Your Home, Your Investment: Stay Cool with Central Air Conditioning!

Your Home, Your Investment:  Stay Cool with Central Air Conditioning!

Summers in Toronto are usually sunny, hot and humid.  Even though we love it, the high humidity, hot air temperatures and bright sunshine can sometimes combine to make an uncomfortable indoor environment. An air-conditioning system provides relief by lowering the air temperature and the humidity level your home.

There are a few options open to you and qualified HVAC Specialists can help you determine the system to cool your home.  Some options to consider include:  a room air conditioner (either window or wall-mounted), a central air conditioner or a heat pump.  A room air conditioner works if you are cooling 1-2 rooms.  A heat pump may be an option if you are looking for a new heating and cooling system. If you want to cool the entire space of 4 or more rooms and your home already has a furnace to heat your home, investing in central air conditioning may be the best option for you.

How does a central air conditioning system work?  Air conditioners, working in conjunction with your existing heating system, manufacture cool air by evaporating refrigerant such as Freon.  Basically ,there are coils both inside (for cold air) and outside (for warm air). The units contain a compressor to change Freon into hot, high-pressure gas that travels through the coils. As it does so, it loses its heat and becomes liquid; the liquid in turn goes through a valve and evaporates into cold, low-pressure gas. When it enters the coils, it absorbs the indoor heat and lowers the temperature.

What factors should you consider when selecting a Central Air Conditioning system? There are five factors you should consider when selecting a central air conditioning system: 1) Size, 2) Energy Efficiency, 3) Budget, 4) Manufacturer’s Brand and 5) Installation.  Let’s consider each factor in more detail.

1) Size: Determining the size of the system that best fits your home is key. Factors such as number of rooms, number of windows, ceiling heights external temperatures should be considered.

2) Energy Efficiency: Residential air conditioners use the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) as a measure of their efficiency. This measure shows the number of British Thermal Units (BTU) of cold air provided for each watt of electricity.  Higher EER is more efficient and more expensive units.

3) Budget: There are two costs associated with installing a central air conditioning system: equipment cost and installation labour costs. To help reduce the costs of the system, ask about Manufacturer, Installation Vendor or Government of Ontario rebate programs.

4) Manufacturer’s Brand:  There are multiple air conditioning brands and each brand manufacturers different units to meet different needs. Warranties are pretty standard at 10-year parts and labour.

5) Installation:  After you determine the size, energy efficiency and budget, selecting the installation vendor may be your most important decision.  Good equipment can be installed improperly, creating short and long-term problems.  

David Gharat 

www.housecondopro.com