The Hidden Costs of Your Old Air Conditioner

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.