The Advantages of High Efficiency Air Conditioning Systems
By Bill Miller
Comfort
Central air conditioning keeps your home cool during warm
weather, and reduces humidity levels making you feel much
more comfortable. It also improves the air quality throughout
your home. Your central air conditioning system works by
drawing air out of the house through return air ducts, the air
is then pulled through an air filter, which removes airborne
particles such as dust, lint and microscopic pollutants. This
filtered air is routed to air supply ductwork and returned into
your home cooler and cleaner. If your home has a humidity
problem, despite a central air conditioning system, it may
be time to upgrade to high efficiency equipment. Inadequate
equipment, inefficient system operation, and leaky ductwork
can cause the air to be too humid which will make you feel
much less comfortable. Today’s high efficiency systems are
designed to provide superior comfort and efficiency.
Replacement
If your air conditioning system is more than 10 years old,
installing a new energy efficient model could help you save
up to 50% on your utility bill for cooling, and you will be
able to recoup the costs in just a few years. Check the SEER
rating as systems with a higher SEER use less energy, which
will result in savings on your electric bill each month during
the air conditioning season.
Equipment for the home must be properly sized to ensure
peak performance and comfort. Bigger is not necessarily
better when buying new heating and cooling equipment.
An oversized system won’t keep your home comfortable,
and the repeated ‘on/off’ cycling that occurs will stress the
system components and shorten the equipment’s life. Your
contractor should provide a copy of the home’s heat gain/
loss calculations to ensure proper sizing for the system.
Preventative maintenance
A unit that is not running properly may break down, and
it can result in extremely high bills. However, by taking
proper care of your system, you can extend the life of your
air conditioning system by 20% and decrease the risk of
untimely breakdowns. Cleaning dirty cooling coils, fans
and heat exchangers can improve the efficiency of cooling
systems which will lower the energy costs associated with
running the system. Annual checkups can’t guarantee
that a unit will continue to work perfectly throughout the
season, but they will reveal most small problems that can
lead to major problems and decrease the risk of untimely
breakdowns.
Rebates & Savings
The passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 allowed consumers to upgrade to more energy efficient
HVAC equipment and save on their energy bills
now, and also save on their taxes through 2011. This
tax incentive was unfortunately not continued into 2012.
You must consult with your tax professional to find out if or how
this credit may apply to your personal situation.
Also, ask your installer if you qualify for any other available rebates
or incentives.Rebates of up to $500 on ENERGY STAR qualified central air conditioning systems and air source heat pump systems are available through COOL SMART. Access the REBATE FORM HERE
Installing a high efficiency air conditioning system is also
beneficial to the environment. Not only do these high SEER
systems use less energy, they also use environmentally
friendly refrigerant. You will save money on your monthly
utility expenses, and can also help reduce air pollution at the
same time.
About the Author: Bill Miller is the Manager of the HVAC
department at E.F. Winslow Plumbing & Heating. He has
over 35 years of experience as an HVAC installer and
system designer. He can be reached at (508) 394-7778.
