. Unit coolers and central cooling systems. If the house is yours and your budget is unlimited, a central air conditioner is the crown jewel.
When buying new central air conditioning equipment, it is very important to have the work done by a qualified contractor. Most review sites and available information say that the best way to save money on a central conditioning unit is by hiring a good contractor. This is followed in close second by picking an energy efficient system. A proper installation of a central air conditioner will ensure that the unit is tightly sealed and no energy is wasted thought leaky ducts thus saving as much money as possible.
When speaking of saving money through efficient air conditioning systems the topic of SEER usually comes up. Central air conditioners are rated by something called SEER or seasonal energy efficiency ratio. Without going into details, the higher the SEER the more efficient your central conditioning system is thus saving you money and helping the environment through less power demand.
Portable Air Conditioners
For those of us that rent or cannot afford thousands of dollars for a couple of cooler degrees, the portable or unit systems will be the best choice.
Unit systems include portable air conditioners and window air conditioners. These are called unit systems because they are self contained and do not require duct work that must be added to the house. The portable conditioner systems weight between 50-80 pounds and can be wheeled from room to room as long as you can run the exhaust tube to a nearby window. The window air conditioners must be installed in a window frame and do require minimal installation that can be handled with common home tools.
Central air conditioners work to cool down your whole house, not just one location. They do this by being hooked up to a central duct work system that pumps the cool air from the conditioning system, through the duct work to all area’s of the house. One big advantage of a central cooling system is that the intricacies of measuring room sizes, BTU’s and placement of the conditioner are no longer such a major concern. Now the whole house will be cooled through one central machine and then dissipated out evenly via duct work.
Mini Split Air Conditioners
Mini split air conditioners are a cross between a window or wall air conditioner and a central air unit. The mini split air conditioner has the compressor outside with a vent unit coming into your home. While they are a compramise between an expensive cental cooling system and a room air conditioner, the mini split will need to be installed by a HVAC professional. This could cost you more on the install but the lack of noise from the system is a great plus in its favour. Another plus to the mini split air conditioner is that there will only be a 3 inch hole in your wall as opposed to a 12 inch one from a window style air conditioner. As well it is a ductless air conditoiner, and that means no running serious ductwork through your house.
Buying A Brand Name Air Conditioner
Lennox, Carrier, Trane and GE
When selecting any product of substantial value that you want to last, you should go with a name you trust. Air conditioners are no different. Besides looking at consumer reviews for opinions, you will also want to go with the trusted names like General Electric, Trane, Lennox, Whirlpool, and Carrier air conditioners. These companies have been around for years and as such their air conditioners have stood the test of time. If you do end up spending a little more on you cooling system, the peace of mind and longer warranties will more than make up for it.
A Word About Carrier Air Conditioners
Carrier air conditioners have been setting standards of excellence since 1902 when a gentleman name Willis Haviland Carrier decided that things needed to be cooled down a little. Carrier is a large air conditioning manufacturing company specializing in cooling and refrigeration systems. At present Carrier has a work force of 43,000 employees in over 172 countries. Carrier air conditioning has been touted as the major company responsible for the development of the modern air conditioner.
Carrier covers the full spectrum of air conditioners and accessories including; portable, window, central systems, RV air conditioners and special industrial applications. Not only do they cool air down but Carrier has a full line of heating and refrigeration systems as well.
After doing some research about different companies, it’s my opinion that you can always tell a lot about a company by what they do of their own accord. Carrier is committed to a higher level of social responsibility and strives to help the community through financial contributions to groups like environmental agencies that are closely related to or affected by the technology that Carrier produces.
Air Conditioner Parts
Air Conditioner Filters
One of the most important things to maintain on your new cooling unit is the air conditioner filter. Dirt and debris in the filter will reduce the air flow and thus the effectiveness of your conditioning unit. Once your air conditioners filtering unit becomes very clogged with dirt and debris, those dirt particles will bypass the filter and start messing up the air quality along with the machines working parts.
While some air conditioner filters can be cleaned and reused, some need to be replaced altogether. If the filter on your cooling system can be replaced, it should be done or at least checked every month or two. Just like in any machine, the frequency that you change your air conditioning filters depends on the external operating conditions. Dusty environments combined with heavy use will speed up the need for a cleaning or replacement of your systems filters.