Air Conditioning Installation Considerations For First-Time Buyers

If you have been considering replacing your home's air conditioning system, the off-season is the best time to prepare and plan the replacement. While you could make the whole process simple and replace the unit with a newer model of the same thing, if your current air conditioner isn't quite getting the job done, that means it's time to consider something different. Here are a few things to think about as you start planning your new air conditioner installation.

Size Considerations

If your air conditioner is running fine but just isn't keeping the house as cool as you would like, the compressor unit may just be too small for the square footage that you are trying to cool. The best way to determine if this is the source of the problem is to have an air conditioning installation technician evaluate your home and the unit that you have installed to tell you if it is sufficient. If not, you'll want to upgrade to a larger unit when you have it replaced.

Air-Flow Issues

Even if the unit is properly sized for your home, there could be airflow issues that are keeping your system from cooling your home sufficiently. Often, this is the result of either damaged or insufficient air ducts or a system that wasn't ideal for the floorplan of the house.

If you've had your air ducts inspected and you're certain that the cooling loss isn't a result of leaky ductwork, you should consider the potential that your system just isn't sufficient for the layout of the house. In some situations, when air distribution is a challenge, a split system is a better alternative. That way, you have a unit dedicated to each zone of the house for more consistent and efficient cooling.

Maintenance Problems

Another common source of air conditioning issues is a lack of proper maintenance. When you don't keep up with the care and maintenance needs of your air conditioning system, it cannot run as effectively as it should.

Make sure that you understand the maintenance demands of any new air conditioning system you want to install. That way, you can determine if it's more than you have the time to handle or if you'll be able to keep up with it. Installing a system that needs more care than you can handle will lead you to facing inefficiencies and issues down the road due to wear and tear issues.