Factors to consider when purchasing a new air conditioner:

• Are you paying a reasonable price for your central a/c?
• What capacity of central air conditioner should you buy?
• Should you buy a high, middle, or low-efficiency air conditioner?

It is important to have a licensed HVAC technician perform a load calculation before you decide which size air conditioning system to buy. If you install an air conditioner which is too large, it will cycle on and off too often, substantially reducing the efficiency of the system. Too small, and your air conditioner may not be able to meet the demands of a hot, humid day.
The industry standard load calculation is called the Manual J calculation. It takes into account the size of your house, the amount of insulation installed, the square footage, and a host of other factors.

Central Air Conditioner Efficiency

The most common measure of the efficiency of a consumer central air conditioning system is the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). Beginning in 2006, an air conditioner must have a SEER of at least 13 to be sold in the United States. Higher efficiency models have a SEER between 14 and 22.

A more common rating method for commercial air conditioners is the EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio). EER is a measure of the ratio of the amount of cooling (measured in BTUs) to the amount of electricity it consumes (measured in watt-hours). The EER is a steady state measure -- that is, the efficiency is only measured once the unit has started up and is running at a steady capacity. SEER takes into account the startup and shutdown time as well, making it a more accurate measurement for determining the actual energy costs for the end user.

Economy Furnace Company has many choices of air conditioning units to meet every household need and price range.