How to Choose the Right AC Unit for your Home

Air conditioning shopping is complicated until you learn the basics of the different types of air conditioners. Read on to learn more about today's cooling options. If you are not already using one, get a fan because it will evaporate the moisture to make you feel cooler which will tax air conditioning systems less. Now, onto the best part -- the basic types of air conditioning units and systems that are available to cool the home. There are swamp coolers, also known as window units. The portable, packaged terminal air conditioners, central air, ductless and split systems.

The window units sit in the window, while the portable are mobile and can be rolled throughout the home to be wherever you are. Central air conditioning is another, which most people are aware of and makes a great example for explaining the components of any air conditioning system. Each one, whether a window unit or a central air system, will include a condenser, expansion valve, refrigerant, and the compressor, along with an evaporator coil. Central air is still very popular and the most sought after option because it is out of the way, quiet, and hands down the best at cooling a home. It turns out the reason smaller homes may not be able to have central air is that systems cannot accommodate the small size and would permit mold growth because they could never dehumidify properly.

They would have trouble operating on a thermostat too because they would always be running because of short cycling.fa Central air has an evaporative aspect and condensing portion, with a connection to the refrigerant coil. The condensing box is outdoors and has its fan, coils, and compressor.

The evaporative portion is within the furnace normally and has the valve and coil. The window air conditioner system has all of these components in one compact unit, which spits out cool air into the home, and spews out heat out of the home. The portable AC is also a single unit that has a hose to spew the heat out of the home, and the cool air into the home. You may have seen the PTAC, split, and ductless units in operation, more likely in public spaces such as hotels. The AC is sandwiched with an exterior-facing and interior-facing aspect, with refrigerant flowing between them. The evaporator fan is interior facing, and everything else faces outside. That rounds out the different types of air conditioning.

Choose based on cooling needs, budget, with an eye on the appropriate sizing of the unit for your home.

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How Do I Know if My AC Unit Needs a Tune Up?

How Do I Know if My AC Unit Needs a Tune Up?

Depending on your geographic location, running an AC unit to cool down the interior of your home can set you back to varying degrees. Following are some great tips on how you can make this degree much less acute and still enjoy a cool environment within your home.

1. Avoid the “Set It and Forget It” way of thinking If you like the convenience of a central unit controlled by a thermostat, adjust the temperature according to the daily conditions. If there will be many people in the house, it's ok to turn it up to counterbalance the body heat, just be sure to turn it back down as soon as they are gone. On days no one is home leave the setting low, and feel free to knock it back up a notch or two if the night is especially hot. The goal is to keep the temperature at about 80°, which is a comfortable cool by anyone’s standards. Coupled with a solid plan to reduce energy expenses during the winter, carefully adjusting the thermostat settings can save as much as $200 in a year — perhaps more if energy saving measures haven't been practiced regularly.  

2. Regularly Clean the Air Filter Whether your environment is conditioned by a central unit or the type that fits in a window, it is essential that the air filters are kept clean. The dirty filter causes the AC unit to work harder to accomplish less, thus reducing the efficiency of the machine and costing you much more in energy expenses. The air filters must be addressed at least once a month, many environments high in dust or other airborne contaminants should be addressed more often. With an HVAC system, the filters should be replaced every three months.

3. Regular Maintenance A professional tune-up will keep your AC running at optimal performance for many moons. In the same way car benefits from a tune up or the human body benefits from a medical check-up, an AC unit can begin to develop small problems with the compressor, motor or wiring that a trained professional can address, successfully prolonging the life of the cooling device.  

4. Thinking Small Cooling the entire home with a central cooling system is luxurious and all, but think about how much you could save by only cooling what needs to be cooled. If 90% of the activities in the home will be done in one single room, think of getting a smaller unit to cool that room alone. By properly selecting, arranging and enhancing the performance of the AC with stand up or ceiling fans a very cooling effect can be accomplished with minimal energy expenditure.  

5. The Energy Star The Energy Star does much to reduce energy expenses. Whether you are installing an AC unit, a Central Cooling Unit or even having new windows installed, searching for products with this symbol will ensure you are using and paying for only the energy you need. If you believe that you need a tune up and you live in the Hatboro area give us a call! This post originally appeared on www.mjmacinc.com