With so many brands, styles, and sizes to choose from, purchasing a new air conditioner can be a little overwhelming. The average homeowner has no idea where to start. That’s where the experts at TopNotch Heating and Cooling come in. We’ve serviced the Pittsburgh area for over 20 years, and we’ve helped many homeowners throughout the region select the right air conditioning system for their needs. Replacing an air conditioning unit is most often an unexpected expense. Your available budget obviously plays a huge role in what kind of make/model you select. To make things easier, we accept all major credit cards and have other available financing options; however, most importantly, we help you choose the right AC system for your situation and budget. Here are five reasons to let us help you select and install a new air conditioning unit. Any energy-efficient expert will tell you that it’s especially critical to properly size HVAC equipment for the space it will be used.

For instance, if you live in a small town, it would be pretty wasteful to buy an 18-wheeler to drive around, right? A vehicle of that size, for that particular use, will cost you more money to operate and maintain. Comparatively, when you buy an over-sized air conditioning unit, you’re not only needlessly overpaying, but you’re also wasting energy, which results in a higher utility bill. Additionally, comfort within your home can be compromised. An over-sized air conditioner won’t properly dehumidify your home resulting in a cold, clammy feeling and the potential for moisture problems like mold growth or a mildewy smell. To avoid this issue, an HVAC technician from TopNotch will visit your home, assess your situation, take measurements, collect all necessary information, and recommend a specifically-sized air conditioner for your space. The proper size of your new air conditioner will be determined using the “Manual J” Load Calculation Report, which is an industry standard.

Any new air conditioner manufactured since 2010 will be using a more environmentally-friendly refrigerant and be more energy efficient than older models. Therefore, when you buy a new AC unit, you can rest assured that you’re not only improving your home’s comfortability, and keeping your utility bill low, but you’re also being kind to the environment. We help you choose an air conditioning unit that cools your home in the most energy efficient way. When TopNotch installs a new air conditioning unit, you’re not only getting the manufacturer’s warranty, but you’re also getting our guarantee of proper installation. Most new air conditioning units have an average life expectancy of 10-15 years. The only way to ensure such a lifespan, while also reducing the likelihood of expensive repairs or higher energy bills from a poorly functioning unit, is routine AC maintenance. The technicians at TopNotch stay current with all the latest technology, equipment, and reported issues with particular makes/models.

We have a variety of annual maintenance plans that will keep any new air conditioner we install running like new for years to come.window ac units best buy If you’re looking for new air conditioner installation in Pittsburgh, call TopNotch today at 412-381-0598 for a free estimate. power supply 1 is ac power supply. unit is offWe install new air conditioning units in Allegheny County, Armstrong County, Beaver County, Butler County, Fayette County, Greene County, Somerset County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County.how to fix outdoor ac unitThe sun is back again with its ever increasing heat. The temperature all set to hit a new record this season, yet again. This is the probably the time when air conditioner industry is at its peak and most people look out for buying the best equipment in the market which suits their budget and comfort.

Hence, we at Bijli Bachao, thought of providing some information which enables people to make an informed decision before buying an air conditioner. The basic question: What size or tonnage should be chosen? When we say that we require 1 ton or 1.5 ton air conditioner, does that imply that we are talking about its weight? Here, ‘ton’ refers to the amount of heat removed by the air conditioner in one hour. The amount of heat removed is measured in British Thermal Units (BTU). Hence, higher the BTU, greater will be the cooling capacity, which means the AC will be able to cool a larger area. 2 ton= 24,000 BTU/hr and so on. Historically a ton was referred to as a space that can be cooled using 1 ton of ice. And that is how the term originated. Now that we know what the term ‘ton’ implies, our next step would be to choose the right ton air conditioner. Frankly, there is no universal answer to this question. The tonnage depends on several factors like room size, city of use, number of people in room, number of appliances in room, etc (more in our article: Things that impact electricity consumption in air conditioners).

Also the tonnage not only depends on the factors listed earlier, but also on the season. In peak summers when there is more heat, more tonnage is required to cool a room, whereas in the month of March, it is lesser (more in our article: Electricity Bills vary with seasons and how Inverter Technology can help). Even between day and night the tonnage requirement varies as more tonnage is required during the day (as heat is more) and less tonnage is required during the night (as heat is less). However, whenever we choose the tonnage, we have to keep the peak summer day in mind and choose accordingly. Our article on ‘Split vs Window’ air conditioner elaborates more on the factors affecting AC size selection. Buyers should make sure that they select optimum size of air conditioners. This is because undersized air conditioner cannot cool properly and oversized AC consumes more electricity (to know the reason read: Power Saver Devices for Air Conditioners). And a fixed speed air conditioner if sized for the peak summer day will be oversized during most other times (in comparison Inverter Technology air conditioners automatically adjust their tonnage as per room’s requirement at any point, read more at: Air Conditioners with Inverter technology can help save electricity).

