If you are thinking about buying an air conditioner for the first time, there are plenty of tips you should consider to buy the right appliance. These tips as given by air conditioner repair services include:
Understand your needs
When your air cooling becomes increasingly important due to the hot weather, thinking that one size fits all can be risky and expensive. Different appliances are ideal for different applications.
To buy the right unit, start figuring out what you need by asking yourself: What size AC do you need for your home? Do you want a product that uses less energy? Do you need an indoor or outdoor unit?
Once you know the answers to these questions, you can start comparing brands and stores to buy from. Before you make the purchase, do your research to avoid spending too much, paying for repairs that aren’t needed, or buying new appliances before you need to.
If you aren’t sure about your needs, get the input of an expert to guide you.
Have a budget
You may have a rough idea of how much this will cost, but it’s important to sit down and set a firm budget before making a big buy like this.
This means taking into account everything. Take a few minutes to write everything down and carefully figure out what you need to do. This will help you remember things and keep track of bills and costs that keep coming up.
The size of the air conditioner significantly affects how much money you’ll need to buy it and how much you’ll need to save for running costs.
As you make your budget, remember to include the cost of transport and installation. Also, consider future repairs and warranties.
Some units also need to have their ductwork and insulation looked at and possibly fixed. Remember that it’s better to overestimate than be caught off guard, so ensure you always have more money than your budget.
Pay attention to additional expenses.
One mistake homeowners make when making a budget is not considering how much it costs to run an AC unit every month.
If your home is already cool with ceiling fans and window units, adding central air could make your energy bill go up a lot. Before buying the unit, considering these numbers and adding them to your budget is a good idea.
A good starting point for figuring out how much it will cost to run an air conditioner every hour and monthly.
Remember that if you buy an air conditioner with a high ranking for energy efficiency, like EER, SEER, or CEER, your monthly costs could go down.
Know the differences between the different AC units
As mentioned above, there are many types of air conditioners ideal for different applications.
Ductless AC units are ideal when you don’t want to cool down your whole house but want different rooms at different temperatures.
This appliance features one unit located on the outside and links to other units inside your home. The good this is that you don’t need ductwork throughout the house or to a certain room.
These systems are great for sheds that need insulation or sunrooms with many windows that get too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.
There are also split system air conditioners with an outside and inside unit that work together to cool your home and control the temperature.
These units occupy more space and are often found in the attic or big cabinets. Split systems usually need less upkeep than other units and can be more energy efficient.
Packaged air conditioners use your home’s ductwork and a single unit outside that pumps air through the ducts.
These units make the most sense if you like the idea of a single unit that only takes up a little room. Besides taking just a small area, the unit’s problems are easy to find because they come from just one place.
Buy from a reputable brand.
Most AC units should last between 10 and 25 years. Because of new technology, most appliances are better than they were ten years ago, so you should expect most appliances from different brands to have longer lifespans.
When researching the different brands, don’t just pay attention to their lifespans. Also, think about programmable thermostats, noise levels, reviews and ratings, and Energy Star guidelines to see what might work for you.
A good rule of thumb is to buy from a reputable brand with a proven record.
Buy the right size
Your AC unit’s size will depend on a few things, such as the size of your home in square feet, the climate and normal temperature of the zone you live in, the number of windows you have, your insulation, and how your ducts are set up.
For peace of mind, consult a professional to help you determine the right unit size to go for.
If you install a unit that is too big, it could start short cycling. This happens when the unit cools down a room too fast and doesn’t give the air enough time to dry out.
This can cause your system to turn on and off more often and make it more likely to break down. If your unit turns off and comes on every five to ten minutes, this can raise your energy price and stress your equipment.
These regular problems can be fixed, but an oversized unit is much harder to fix. To stay on the safe side, don’t buy a unit that is too big than your home.
Parting shot
These are some of the tips you should consider when buying an AC for the first time. Besides buying the right unit, you should ensure that an AC repair services Long Island provider installs the unit you buy.
Of course, the contractor you hire should have been in the industry for a long time. A good rule of thumb is to ensure the contractor has at least five years of experience.
You will work with the same contractor when repairing or maintaining your unit, so you should always hire a professional with a pleasant personality.