Your mind may be on holiday shopping, but there we’d like to share a few reasons why it may be the season to consider a new air conditioning unit.
Florida weather pushes air conditioning systems to the limit, even during our winter months. Temperatures may have dropped from the dog days of summer, but a/c units in Central Florida often run almost year.
Why consider a new air conditioning unit during the holiday season? We can think of a few good reasons;
‘Tis the Season to Take your Time
‘Tis the season of cooler weather and as temperatures cool down, you don’t face the urgency of 90-degree weather and a broken a/c unit. ‘Tis the season to take your time to make a decision based on your needs. You have the time to get an evaluation of your current air conditioning unit.
- Is it running as efficiently as it should be?
- What repairs might you face in the coming summer?
If your air conditioner gave you problems last summer, it is especially important to review your options with your a/c contractor.
You have time to review the economy, value, and look into the incentives available. It isn’t always the case if you’re a/c breaks down in the heat of summer and the priority is getting the temperature down!
- Energy Savings
- Save Money
- Get what you want
Because Florida doesn’t experience heavy winters, we can only expect our air conditioning systems to take brief breaks in the months ahead during spells of cooler weather. Nonetheless, this is a good time of the year to evaluate your AC and how well it did its job over the summer. Give it a letter grade from “A” to “F” based on such factors as comfort, energy bills, the number of repairs it needed, and the system’s age. This will help you determine what you might need to have done for it during the fall.
Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and you may be looking forward to getting a jump on your Christmas shopping on Black Friday. Probably the last thing on your mind is spending money on buying a new air conditioner.
However, if your air conditioner was giving you trouble all last summer, and you realize it’s time to consider buying a new air conditioner, you’d be smart to start thinking about it. But, you may be wondering, why worry about it now? It’s been a warm autumn for the most part, but you certainly don‘t expect to need your air conditioner anytime soon. Why not wait for spring?
The fact is, fall is one of the smartest times for buying a new air conditioner. It can be your best opportunity to shop around for the right system for your needs at the best possible price.
Is Buying a New Air Conditioner Really Necessary?
In the fall and even in winter, you have the luxury of time for understanding your options when buying a new air conditioner. There are no worries about impending 90-degree weather, and you can take your time to be sure you’re making the right decision.
Your first step should be to make sure you really should be buying a new air conditioner: get an unbiased evaluation of your current system’s condition. And it’s probably a good idea to get an impartial judge. If you have had the same air conditioning company repairing it for some time now every time it breaks, they are profiting from your air conditioning problems.
Particularly when this vendor doesn’t do new installations. Can you really trust their advice to keep fixing your old unit?
Instead, call in another air conditioning company for a second opinion, preferably one that’s MSCA or NATE certified, so you know they are knowledgeable and experienced.
When an HVAC professional comes to evaluate your air conditioner, be sure to give them as much information as you can about your system’s service history, including:
- Details about problems you experienced and the repairs that were made. You might have to dig out the paperwork to provide this information. For example, when your air conditioner was not cooling properly, did the technician find low refrigerant levels? And if do, did they just add more refrigerant or did they find and fix the leaks? This information can go a long way to understanding whether the unit may have more life or if it’s time to think about buying a new air conditioner.
- Your air conditioner’s maintenance history. Dirty and neglected equipment is much more likely to break down and fail before it’s time. If that’s the case, it’s likely that you’ll find yourself buying a new air conditioner. Your technician will be able to tell if your unit hasn’t been regularly cleaned and tuned up, so you might as well be honest about it. If it was serviced, it can help to provide the records about exactly what was done.
- Your comfort level. Even when it’s not broken, has your air conditioner been providing less-than adequate cooling? Do you experience excessive humidity, temperature fluctuations or hot and cold spots? These can be signs that your unit is past its useful life and it may be time for buying a new air conditioner.
However, when everyone is telling you that you can’t squeeze another season out of your old unit, the next step is to do your research, listen to the experts, and choose the right new air conditioning system for your needs.
How to Get the Right System When Buying a New Air Conditioner
Especially for today’s luxury homes, there are many more choices than there used to be for climate control.
Depending on the type of space you live in, the design of your space, and your heating and cooling needs, you can take advantage of sophisticated new technologies that can provide customized, zoned cooling for perfectly comfortable conditions. Some new systems, such as VRF systems, can even provide heating and cooling at the same time. You’ve probably also heard about new wireless controls that let you adjust your thermostat from your smartphone.
But for someone who’s not an HVAC expert, it can be challenging to wade through all the brochures and websites and figure out what’s right for you. So here is where you are going to need some advice to be sure you’re making a smart choice when buying a new air conditioner. Not only with the type of system you choose, but the system size and design. This is an important step, and you want to be sure the company you work with considers more than just the square footage of your space when designing your system:
- How many people are in your home and at what hours of the day?
- How well insulated your space is
- Where equipment and ductwork can be placed
- Whether you need supplemental heating as well as cooling (such as heat for a baby’s room while the rest of the house is air conditioned for a party)
Lower Demand Means a Lower Price for Buying a New Air Conditioner
This is no secret: things get less expensive when demand goes down. So it makes sense to consider buying a new air conditioner off-season when you can get the best price. When you choose a reputable air conditioning contractor, the company will have relationships with various suppliers and can provide brand recommendations as well as finding you the best deal. Often their suppliers have systems on hand that didn’t sell over the summer, and will sell at a significant discount to make room for new models coming out in the spring.
