If your air conditioner or furnace just died, you’re facing some quick and tough decisions. Now is the time to take a deep breath and not rush to an uninformed decision.  The top mistakes people make when purchasing a new heating or cooling system are: Ignoring SEER – The higher the SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) rating the more efficient the unit, which translates to less money spent each month heating or cooling your home. A 13 SEER rating is the minimum; 15 SEER is good; above 16 is high efficiency. A high efficiency system can cut your energy bills in half when compared to an old 8 SEER unit and also provides many comfort benefits. Missing rebate opportunities – Many states and manufacturers offer rebates to help offset the costs of some systems, particularly those that are higher efficiency.  In fact, some states offer as much as $1500 in rebates. Only getting one estimate – Prices and options will vary, as will service contracts, installation costs, and permits. 

Shop around and compare apples to apples. Going for the lowest price – A low price does not always equal the best value. A higher efficiency system might cost an extra $800 up front, but could save you $300 per year in energy costs. Over the life of the system, typically 12-15 years, you would be saving significant dollars by paying a little more for the higher efficiency system.typical ac unit dimensions Not considering maintenance contracts – Maintenance is necessary to keep your system functioning in optimal conditions over the life of the unit.  cost for new air conditioner unitOver time dirt, debris, and other foreign substances can cause build up in your system, erode electrical connections and cause other damage that is expensive to replace.  parts of a ac unit

In addition, the buildup can cause a 14 SEER unit to perform like a 10 SEER one, making your system work harder and your utility bills higher. Ensuring your system is clean and maintained annually can extend the life of your system and help you avoid expensive and preventable repairs in the future. Not paying attention to refrigerant – R-22, which might be referred to by a brand name like Freon®, has been restricted from use in all new units produced after 2009. As an ozone-depleting gas, new R-22 refrigerant should not be used in  new systems.  If you’re buying a new system make sure it uses R-410A or a similar approved refrigerant. In some cases repairs can be made to existing systems using the R-22 refrigerant that is already in your old system or it can be repaired and recharged with “re-claimed” and recycled R-22 refrigerant from other old systems. Buying a new air conditioner or furnace is a big decision.  Take the time to make it a good one.  Have you recently replaced your system? 

Tell us what you learned before your purchase!If you are building a new home, you have many decisions to make. Choosing your indoor comfort system is a big one. To help in this process, AHRI provides the following guidance to help homebuilders make the right choice for their homes. The best systems operate efficiently with minimal electricity to reduce utility bills. They provide steady, dependable performance for many years when correctly sized for the home, properly matched, correctly installed and regularly maintained. Good systems are quiet, long-lasting and low in service needs. They also have been performance certified. Central air conditioners and heat pumps that are performance certified bear the AHRI Performance Certified® mark and are listed in the AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance. Heating equipment such as furnaces, boilers, water heaters and hydronic equipment bear either the GAMA Efficiency Rating Certified or I=B=R marks and are listed at AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance.

These marks are your assurance that the manufacturer’s efficiency claims have been tested and verified by an independent third party. Homeowners should ask their air-conditioning installer to size the equipment to meet the specific needs of their home. If a system is undersized, it will struggle, and even freeze over, on the warmest days. If oversized, the system will cycle on and off too frequently, greatly reducing its ability to control humidity. It will also be less efficient. To properly size a system for a home, trained technicians will use an equation that factors the home’s age, the number and quality of its windows, how well it is insulated, how many stories it has, its total square footage, and local energy rates. Homeowners should ask their technicians to perform a Manual J analysis, the industry’s term for the standardized equation for sizing an air conditioning system. Your technician will specify the cooling capacity of the system in either Btu/h (British thermal units of heat removed per hour) or refrigeration tons (one ton being equal to 12,000 Btu/h).

When building a new home, you have the opportunity to be part the HVAC system design. Understanding the basic characteristics of a quality installation will help you ask your installer the right questions. You should expect your air conditioning installer to take the following steps: Split air conditioning and heat pump systems (with indoor and outdoor units) need to be properly matched to achieve the energy efficiency and longevity that you expect from your system. When improperly matched, the efficiency and longevity of these systems are significantly compromised. AHRI tests thousands of indoor and outdoor units each year to verify that they will work together as a system to achieve a given energy efficiency rating. The easiest way to verify that the system is properly matched is to ask your installer for an AHRI Reference Number or an AHRI Certificate of Certified Product Performance. The reference number and certificate verify the outdoor unit (condenser) and indoor unit (evaporator) combination has been certified as a matched system by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).

The reference number can be entered into the or an AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance to obtain a Certificate of Certified Performance. For higher efficiency systems, the certificate can be used in some areas to obtain a rebate from your utility or local municipality. To locate your air conditioning system in the AHRI directory without an AHRI Reference Number, you will need the manufacturer’s name, model name, and model number, for both the indoor and outdoor units. This information should be on the equipment’s warranty, your sales invoice and on the units themselves. Then, click on the directory for your equipment.One way to identify a knowledgeable technician is to look for one that has been certified by the North American Technician Excellence (NATE). To become NATE-certified, technicians have to pass a nationally recognized test to demonstrate they have the knowledge to properly size, install and repair today’s increasingly sophisticated heating and cooling systems.

Find a NATE-certified technician in your area. Many factors affect a home's heating or cooling requirement, or “load.” When designing your home, you may want to discuss with your builder the right combination of energy efficiency measures. A combination of proper insulation, energy-efficient windows and doors, daylighting, shading, and ventilation will usually keep homes cool with a low amount of energy use in all but the hottest climates. Although ventilation should be avoided in hot, humid climates, the other approaches can significantly reduce the need to use air conditioning. Air-conditioning manufacturers are required by law to evaluate and rate their equipment according to its energy efficiency. This rating is known in the industry as a SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the equipment. Generally, the higher the SEER of a unit, the higher the cost, but the difference often can be recouped through reduced home energy bills over the long run.

As of Jan. 23, 2006, the minimum SEER of an air conditioner or heat pump manufactured in the United States today is 13. Using an independent, third party laboratory, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) certifies that a manufacture’s efficiency claims are accurate. However, homeowners need to be aware that while air conditioning and heat pump units may bear the AHRI Performance Certified mark, the mark is only valid for a split system if both the indoor unit and outdoor unit are properly matched to work together to achieve the AHRI Performance Certified efficiency level. Homeowners should ask their installer to provide them with a Certificate of Certified Performance to provide assurance that the system is properly matched and will achieve the efficiency rating claimed by the manufacturer. Air conditioning systems are designed to cool your home, even during extremely hot temperatures. However, weather fluctuates, and even winter days can be somewhat mild.

While most single-stage units are either “on” or “off,” two-stage central air conditioners can run at two speeds. Most of the time, the unit runs at 80 percent, kicking into high gear only on very hot days. This saves on wear and tear, since the unit cycles on and off less frequently. Two-stage systems are also better at maintaining a consistent temperature and you won’t have to keep adjusting the thermostat. A variable-speed motor can actually save you money on your energy bill as they consume less electricity than standard motors. Also having a variable-speed air conditioning system as part of your home’s comfort system means you will gain air conditioning efficiency or SEER. The higher the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) the more energy efficient the unit. This means even more energy savings for your household. The newer compressor designs, called scroll compressors, have fewer moving parts and may therefore break down less often than the older, reciprocating type.