Why It Is Important To Choose The Right Air Conditioner Installation Expert | Dallas, TX
Air conditioner installation is a rather complex operation, any air conditioner business that tells you otherwise is cutting corners. Proper air conditioner installation is critical to the lifespan and effectiveness of your central air conditioner. Cutting corners on air conditioner installation has cost many Dallas, TX homeowners, due to decreased efficiency of AC systems to decreased AC unit’s lifespans. You would most likely be surprised at how much detail, work, and skill need to go into an efficient AC installation for your home.
Some air conditioner installation companies hire HVAC and air conditioner installers who do not know all of the proper steps, methods, and procedures for a good conditioner installation. It is shockingly easy to install an AC unit so that it runs “good enough” if you just have basic air conditioner installation training, but good enough does not cut it for One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas. We never cut corners on air conditioner installation, ensuring that our customer’s AC units run at top efficiency and have the maximum lifespan their AC unit should have, unlike some of our competitors in Dallas, TX. When an air conditioner company cuts corners on an AC installation it most often means the customer loses thousands of dollars in energy costs throughout the lifespan of the newly installed central air conditioner. Poor AC installation also results in decreased cooling for you and your family, making you less comfortable.
If you want an efficient air conditioner, the ACs SEER rating is not the only concern you will have. If you do not yet know what a SEER rating is, SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This is the cooling output that your central air conditioner makes over a normal cooling cycle plus divided by the energy it consumes. Today AC units have a minimum rating of 13 SEER. A 13 SEER unit is not that energy efficient. The maximum SEER rating is 21. Now let’s assume for the sake of argument that you rushed out to buy yourself a 21 SEER central air conditioner. You should in theory see significant savings versus installing a 13 SEER unit. However, a SEER rating is much like the miles per gallon for your car. Certain driving conditions will result in a loss of miles per gallon, for example, a car driving on the highway will use less gas than a car driving through the city. The same goes for your central air conditioner, various factors can reduce its energy efficiency. One of those factors is poor air conditioner installation for your home.
Your AC unit must be properly sized for your house for one thing. If your AC unit is too big for your home you will not achieve low humidity. Your trusted Dallas, TX air conditioner installation company can advise you on the best size unit for your home. Why buy an oversized AC unit anyway, it will cost you more money and not dehumidify your home correctly. If your unit is too large, it will also affect the central air conditioner’s durability and lifespan. AC units that are too big for the home cycle off too quickly, as the unit will cool down the home too quickly and then shut off. This causes heat to come back into the room sooner than normal since the unit was not able to finish its normal cycle. When heat enters the house too quickly your unit will turn itself on sooner than it would have if it had run a normal cooling cycle, this process is known as short cycling. Short cycling affects the lifespan of your central air conditioner because your unit is turning itself on and off too quickly. Another factor on size to consider is that the larger your AC unit is, the higher your electric bill will be. The same holds true if you purchase a central air conditioner that is too small for your home, your AC unit will run all the time trying to cool down your home, resulting in higher utility bills. Now you can see why size is an important factor to consider before you have air conditioner installation done in your home.
Another factor to consider when hiring a professional for air conditioner installation is if your HVAC technician includes sizing of ducts before the installation begins. If your ducts are not properly sized you are wasting the money that the installation is going to cost you, as well as ruining any return on investment you might hope to achieve. Properly sized air ducts are vital to a successful AC installation. Improperly sized air ducts will have improper airflow throughout your home. Without proper airflow throughout your home, you will have reduced comfort due to a lack of proper cooling, and you will also have higher utility bills as your system struggles to try to cool your home down. Improper size ducts are a lose-lose situation due to loss of comfort and higher operating costs.
Sizing your ducts is a complicated matter when it comes to air conditioner installation in Dallas, TX. Every room in your home requires a different measurement of airflow. Proper sizing ensures that each room has proper airflow. Your contractor’s choice of materials will affect how noisy air flowing through your ductwork is. Adjustments by savvy air conditioner installation experts like the experts found at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas can reduce the noise level coming from your ductwork. This is just one of many examples of why it is so critical that you choose the right air conditioner installation for your home. Proper ductwork will ensure that your air conditioner’s SEER rating does not suffer, as well as delivering you comfort and energy savings. Your air conditioner installation should also be sealing each and every section of your ductwork, so as to avoid leaks that can cause significant energy loss and higher utility bills. Your expert should also use insulation where needed such as in attics, crawl spaces, and other areas of your home that are not subject to air conditioning. Insulating ducts in non-air-conditioned spaces of your home helps to reduce losses from conduction.
