I recently heard a homeowner bragging about their old air conditioner
"it still runs." Unfortunately, he doesn't realize his electric bill
is probably quite higher than necessary. An air conditioner is not an heirloom
possession.
Better Efficiency
Over the past decade or so, efficiency has dramatically improved. This is
because of public awareness of energy and the government enacting efficiency
requirements. Your airconditioner efficiency is very low if it was installed before 2006. Today's
air conditioners are more than twice as efficient as the pre-2006 units (based
on government-defined efficiency ratings).
Imagine the cost of electricity for the major electricity consuming
appliance in your home as half as much.
Over-sizing was the Rule
Rule-of-thumb was the method for sizing old air conditioning systems. That
rule was to make sure it was big enough to cool the house. Unfortunately, in
keeping to this rule, a rather generous safety margin emerged. Everyone knew it
would use a good amount of energy, but electricity was cheap back then.
There are two problems with this sizing rule. The obvious one, electricity rates have increased tremendously over the decades. The other problem has
to do with the cooling needed by the home. If you have done absolutely nothing
to your home since installation of the air conditioner, then its capacity is
probably about right. But, if you have replaced windows, added siding, or added
insulation above your ceiling, then the cooling requirement for the home could
be less. An over-sized air conditioner causes temperature swings in your home
due to rapid on and off cycling.
Do Not Decide on Your Own
Even if it seems that you should replace your air conditioner, you will need
assistance in selecting the best economical size and efficiency. The
professionals at J. R. Perkins can provide this assistance and they can provide
more insight than provided in this short article. After talking to J.R. Perkins,
you can do the bragging.
JR Perkins is the first heating and air conditioning company in the East
Valley and services Phoenix, specifically Scottsdale, AZ. To learn more please
visit our website at www.JRPerkins.com
or call (480) 422-4437.
