If you're looking to install an A/C unit to improve your home, it can be a costly process. Since temperature control is a necessity, however, you may qualify for a government rebate. If you purchase an Energy Star air conditioner, you may qualify for a tax credit from the federal government that could be worth as much as $500. To determine the cost of the actual unit, you need to measure its strength. This will hinge on the size of the space you need to cool. Once you are ready to install, ImproveNet can connect you with an A/C professional in your area for free! Install an A/C Unit Costs Cost data is based on actual project costs as reported by ImproveNet members. We are still gathering data for this location.Try changing location below or Most homeowners spent between:$3,886To$5,427 Number of Cost Profiles Most homeowners spent between: We are still gathering data for this location.   See specific cost in your area Enter your zip code to get started

Air conditioner strength is measured in "tons," a measurement that refers to the amount of heat your A/C unit can remove in an hour. Each ton corresponds to 12,000 British thermal units (BTUs). Be careful when calculating this, because bigger isn't necessarily better. If your unit is too large for the space of your home, it will switch on and off repeatedly, wasting energy and costing you money. If your home is 1,600 square feet, a 2.5 ton air conditioner will cool it well. This will cost between $3,000 and $5,000. There are platinum models that could potentially cost $10,000, but these are rarely necessary. If you're looking to install central air rather than a window unit, it may be cost effective to install central heating at the same time, as both usually utilize the blower from the furnace. If you already have central heat, you can use the existing fans and duct system when installing central air. Another factor that will affect the cost of central air installation is whether your home needs duct work.

Older homes don't possess the ducts and vents that go along with a newer heating system. They have convection heating systems or baseboard heat, and all the ducts and vents will need to be installed. This is costly, so think about window units or a ductless split system instead. Most people who install an air conditioner agree that spending between $300 and $400 on labor to hire a contractor is worth the extra expense just to make sure that the unit is installed properly. You'll want to hire a licensed contractor that you can trust if you truly want to improve your home. The cost of materials, supplies and equipment allowance will run you another $50 to $100. Altogether, expect to spend between $3,350 and $5,500 to install an air conditioning unit, possibly as much as $8,000-$10,000 if you need duct work. Last updated on Jul 22, 2016 Top Articles on Install an A/C Unit 5 Air Conditioning Tips To Beat The Heat This Summer Air conditioners that are not serviced properly contribute to high energy costs and less efficient home cooling.

To stay cool indoors this summer, maintain your air conditioner with these tips. Video: How To Change A Furnace Filter Furnace filters ensure that your furnace is running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. where to sell used ac unitUnfortunately, you have to replace your furnace filter every few months, but even more so in the winter.top home ac units How To Install A Heat Pumpcentral ac unit replacement Heat pump installation is no easy task, but some homeowners are up for the challenge. Below, I will show you all the steps and tools needed to install a heat pump without a professional.Electricity usage of a Central Air Conditioner A central air conditioner is used in a home to provide cooling by circulating cool air through ducts from an air conditioner unit typically situated outside the house.

The energy use of a central air conditioner highly depends on the climate of the region, a central air conditioner will run 3 to 7 months of the year depending on the outside temperature. An average central ac will use 3000 to 5000 watts of power every hour for around 9 hours a day during the hotter months. Click calculate to find the energy consumption of a central air conditioner using 3500 Watts for 3 hours a day @ $0.10 per kWh. Running 3 hours a day is the same as running 9 hours a day for 4 of the warmer months. Hours Used Per Day: Hours Used Per Day: Enter how many hours the device is being used on average per day, if the power consumption is lower than 1 hour per day enter as a decimal. (For example: 30 minutes per day is 0.5) Power Use (Watts): Enter the average power consumption of the device in watts. Price (kWh): Enter the cost you are paying on average per kilowatt hour, our caculators use the default value of 0.10 or 10 cents. To find an exact price check your electricity bill or take a look at Global Electricity Prices.

