The Ultimate AC Guide
Air conditioning season is still in full swing here in Evansville and, thanks to the humidity, will continue to be until mid-October. To ensure your comfort remains, we put together The Ultimate AC Guide for homeowners to find answers to some air conditioning questions they may have.
5 Things This Guide Will Answer
Air conditioning is not common knowledge for most, and we don’t expect you to know everything. Below are a 5 topics every homeowner should know about air conditioning:
- How An Air Conditioner Works
- Different Types Of Air Conditioners
- How To Choose An Air Conditioner
- How To Know If You Should Repair Or Replace Your AC Unit
- Why Maintenance Is Important
How An Air Conditioner Works
Your air conditioner is a complex system with many different parts that all work together. It is important to know how your system operates, because it can help identify when something isn’t working properly. While each type of air conditioner is different, we have provided a general step-by-step process of how your AC keeps you cool while running.
- The process begins when the thermostat senses the air needs to be cooled to match the temperature setting.
- Your AC unit likely has an indoor and outdoor unit. The fan from the indoor unit pulls warm air from your home and transfers it to the evaporator coils.
- Heat is absorbed by the evaporator coil. The evaporator coils absorb the warm air and create cool air with the help of refrigerant, which is located inside the coils.
- The blower fan distributes the cool air in your home. Once the warm air is converted to cool, the blower fan directs the chilled air through your home’s ducts and into each room.
- The process repeats itself until the thermostat setting is met and cycles as needed.
Different Types Of Air Conditioners
There is a wide variety of air conditioning units in different shapes and sizes. We service most types of air conditioners, but especially central air conditioners, ductless air conditioners, window air conditioners, and portable air conditioners.
Central Air Conditioners
Central AC systems come in two different types: split systems and packaged systems. Both provide whole home heating and cooling, and are different in a few ways. Packaged systems have one outdoor unit, while split have one indoor and one outdoor unit. Central air conditioning utilizes ductwork and air filters to provide clean and cool air to your whole home.
Best for: Whole home cooling
Ductless Air Conditioners
As the name suggests, ductless air conditioners do not utilize ducts to cool your home. Using one indoor and one outdoor unit, this air conditioning option can cool a specific space or room. Ductless mini splits are typically mounted on a wall in the room they are meant to cool.
Best for: New additions, attics, apartments
Window Air Conditioners
A window air conditioner is a simple and efficient cooling option. All the parts needed to cool are combined into a single unit and only require a window and a plug. Window air conditioners are typically mounted in a window and cool the space near the window. This system can easily be moved to different windows to keep you cool wherever you go.
Best for: Smaller spaces, single rooms, apartments, sublets
Portable Air Conditioners
Similar to window air conditioners, portable air conditioners are versatile and flexible due to their ability to be set up anywhere. This cooling option requires a window and a plug, to power and exhaust warm air outside. Portable air conditioners are designed for single room cooling, much like ductless and window air conditioners.
Best for: Offices, cabins, campers or RV’s
How To Choose An Air Conditioner
There are a few factors to consider when choosing which air conditioning option is best for you and your space.
- What size is the space you want to cool? Consider how many rooms.
- Does your space have ductwork?
- Do you have bad allergies?
- Do you have time to regularly service your AC unit?
- What is your budget?
These are just a few things to consider before choosing an air conditioner. We suggest consulting your Perfection technician to help properly size an air conditioner for your space and evaluate the best option for your desires.
How To Know If You Should Repair Or Replace Your AC Unit
Typically, you should repair your air conditioner before jumping to replacing it. Here is how to know whether it is time to replace rather than repair:
Age. Most air conditioners last between 10-15 years if well maintained.
Cost of repair. Use the $5,000 rule to decide whether to repair or replace. Multiply your unit’s age by the cost of repair. If this total comes out higher than 5,000, we suggest replacing.
Frequency of repairs. If your air conditioner is needing frequent repairs, you are likely putting a bandage on something that is going to become costly. We are happy to continue repairing your AC unit, but it may cost more to repair than replace over time.
Why Maintenance Is Important
We love to visit our customers, but we only hope to see you twice a year at your preventative maintenance check up. Air conditioning maintenance helps ensure you won’t see your Perfection technician for costly repairs or problems you may be experiencing. Maintenance also helps decrease utility bills and improves energy efficiency. We recommend scheduling your maintenance in the spring and fall to help prepare for the harsh temperatures summer and winter bring. Maintenance allows your technician to identify a problem before it becomes a greater one. It is never too early to schedule your maintenance, give us a call today!
Congratulations! You are now a semi-expert on your heating and cooling system. For the remainder of the air conditioning season, give us a call for any AC repairs, maintenance, replacement or installation in Evansville or surrounding areas!