Learning Center / Indoor Air Quality / How to Find the Best PTAC Unit For You [Buyer’s Guide]How to Find the Best PTAC Unit For You [Buyer’s Guide]If your cooling system is less than 10 years old, it should still have some life left in it. You can expect as many as 10 to 15 years of service from properly installed and maintained cooling equipment. To help make this long service life a reality, it is a good idea to have your cooling system inspected and adjusted on an annual basis. If your system is over 10 years old, then you should definitely place it on an annual maintenance program. Good preventive maintenance will ensure your system runs safely and efficiently for a long time. If you are the owner of an older air conditioning system, you may be wondering if it will last another year. You are concerned that it may stop working in the middle of the summer leaving you and your home hot and soggy. If this is the case, it's probably time to call on an expert to consider replacement or repair?

Home air conditioning systems can be expected to last for 15 years or more. Good maintenance practices will, of course, provide an even longer service life. window ac units and carbon monoxideDeciding when to replace an old cooling system is not easy. window air conditioner repair diagramUnless your present system is old and in very poor working condition, it may be hard to justify a new high-efficiency system on energy savings alone. green ac unitsIf your system doesn't seem to be working as well as it used to, you should have a service person look at it to determine the likely cause of the problem. If there is a significant problem, simply comparing the price to repair the system with the cost of replacement will give you a good idea of what you should do.

Keep in mind, however, that, due to improvements in efficiency, a new system will have the added benefit of reducing your operating cost. If your system is over 10 years old, you may want to consider a new unit. Especially if you have a large home with a high cooling load, the annual dollar savings from installing a new system may pay for itself in a short time. Home energy analyzer will help you to determine how much you will save if you improve the efficiency of your air conditioning system. Central air conditioning is becoming increasingly popular in American homes. Over 47% of all homes have central cooling and an additional 26% have room air conditioning units. Some homes use heat pumps for central air conditioning as well as heating. The table below shows the prevalence of all of the common types of cooling systems found in the United States. Air conditioning is more popular in the South and West where almost 70% of homes have central cooling systems. In the Northeast, 40% of homes use room air conditioners while only 22% have central cooling systems.

As you can see there are couple of options with regard to central air conditioning types. You can choose to install a cooling only system or a heat pump, which will provide heating and cooling. If you currently have a heat pump, then you will probably want to stick with a heat pump. Otherwise, you will have to add some type of heating to your system. Homeowners in the Northeast sometimes switch from a heat pump to a gas or oil furnace with central air conditioning. The reason behind this is that air source heat pumps do not perform well in extremely cold conditions. Another option in this situation is to stick with the heat pump and add gas or oil back up heat through a hydro-air type system. This is a complicated change, however, and should be discussed with a heating and cooling professional. Heat pumps are very popular in the South, where they comprise 66% of the central air conditioning systems. If you live in a home in this area with electric heat and central cooling, you should consider switching to a heat pump for heating and cooling.

By doing so, you will save a good percentage of your heating bill. In the past, for houses where it was impractical to install central air conditioning, the homeowner was left with the option of placing a room air conditioner either in a window or wall. Now there is another alternative for cooling your home without the expense of installing a central A/C unit and ductwork. The Ductless Split System is similar to the central air conditioning system only without the ductwork. Both systems are based on an indoor unit - with cooling coil and blower, and an outdoor unit - with the condenser and compressor. The indoor unit and outdoor unit are connected by two small copper pipes which carry refrigerant back and forth. Installation of a Single Zone ductless split system will require the services of a professional heating and cooling technician. The indoor unit typically mounts on the wall, but floor models are also available. These units have built in thermostats and usually come with a remote control for turning the unit on and changing the set point.

A Single Zone system has one indoor unit, but it can still serve more than one contiguous room in a fairly open floor plan. Two and three zone systems are also available. Once you have a pretty good idea what type of system you want to install, it is probably time to talk to a contractor. Replacing a cooling system or heat pump is not a do-it-yourself project for most people. When choosing a contractor, you should keep in mind that contractors often have relationships with specific manufacturers. We discuss manufacturers in the "Choosing a model" section below, but the gist of the matter is you may want to research the models available from various manufacturers first. Then make sure the contractors you talk to are willing to provide you with something very similar to the brand and model you want. If you follow our advice on choosing a model, you should have a few options in mind. Choosing a contractor can be a frustrating process, but is worth the effort in the long run. It is a good idea to get several quotes for any large project since prices can vary widely for the same job.

Usually three quotes will be sufficient to distinguish what is a reasonable price to pay for the project. If possible, you should try and get all quotes for equally qualified firms. The trick is determining which firms to solicit quotes from. Here are some tips that will be helpful. This is a tough one. Choosing an air conditioner or heat pump is not like choosing a new television or computer. The public at large tends to be less familiar with the features and performance points that are important to a cooling system that an entertainment system. The issues that should come to mind when choosing a model are price, performance, reliability, and features. The price is important, but should not be the only consideration. Buying the least expensive cooling equipment is usually not the best investment. It is a better idea to consider the operating cost of the equipment as well as the first cost. Because cooling systems last for many years, the operating cost will greatly exceed the first cost of the equipment over its lifetime.

If you buy a more efficient system, then over time the lower operating cost will more than pay for the higher first cost. Not only that, high-efficiency cooling equipment improve comfort and air quality throughout the home, and help reduce air pollution. One easy way for consumers to differentiate high-efficiency equipment is to look for the ENERGY STAR Label. Heating and cooling products with the ENERGY STAR Label are produced by most major manufacturers and have the same features as standard products but also incorporate energy saving technology. Lists of ENERGY STAR labeled equipment are available on the Environmental Protection Agency web page. Manufacturer's product literature is a good source of efficiency information. Most residential cooling systems are rated by Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER). The efficiency of heat pumps is described by its SEER for cooling and Heating Season Performance Factor (HSPF) for heating. This information can be found in the product brochures and used as means to compare options.

The cooling system you choose today will probably still be around 15 years from now. To avoid frequent service calls and a lifetime of aggravation, you want to get reliable equipment. You should compare warrantees offered on various makes and models and consider a good warrantee from a reputable manufacturer to be an indication of a reliable product. At a minimum, you will be offered a 1 year limited warrantee on your new cooling equipment. Some manufacturers offer longer warrantees, up to 5 years on the overall system and 10 years on compressors. Others offer extended warrantees at additional cost. Just remember that there are options, don't settle for a minimum 1 year warrantee if you don't have to. Another element of reliability is quality service and preventive maintenance. Be sure that there is a service company nearby that is qualified on the type of system you are purchasing. The best case would be to have factory trained service technicians do all repairs and preventive maintenance on your system.

Modern, high-efficiency equipment is complicated, much like newer automobiles, and it takes a great deal of training in order to troubleshoot problems effectively and keep cooling equipment in good working order. When buying a new car, some people are interested in the horsepower and torque ratings, engine block materials, gear ratios, ignition controls, and traction control. Others pay attention to heated seats, cup holders, remote control door locks, and sound systems. The first group is wisely concentrating on the performance specifications, while the second is looking at features, which are important as well. A wise cooling system shopper will compare the specifications as well as the features on a few models before choosing a system. You have to look at product brochures in order to learn about specifications and find out what features are available on which models. These brochures can be obtained from the manufacturers' web sites or from local heating and cooling contractors that sell the brands you are considering.