Air conditioners have a variety of features that are designed to attract a homeowner to the benefits of the system. These days, the air conditioner’s SEER rating is often a major selling point because of the recent emphasis on the importance of energy efficiency. The system’s SEER rating is a representation of the unit’s energy efficiency. The higher the number, the greater the energy savings will be when the system is in use. However, this number can be easily lowered if the unit is not installed or cared for properly. If you want to get the most out of your cooling investment this summer, you must take extra care in choosing your contractor. Making the wrong choice could seriously impact the energy efficiency of your new air conditioner.
Installing the Air Conditioner
Installing a central air conditioner is much more difficult that simply hooking up a few lines. It takes real skill and understanding of how air conditioners work in order to get it right, and choosing a bargain basement contractor or local handyman is not likely to get you the expertise the unit needs. From sizing the system to balancing and charging the unit, any mistakes made could impact the energy efficiency of the system for the life of the unit. So, unless you want to pay more every month in cooling costs, we suggest that you do some research. Find out how your company trains their technicians and what kind of guarantees they have to ensure your satisfaction and a job well done.
Maintaining the Air Conditioner Over the Years
Even if you get a great installer to put in the system, you are not out of the woods yet! Yearly maintenance of the system is the only way to prevent the system’s SEER rating from slowly decreasing over the years. If the contractor you had install the system performed the installation to your satisfaction, have them complete the maintenance as well. Most contractors will even offer yearly maintenance agreements with the installation of system. This way you won’t have to worry about forgetting your maintenance. Stop dirt from diminishing your SEER rating and have your unit professionally cleaned on a yearly basis.
