Central Air Conditioning

When purchasing a new central air conditioner, bigger is not better. An air conditioner that is too big for your home costs more to buy, uses more energy (i.e. costs more to operate), and will cycle on and off more frequently, shortening its life span. It will be noisier than an appropriately-sized model, and won’t de-humidify the air as well. But if you’re still tempted to go bigger, get a model with a larger energy efficiency rating, or SEER value. In order to size your air conditioner appropriately, your contractor should spend about an hour in your home measuring the walls, floors and windows, checking the insulation in the attic, walls and crawl spaces, and testing the duct work for leaks. Beware of any contractor who will size your unit based only on the square footage of your house.