Articles | Home Central Air Conditioner

Cooling usually will cost an average owner of a home around $1,000 per year which is almost half the national average energy bill. However, if your home central air conditioner is more than a decade old, you should probably start looking to replace it with a newer model that will cut your energy bill dramatically. Earning the coveted "Energy Star" symbol means that the product has met the strictest of guidelines which are set by the United States EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). By choosing one of these units you are taking notice that you are saving money by saving energy and being comfortable at the same time. In fact, you are helping the environment also by reducing emissions and other things into the air which are causing our problems with global warming. Actually, these products have a better SEER or "seasonal energy efficiency ratio" and EER or energy efficiency ratio, which improve their ratings over other models.

A home central air conditioner works with a blower motor, normally part of the furnace, and this is used to push cold air throughout the ductwork. The sure way to do this is to make sure that the new unit is primed to perform at its best and the only way to do that is to replace the heating unit at the same exact time. If your furnace is hitting close to the 15 year mark then it is time to start shopping. If you decide to be a money saver and do one without the other, chances are you will blow a motor in one of the two units and end up spending more money and/or the system will not perform to its best ability.

What do I look for when buying a home central air conditioner?

You should look into hiring a good contractor before everything else. They will know what kind of unit to buy and how much it will usually cost you to install and the costs associated with it. You have to remember that these units are usually more expensive but they pay off in the long run so do not be surprised when they throw the number out there. You can obtain great cooling performance with something called Energy Star sealing so ask the contractor about it. Always remember that regular maintenance is a good thing. Keeping up with your unit on a monthly, bi-yearly and yearly basis is a very good idea if you want to save money on a long term basis especially if you do not have an Energy Star unit. So this technically states that even though your home central air conditional isn't Energy Star certified it still can save you money if you take care of it.