Sizing of your ducts also has numerous special considerations, too many to cover in just this one article. Some examples would include taking into account the exact type of cooling system you use. For example here take heat pumps, they produce an airflow that is rather consistent, but they usually in most cases will require larger ducts than say a forced-air system would require. Proper duct size is not a one size fits all scenario whatsoever. So many details must be taken into account for the proper sizing of your ductwork if you want a successful air conditioner installation. Proper sizing of your central air conditioner’s ducts will ensure that you have proper airflow, capacity, and lower utility bills than if you had improperly sized ducts installed. Always ask your contractor if they have experience in duct sizing or simply call the experts at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas who definitely know how to size your home’s ducts.
Once your central air conditioner is installed correctly it should function for years with only routine maintenance needed. Routine maintenance for an AC would include having an AC tune-up done every spring to ensure that your unit is working at peak performance. Having an AC tune-up done will help to keep your utility bills down, find small problems before they become big problems resulting in AC failure, and extend the lifespan of your central air conditioner. In Dallas, TX our air conditioners work hard to cool our homes due to the excessive heat we face in the summer months, and an AC tune-up ensures that your unit will cool your home as efficiently as possible. Another thing to consider is you want any air conditioner installation problems found and fixed as soon as possible to ensure that your unit can function at its peak ability and performance.
Sadly many air conditioners are not installed correctly. Some of the competition sadly cuts corners or simply hired staff that does not have experience in the trade. The sad result of poor AC installation is that people who have spent thousands of dollars on higher SEER rated air conditioners, see less of a return on investment due to the unit’s inefficiency caused by poor AC installation. To avoid this hassle call the experts at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas, or ensure that your contractor does the following:
- You want your contractor to allow adequate space for the indoor part of your AC installation. This ensures easier maintenance and repair when needed.
- You want your contractor to use a standard duct sizing method that is industry standard. Your contractor should be familiar with the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manual D for duct sizing during AC installation. Duct sizing is one of the most important aspects of your air conditioner installation because if you have the wrong sized ducts your air conditioner will not be able to cool your home efficiently and your utility bills will reflect this issue.
- Your contractor also needs to ensure that there are adequate supply registers to deliver cool air into your home. They will likewise need to ensure that there are enough return registers to carry warm air back into the system to be cooled by the air conditioner.
- You want your contractor to avoid when at all possible installing ducts inside of crawl spaces or attics or anywhere that is not meant to be air-conditioned. If ducts are installed in attics and crawl spaces they should be insulated.
- You want your contractor to seal all ducts. When your ducts are sealed there will be no leaks. This will allow for your system to run smoothly, delivering cool air to each and every room of the house. It will also ensure your AC unit does not overwork itself, extending the lifespan of your air conditioner. You want to avoid contractors who suggest using temporary fixes to low airflow such as installing booster fans as these do not address the root of the problem, which is leaky ductwork.
- You want to ensure that your contractor puts the air conditioner condensing unit in the best possible location. While this might seem like a no-brainer we have seen the competition place condenser units in spots that keep the homeowner awake or the neighbors. We have also seen the competition place them near obstructions which will not allow for the condenser to breathe freely, which can harm the unit and even shorten the lifespan of the unit in some cases. The condenser should be placed at least 3 to 4 feet away from any obstructions to avoid airflow problems.
- One thing most people not in the industry would never consider is thermostat location. It is actually vital to locate the thermostat in an area that is away from any heat sources. You want your contractor to never place a thermostat near a window, heating vent, or any other source of heat. If the thermostat is placed near a heat source it can create a false temperature reading. False temperature readings will cause your AC unit to work overtime, causing stress on the unit, decreasing its lifespan, and resulting potentially in higher utility bills. You want your thermostat placed away from any draft to ensure accurate readings of the home’s temperature.
As you can see, air conditioner installation for your Dallas, TX home is not as simple as one would think, in fact, it is rather technical and complicated. You want experts that you can trust to install your expensive investment of a central air conditioner. One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas is here to assist you with all of your air conditioner installation needs. Contact us today for an estimate for AC installation. We have decades of experience behind us and our famous 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, call today!