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Things to be Aware of When You Are Having Air Conditioning Installed within Your Home

Written by Posted On Saturday, 20 May 2017 13:40

 

1. State incentives for efficiency

Today's AC systems have to be 14 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). SEER equates to the amount of cooling you get per watt of energy consumed. You can, if you wish, opt for an even higher level of efficiency, which can be as much as 24 SEER.

For a system that is 16 SEER, for example, you may have to pay a further $2,000 upfront, though if the state where you reside offers energy incentives, and Colorado does, so for air conditioning Denver, you may only have to pay out as little as $500. The 16 SEER, will reduce the cost of cooling your home by a further 14 percent annually.

 

2. No need for ducts

If you rely on forced air heat or an old central AC system, you can ask your contractor to connect the new AC equipment up to the tubes that are currently in existence inside your home's floor and walls. Nevertheless, it stands to reason that old ducts are not necessarily suitable ducts. If the ducts are in bad condition, you may lose as much as 20 percent of both your cooled and your heated air which escapes into the basement and attic. In which case, make sure the ducts are checked over, and if it is necessary, have them sealed.

If your current ducts are not at all efficient or you do not have ducts, there are two choices available to you: New ducts can be installed in the basement or attic for around $4,000 or $5,000, or you may opt instead for ductless air conditioning.

A ductless air conditioning system normally has the blower units installed on the perimeter walls of the house, and for each conditioned space you'll require a single unit. It can be a more efficient approach than with central air conditioning because you choose which zone of your home is to be cooled at any one time. All the same, it's not appropriate for everyone to have multiple blower units on the exterior walls of the home, and the cost of ductless equipment adds an extra 30 percent onto the price of the system.

 

3. Wait until winter to invest

If you had shopped for a car that's a 2016 model just after the release of 2017 models, you'd have gotten the car a lot cheaper. And the same principle applies to air conditioning – if you time the purchase just right, you'll be able to save. Typically, if you were to buy air conditioning during the winter months, you'll be able to get it for 10 to 20 percent cheaper than at other times of the year.

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