Cool it! Buying a Central Air Conditioner

Buying a central air conditioner constitutes a major expense. Because of the initial cost, ongoing monthly energy costs, maintenance and environmental concerns, you should become familiar with the basic function and terminology of central air conditioners before you buy a new one.

The term “central air conditioner” refers to the fact that one unit cools the entire home rather than one that works in one room only. Examples of these are window or free standing models. A central system turns warm air into cool air and releases it into each room through a system of ducts and vents. In fact central air conditioners often work in conjunction with a furnace or other air handler.

Let’s start with a small lesson on how central air conditioners work.

How Central Air Works
Each one consists of a compressor, evaporator, and a condenser. Sometimes the whole system sits outside, while other models call for just the compressor and condenser to be installed outdoors. In that instance the evaporator attaches to the furnace or other air circulating system inside the house.

In both configurations the three components are connected by copper tubing. Extremely cold liquid refrigerant flows through the indoor copper first. It then changes into gas as warm air circulates around the tubing. In this gaseous form the refrigerant goes through the compressor which in turns pushes it into the outdoor copper coil. At this stage it expels the heat and turns back to liquid as the heat it attracts varies in temperature.

The furnace or other air handling device with a fan circulates the now cool air throughout the home via air ducts. The circulating refrigerant cycle keeps repeating for as long as the air conditioner stays on.

Pollen, dust, lint and other particles that irritate our lungs collect on a filter which may be cleaned or changed out periodically.

Two issues are critical to consider in buying central air: the quality of the unit and the efficiency of the unit.

Central Air Conditioner Quality
While Consumer Reports rates the quality of room air conditioners, neither they nor any other organization, rate the quality of central air conditioners. The best available information is found in consumer central air conditioner reviews through a site like FurnaceCompare.com.

Air Conditioner Efficiency
For years Americans used cheap energy to heat and cool their homes. These days the costs continue to rise as we use up our natural resources. Not only that but emissions, including those from air conditions are poisoning our air and depleting the ozone layer that protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays. Old style refrigerants, known as Hydrochlorofluorocarbons or HCFCs were especially harmful to ozone. Although formulas have improved over the years, at some point coolants containing any HCFCs be banned completely. A hydro fluorocarbon called R-22 now constitutes the standard refrigerant in new central air conditioners as it doesn’t negatively affect our ozone layer.

In the spirit of trying to lessen the damage, the Department of Energy now imposes efficiency standards for air conditioning units. These ratings use the acronym SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating). As you’re making your decision as to which brand of air conditioner to buy, the SEER rating will figure into the equation.

The minimum rating sold is 13 but there are systems with much higher numbers assigned. What you need to keep in mind is that the higher the SEER the less it will cost to run and the more efficiently it will operate. Central air conditioners with high SEER cost more to purchase, but the savings to both your monthly budget and to the environment pay off in time.

You’ll find air conditioners in a number of sizes. Most of them use British Thermal Units (BTUs) or tons to tell you how much air it puts out. Each BTU refers to how much energy it takes to elevate the temperature of a pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. A ton is 12,000 BTUs per hour, referring to how much energy it takes to melt a ton of ice in one day.

One mistake many homeowners make occurs when they think they need a larger than necessary air conditioner. A unit that’s too big for your space does not run efficiently. It wastes energy and costs more money than you need to spend each month. To help you determine what size to purchase, visit this website. It provides a calculator to help you determine just how large the new or replacement air conditioner needs to be. You may also want to consider hiring an air conditioning specialist to help you figure out your needs. By doing a little homework up front, you’ll do both your budget and the earth’s atmosphere a favor.