Having sufficient air conditioning is essential when living in a hotter and/or more humid climate. Without it, there is the risk of your home not only being uncomfortably warm or even dangerously hot but also getting so humid that you start experiencing issues with mold growth. These issues make it important that you choose the right type of air conditioning for your home, and this article will explain the most important factors and things to consider before installing AC in your home or replacing your existing air conditioning.
Central vs. Ductless Air Conditioning
A ductless air conditioning system, also known as a ductless mini-split, is generally always going to be the best choice if your home doesn’t already have a central HVAC system and ductwork. Trying to retrofit a house with a central HVAC system is an extremely expensive proposition. It’s also not even feasible in every home due to the space requirements needed for all of the air ducts. In this situation, installing a ductless AC system will be the most effective and efficient option, especially compared to using window or portable AC units instead.
In a ductless system, you have a separate indoor unit known as an air handler in each room or part of the home that only provides cooling to that area. This is a major advantage over central air conditioning since it allows you to cool each room to whatever temperature you want without impacting the other rooms. Ductless AC systems are also extremely efficient compared to any other type of air conditioning.
Despite being more efficient, a ductless system usually doesn’t make sense if your home already has a ductwork system. The main reason is due to price. To get a ductless system that is large enough to cool your entire home, you’d usually have to pay a couple of thousand dollars more than you would if you opted for a central AC unit.
Decide Whether to Install a Standard Central AC or a Heat Pump
Another thing you’ll want to decide is whether you want to just install a standard central AC condenser or a heat pump. Either option will cool your home just as effectively. Each one can also be just as energy efficient. The difference is that a heat pump also provides heating instead of just air conditioning.
Heat pumps tend to be slightly more expensive than AC condensers, but the fact that they can also heat more than offsets the higher cost. The primary reason is that heat pumps are extremely efficient and generally use much less energy than furnaces and all other types of heating. The only real drawback to choosing a heat pump is that it may not last quite as long as a standard AC since it will end up running much of the year instead of only for a few months.
Ensure the System Is the Right Size
One factor that is absolutely essential when choosing an air conditioner or heat pump is making sure that the unit is the proper size for your home and the local climate. You’ll need to have an HVAC technician do this for you since a wide variety of factors directly impact the size of the AC or heat pump you need for your home. Installing something that is too small or too large is a major waste of money since it likely won’t work effectively enough to keep your home cool and will use more energy than a properly sized system. Undersized and oversized systems also tend to require many more repairs and have a shorter lifespan.
Climate zone and square footage are two main factors determining the size of your AC. Factors like the level of insulation and whether the home has many air leaks or is more airtight must also be taken into account. The number, direction, and size of your windows also make a major difference due to the amount of sunlight a home receives.
Compare Efficiency Ratings of the Available Options
Whether you opt to install a central AC condenser, a heat pump, or a ductless AC system, it’s important to do some research to find an AC system that works as energy efficiently as possible. SEER2 (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) ratings are used to express the efficiency of any central or ductless AC system. This rating is just a ratio of the amount of cooling provided to the amount of energy used over an entire cooling season, i.e. from late spring to early fall. The reason that it’s necessary to look at the entire cooling season is that the energy efficiency of a central or ductless AC system doesn’t remain constant. The fact that the main part of the system is outside means that it is directly affected by heat and humidity. The hotter and/or more humid it is outside, the less efficiently the system works.
The US Department of Energy requires that any new central or ductless AC installed in North Carolina be a minimum of 14.3 SEER2, equating to 15 SEER under the old rating system. Choosing a system with as high of a SEER2 rating as possible will always allow you to cool your home for far less money. Every increasing SEER or SEER2 rating equates to around a 7% improvement in efficiency. That means a 20 SEER2 system would use around 40% less electricity than a basic 14.3 SEER2 system. In North Carolina, this would usually equate to a savings of anywhere from $50 to $200 per year. When you calculate this over the average life of the system, it can potentially add up to savings of $1,000 to $3,000.
Choose the Right Type of AC for the Local Climate
The final thing to decide is whether to install a single-stage, two-stage or variable-speed system. Single-stage systems are the least efficient but also the least expensive. Two-stage systems provide a good balance between installation costs, energy savings, and comfort. This is because they have a lower power setting that they will mostly run on to limit energy usage. This type of system will also usually run longer to more effectively cool all parts of the home, remove moisture, and keep the home less humid.
Variable-speed ACs and heat pumps are fairly costly to install but will work most efficiently and be most effective at managing both indoor heat and humidity. With a variable-speed system, your AC will typically run almost 24 hours a day during the hotter parts of the year. Despite this, it will still end up using less electricity and cost less to run. It will also prevent your home from ever getting too humid so that it feels far more comfortable.
With over 50 years of experience, Roland Black Heating & Cooling is the HVAC contractor to trust for all of your air conditioning and heating needs in Gastonia and the surrounding areas. Whether you need to install a new central or ductless AC or heating system or need any repairs or maintenance for your existing system, our expert technicians are always here to help. Contact us today to learn more about your air conditioning options and which ones will work best for your home.