< Return to Blog If you’re shopping for a new central air conditioner for your home, this is the bottom line question on your mind - “How much is it all going to cost me?” The answer is somewhere between $4,000 and $15,000, on average. If we could be more exact, we would. But there’s just so many things that influence the price of a new air conditioner. Here are just a few examples. Factors that affect the cost of the a new air conditioner Looking for a new air conditioner is a little like looking for a new car - there’s a wide range of prices available. But while the differing prices of cars are based on things like miles per gallon and if it has a moonroof, the cost of a new air conditioner is affected by: The size of the air conditioning system We’ve talked about how air conditioners are sized by tons before, but the basics are this - the bigger your home, the bigger air conditioner you’ll need and the more expensive it will be. Basic 2-ton air conditioners start around $4,000 and go up from there.

Larger air conditioners up to 5 tons can start at $6,000 with only basic features. The efficiency of the air conditioner When you purchase a vehicle, you are probably concerned about the long-term cost of ownership. One of the biggest factors is the efficiency of the car, which is measured in miles per gallon (MPG). In the same way, when you purchase an air conditioner, you should consider the long-term cost of ownership along with the initial cost. The biggest part of this long-term cost is the air conditioner’s energy efficiency, which is measured in SEER. And the more energy efficient an air conditioner is (the higher the SEER) the more expensive it will be. Of course, this initial cost difference can be more than made up for if in the long run. The most efficient air conditioners can be $5-8,000 more than lower end models. Whether you are also upgrading the heating system If you have a packaged air conditioning and heating system (usually found on the roof), you will likely be replacing the entire packaged unit at once.

Even if you have a split air conditioning and heating system, it’s highly recommended that you replace both the furnace and the air conditioner at the same time. You’ll get better energy efficiency and save more money in the long run - here’s why.does covering your ac unit help The functionality you’re looking forhow big central ac unit do i need Many air conditioners come with additional features to improve both energy efficiency and your home’s comfort. under window ac unitsFor example, two-stage air conditioners can both greatly reduce your home’s energy bills and make your home more comfortable. Likewise, a variable-speed fan increases energy efficiency and improves your home’s comfort. The company doing the installation

The installation of the new air conditioner is as important (if not more so) than the actual air conditioner you select. A shoddy installation will break down more and cost more to run. So don’t settle for the cheapest air conditioner installation company you can find. Get a more accurate estimate If you’d like a more detailed and precise estimate of the cost of a new air conditioning system for your home, your best bet is to have a trusted air conditioning company come to your home and find out what you need. There are systems and financing available to fit every budget. Want a free in-home estimate? Schedule one with Pitzer’s One Hour Air Conditioning today. From the General ManagerThis guide will walk you through everything you need to about air conditioning costs including the air conditioner itself, installation costs and air conditioning system maintenance costs. When you're researching the cost of an air conditioner, there are three important factors that will determine the price:

Prices can vary a lot by brand, as much as $2000 between the cheapest and most expensive air conditioners. We compared 2.5-ton models (more on that later) and the cheapest air conditioner we found was the Payne at $1400. The most expensive air conditioner in our research was the Lennox at $3410. The question is how important are the brand names? Most experts would say that a mid-range air conditioner like the Gibson at $2265 is more than sufficient for most people. Beyond that, the more expensive air conditioners like the Lennox or the American Standard at $3195 offer nice-to-have, but unnecessary features like quieter running speeds and more accurate climate control. The more expensive brands tend to also have better efficiency, but we'll talk more about that later. For now, you can use the following to decide which air conditioning brand is right for you. Air conditioner size can greatly affect price and is directly related to its cooling ability. Cooling is described in either tons or BTUs.

A ton, believe it or not, refers to the amount of ice melted in a day. So a 1.5 ton air conditioning system is the equivalent of melting 1.5 tons of ice for a day. BTUs (or British Thermal Unit) is a measure for cooling that's more common to use nowadays. If you ever get confused, just remember that 1 ton of cooling is equivalent to 12000 BTU/hour of cooling. Window air conditioners are usually less one ton; a smaller air conditioner is roughly 2 tons and largest are up to 5 tons. The best size for you depends on the square footage of the space you're trying to keep cool, the insulation of your home and even the number of occupants. Of course, you can opt to get a lower or higher BTU depending on your preference. Here are the rough prices for different air conditioner sizes, including installation: The last factor that you need to consider for your air conditioner is efficiency. Air conditioning efficiency is measured in SEER or the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. SEER measures how much energy (from your home's electricity) is converted into cool air.

More expensive brands tend to have higher SEER ratings, so while you might spend more upfront, you could end up saving money in 5 years from your energy bill. Here's the cost of different air conditioners by SEER rating: How much can your SEER rating affect your energy bill? It depends a lot on your local electricity costs (dollars per kW/h) and how often you'll use it. If you're using your A/C unit on a daily basis and all throughout the year, then you'll likely want a SEER rating above 20. But if you're only using your air condition system for a couple months, then we'd suggest getting 15-18 SEER. This is the general breakdown for choosing a SEER rating: Note: once your air conditioner is installed, a great way to keep your bill down is to lighten the load. Keeping blinds down, shading windows, shutting off appliances and improving insulation can help reduce the amount of air conditioning you need. When doing home renovations, you can also use more high-efficiency products.

For example, if you're replacing your roof, a cool roof can save half a ton of cooling over the year. The best step is to get several HVAC contractors to provide you with quotes for your installation, but the range should be between $500 & $1000, assuming you don't need any major ductwork done. Ductwork can increase the installation cost by 1000s of dollars. You might think to skip this step, but duct leakage can reduce cooling by your air conditioner by 20-40%. So you might save duct work costs upfront, but you'll end up spending more on your monthly energy bill to keep your home cool. You might be able to seal some duct leakage yourself using mastic, but most likely you'll need a professional. Maintenance costs are a bit difficult to predict and can vary a lot depending on usage and the quality of the brand you choose, but we can give you a rough idea of what to expect. To save money on maintenance costs, the best thing you can do is regular self-maintenance: keep the coils clean, replace dirty filters air flow is never blocked by leaves or any other matter that could affect air flow.