To save energy with air conditioning the only real method is to increase temperature of your home, in hotter climates this may not be ideal. Staying cool by taking cold showers or using small portable fans can help. If you live in a hot climate your cooling costs can be significant, around 70% of your electricity bill. Investing in an energy efficient central conditioner unit fit precisely for the size of your home would be ideal. To improve performance of your ac make sure to clear any debris, leaves or obstructions around your ac unit, so that you get better and more efficient air flow. Watts Volts Amps Ohms Gift Template - Free Gift CertificatesSummer is here, which means for many of us, thoughts are turning to air conditioning. Let’s face it—central air conditioning will change your life. No more sweaty nights tossing and turning because you haven’t installed the window units yet. For that matter, no more installing the window units—or bashing your knuckles carrying them up and down the basement stairs each spring and fall.

If you’re thinking about upgrading to central air, be prepared to spend between $6,000 and $15,000, depending on the size and complexity of the job. Installation usually takes several days, and the new system will increase your property value by as much as 10%, according to Twin Cities appraiser Alan Hummel. Here’s what else you need to know. Air conditioning is measured by the ton, which is the cooling energy released by a one-ton block of ice melting over the course of a day. You’ll pay about $2,000 to $4,000 per ton, and a typical two-story, 2,000-square-foot house might require 3 to 3.5 tons of air conditioning—but getting the tonnage exactly right is essential. An oversized system will cool the house so quickly it doesn’t effectively dehumidify the air (a major key to comfort), and if it’s too small it will run almost constantly, increasing your energy bills and prematurely wearing out the equipment. The contractor should show you a printout of a heat-load calculation for your house, which factors in such things as your home’s location, cubic feet of living space, number and size of windows, and orientation to the sun.

In general, today’s systems must be 14 SEER—which stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio and is a measure of how much cooling you get for each watt of power used—or about 40% more efficient than the 10 SEER standard that was in place until 2006. Given that your old system isn’t running at peak efficiency anymore, your cooling bills should drop by about half. Or you can opt for even higher efficiency, all the way up to 24 SEER. A 16 SEER system, for example, might add about $2,000 in upfront costs—or perhaps just $500 if your state offers an energy incentive program (you can find a list here)—and will reduce your cooling costs by another 14% a year. If you have an old central air system or forced air heat, your contractor can connect new AC equipment to the ducts that already exist inside the walls and floors of your home. Old ducts aren’t necessarily good ducts, however. If they’re leaky, you could lose 20% of your cooled (and heated) air into your attic and basement, says physicist Max Sherman, of the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory.

So have the ducts checked, and if necessary sealed. That will add another $1,000 to $3,000 to your costs. If you don’t have ducts, or the old ones are super inefficient, you have two choices: A contractor can install new ducts in the attic and or basement—and run between-floor connections through closets—for the cost of about $4,000 to $5,000. Or you can opt for ductless air conditioning: Unlike central air conditioning, which has one or two central blower units (usually in the attic) that push air through ducts, these systems have individual blower units that usually get installed on the house’s perimeter walls. You need one unit for each conditioned space, and therefore you have multiple zones throughout your house that can be more efficient than the all-or-nothing approach you get with central air conditioning. Not everyone likes the look of the blower units hanging on the walls, however, and ductless equipment will cost about 30% more for the system than for connecting new central air to existing ductwork.

Do not install central air conditioning without adding a high-efficiency filter to the system. By cleaning the air as it moves through the system, it will reduce pollen and dust in the air inside your house—and it will help keep the inner workings of your AC equipment clean and efficient. A system with a “media filter” with a MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating of 12 will add $500 to $1,000 to installation costs but reduce your maintenance costs by about $500 every two years, says Wes Davis, of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, a trade organization. Like shopping for a flat-screen TV the week after the Super Bowl or a 2015 model year car after the 2016s hit the lot, timing your air conditioning purchase right can save you big. “In the spring and summer, our phones are ringing off the hook,” says Robert Wilkos, of Roussos Air Conditioning in Panama City, Fla. In the winter, contractors are trying to find enough work to keep their crews busy, he says, so they typically knock 10% to 20% off their bids.