Although a lot of manufacturers have online calculators to calculate tonnage but we prefer using the one from Sharp Air Conditioners. Below are the links: Fixed Speed AC tonnage calculator: http://sharpproducts.in/dsupport/60.zip Inverter AC tonnage calculator: http://sharpproducts.in/dsupport/52.zip The reason we prefer these calculators is that they show more detailed tonnage requirement for the room. Most others round up the number resulting in oversizing (for e.g. many other calculators will round up 1.2 ton to 1.5 ton whereas there are many brands that do make ACs of 1.2 tons and it is better to go for 1.2 ton AC than 1.5 ton in order to avoid oversizing). Also please note that if you buy a BEE 5 star rated 1.5 ton AC for a room that needs 1.2 tons of cooling, it will be as good as buying a BEE 3 star 1.2 ton AC (oversizing causes inefficiency which will result in extra electricity usage). After size, comes the efficiency The next and a very important differentiating factor between air conditioners is the efficiency.

Efficiency in basic terms is defined as output/input. Efficiency of air conditioners is usually given by the following terms: 1.Energy Efficiency Ratio or EER. EER = Amount of heat removed per hour/ power consumed. Thus, higher the amount of heat removed per hour per unit of power consumed, higher is the efficiency of air conditioner. Also, higher the EER, better is the airUsually, EER of an air conditioner is measured under a specific condition (35 degree C, outdoor temperature; 27 degree C indoor temperature and 50% relative humidity). 2. Co-efficient of Performance or COP Before defining COP, consider the conversion from BTU to kW hr(kilowatt hour). 1kW hr = 3412 BTU 1kW = 3412 BTU/hr or 1W = 3.412 BTU/hr The above relation gives the amount of heat removed in ‘W’. Now, COP of air conditioner is given by COP = amount of heat removed in W/ power consumed in W Thus, COP is a unit less quantity. Thus, just like EER, higher the COP, better is the air conditioner.

The following relation establishes the relation between EER and COP EER = 3.412 * COP Show efficiency and be a ‘star’ performer Whenever we go to buy a new air conditioner, we find a label on the same. the most important factor apart from the cost, which determines the selection of an air conditioner. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) mandates every air conditioner to have this label. A representation of the same is given below: Higher the number of stars, greater will be the efficiency or EER. One important thing to be noted here is that EER is given by W/W (which is also the same as COP) whereas we have defined EER by BTU/hr/W. EER in BTU/hr/W = 3.413 * EER in W/W BEE has revises the start rating of air conditioners from time to time. Hence, a 5 star AC in the previous year may become a 3 star AC the next year after revision of rating takes place. You may recognize the validity of the label from the ‘label period’ section printed on the label.

Below you will find the current star rating (w.e.f. 1st January 2014). As you can see that each star rating is a range of EER. So it is possible that as AC with EER of 3.29 is rated as BEE 3 star and another of 3.3 is rated as BEE 4 star. It is also possible that AC with EER 3.1 is BEE 3 star and another of 3.49 is BEE 4 star. Thus it is very important that while looking at BEE star rating, you also look at the EER of the AC. If we take the numbers above, we can see that with increase of every star rating there is a possibility of saving up to 14%. So a BEE 5 star rated AC can be up to 35% or more efficient than a BEE 1 star AC and 15-20% more efficient than BEE 3 star AC. The ratings above are based on savings in machinery. In comparison an Inverter tech AC being flexible tonnage AC can save more over BEE 5 star AC. The reason being it not just saves on using efficient machinery but also on flexible tonnage. So the savings can be at least 15-20% more over BEE 5 star rated AC because of savings in changing heat load between seasons and days and nights, and additional saving can be achieved because when you buy a fixed speed AC you oversize even for the peak summer day.

And that is why some manufacturers claim up to 60% savings on inverter tech AC (although achieving 60% will depend on how you size the AC). It is true that everything comes with a cost. A 5 star air conditioner will definitely be costlier than a 1 star air conditioner of the same company. And Inverter technology AC costs further more. However, it is also true that the same 5 star air conditioner is much more efficient than a 1 star air conditioner. Hence, a 5 star air conditioner will provide the same amount of cooling using lesser power than a 1 star air conditioner of same tonnage. This leads to savings in operating cost. You may recover the incremental capital cost used to purchase a higher star rated air conditioner in a matter of few years. We typically recommend going for a BEE 5 star rated AC or further Inverter Tech AC if usage of AC is more than 1000 hours in a year and per unit cost of electricity is more than Rs 5 per unit (if the per unit cost is higher, it is recommended for lower the yearly usage also).