Central Air Conditioning
Luxury air conditioning with minimal maintenance
Many factors contribute to the performance and durability of a central air conditioner. Of all these factors, the most important is the size of the air conditioning unit. The capacity of this is measured in BTUs. The sizing of your air conditioning unit has to be a good match with the size of your house. Do not think that you should simply get the biggest.
There are two groups which publish procedures for the sizing of central air conditioners. Be sure your air conditioning contractor cites one or both of these sources and uses one of these authorities' specifications to calculate the size of your central air conditioning unit:
- The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
- Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA)
If they do not cite one of these authorities, you may be in trouble.
Some people might mistakenly believe that a larger unit is better. A larger unit may simply be too large for your home or business. It may be inefficient not only up front (costing more than you need to spend) but also in the long run. Its over-sizing could result in greater and faster temperature fluctuations along with causing other problems (with your power supply, for example).
Whether you are installing a new system or replacing an old one, you should have all the ducts in your home inspected and cleaned. They should be inspected for holes, leakage, proper installation and proper air movement throughout. Problems with airflow can seriously affect the functioning of your air conditioner.
There are many other factors to consider. One more is placement of the unit:
- Placement of the outside unit should be in the shade, out of the sunlight. It should also have sufficient airflow all around it, or its functioning will be compromised.
- The indoor AC unit should be in an insulated room of your home.
You can also make your air conditioner's job a lot easier by maximizing the energy efficiency of your home (insulating doors and windows, blocking sunlight with tinting materials, tree placement, drapes, etc.) If you take other common-sense steps similar to those required to maximize home heating efficiency (for example, insulating your attic), this will maximize the efficiency of your central air conditioning unit.
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