Updated Mar. 31, 2016 Installing a new central air conditioner can cost between $3,000 to $10,000 or more. to the initial purchase price, you will have ongoing costs in terms of your monthly electric billBecause of these hefty costs, you’ll want to carefully consider your options before purchasing a new central air conditioner. This article presents the issues you should consider in purchasing central air, including; Homeowners have submitted thousands of reviews of central air conditioners to this site. However, many of the reviews cover air conditioners that are no longer sold. the remaining reviews to find the models preferred by most homeowners. The 10 best central air conditioners sold in 2016 are led by the 18 AFUE Goodman DSXC18 and the 17 SEER Coleman LX. 1. I need a new: There are essentially two things that you’re paying for when purchasing and installing a new central air conditioner: equipment costs and labor costs.

Depending on your situation, you may be able to reduce your costs in one or both of these areas. Probably the single-greatest cost-saving solution is to buy your air conditioner from a direct-to-consumer retailer, and then hire a licensedBetween the complexity of the project, the environmental concerns of handling refrigerant and the high-voltage electricity involved, this is not a project for the Do-It-Yourselfer. Buying direct can reduce your upfront equipment costs, but before you buy it pays to consider how your unit of choice can lower your monthly utility bill. An air conditioner’s efficiency is typically provided as a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER). Although a unit with a 13 SEER rating -— the lowest available —- will be less expensive upfront, you will spend more each month on your fuel bill than if you had selected aIf you purchase a high-efficiency central air conditioner, you may also qualify for rebates or other incentives provided by a local goverment or utility.

Consider, too, that the longer your unit runs in peak condition, the more bang you’re getting for your buck. Selecting a unit with a long-term warranty, and maintaining it on a regular basis, is another way to reduceportable ac unit best buy your costs over the long haul.cost of hvac equipment Although selecting the best unit for your home is important, selecting a contractor is equally,air conditioning external unit dimensions if not more, important. You will want to work with a good HVAC contractor when you install a new central air conditioning system. Make sure that you get quotes from at least threeThis will ensure you a low, medium and high bid, and give you a good sense of what it is reasonable to pay.

Also, make sure to screen your potential contractors to ensure that they have happy customers and no complaints. is the best way to learn if the contractor with the most reasonable bid will be likely to complete your job to your satisfaction—and still be in business for your future maintenance needs. It is important to have an HVAC Contractor perform a load calculation before you decide which size air conditioning system to buy. If you install an air conditioner that is too large, it will cycle on and off too often, substantially reducing the efficiency of the system. Too small, and your air conditioner may not be able to meet the demands of a hot, humid day. The industry standard load calculation is called the Manual J calculation. It takes into account the size of your house, the amount of insulation installed, the square footage, and a host of other factors. More Central AC Resources As mentioned above, the most common measure of the efficiency of a consumer central air conditioning system is the

Since 2006 the US government has required all new central air conditioners to have a SEER of at least 13. Higher efficiency models have a SEER between 14 and 25.5. Another rating you might see is the EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio), although this method is more commonly used for rating commercial air conditioners. EER is a measure of the ratio of the amount of cooling (measured in BTUs) to the amount of electricity it consumes (measured in The EER is a steady state measure -- that is, the efficiency is only measured once the unit has started up and is running at a steady capacity. SEER takes into account the startup and shutdown time as well, making it a more accurate measurement for determining the actual energy costs for Do you need a new Heating or Cooling System? Get at least three quotes from HVAC Contractors (we can help you find licensed contractors) Compare reviews for the equipment the contractors recommend Check your Contractor's References

Negotiate with the contractors whose references you like Read all questions and answers How much does it cost to install a gas furnace ? Goodman 23-year-old furnace is starting to act up. What is a good replacement furnace? Ratings for ducane package unitsBob and Sue Locke are planning to have central air conditioning installed in their 55-year-old Cape Cod home. It will be a single-zone system, with the air handler situated in the attic. Their question is whether the central air installation will require them to have their electrical service upgraded. The heating and air-conditioning contractors from whom they've gotten estimates have differing opinions.Their house has gas heat, a gas range, a gas clothes dryer and a gas-fired water heater. The existing electrical service is 100 amps, but the service panel is full - no open positions for additional breakers.One contractor's advice is to upgrade the electrical to 200 amps. Another says the 100-amp service is adequate and proposes adding a subpanel to make room for the air conditioner's circuit breakers.

A third contractor doesn't even think a subpanel is needed, since space could be made in the panel by replacing some of the breakers with "double breakers" (often called tandem breakers). The Lockes are trying to decide which plan to go with.A heavy upgrade from a 100-amp electrical service is often recommended when installing central air, and it can be a good idea, even if not absolutely necessary. Many houses with 100-amp services have the service loaded up with 240-volt major appliances even before air conditioning is installed. Those appliances include electric cooktops and ovens, electric water heaters, and electric clothes dryers. If those appliances are present, they can use in the neighborhood of 80 amps if running simultaneously.Adding central air to an existing 100-amp service already loaded up with appliances could exceed the capacity of the service or, more likely, cause nuisances like dimming lights when the air conditioner starts up.In the Lockes' house, natural gas is used to fuel the major energy-consuming appliances, so the existing 100-amp service is not fully used.

The new central air conditioning will use less than 30 amps of 240-volt power, which would leave adequate capacity for other demands.So, while upgrading the service to 150 or 200 amps would be just great, it does not appear to be necessary to go to that expense. If it turns out later that the 100-amp service isn't satisfactory, it can always be upgraded.The lack of space that they have identified in their service panel will have to be dealt with. It may be possible to make room for the new breakers in the panel by retrofitting tandem breakers, as one contractor proposed.The contractor should confirm that the panel is rated for tandem breakers by the manufacturer. If it is, and enough tandem breakers can be installed to connect the air conditioning with room to spare, that's the most economical approach. But if the panel is full, they'll have to spend several hundred more dollars to have a subpanel installed, or make the larger investment in an upgrade to a larger service.Cleaning the airReturning to the topic of high-efficiency air cleaners discussed here a couple of weeks ago, Mike Hendricks, owner of Environmental Systems Associates in Columbia, e-mailed that installation and maintenance costs on pleated media filters are less than I said.