Tips: Buying a New Air Conditioner

When summer weather is coming, homeowners turn to thoughts of air conditioner maintenance. If this is the year you'll be buying a new air conditioner, make sure you enter the process wisely. Here are some tips to help you find the right air conditioner.

Purchase the Proper Size

Sizing the air conditioner properly for your home is going to be crucial as you seek to properly and efficiently cool your home. If the new air conditioner is too large for your space, you will struggle with high humidity levels. If it is too small, it will work too hard and struggle to keep up on extremely hot days.

Check Efficiency Ratings

If your air conditioner is 10 or more years old, chances are it is less efficient than newer options. Purchasing a highly efficient air conditioner will help lower energy bills. To find an efficient air conditioner, look for labels from the federal Energy Star program and SEER ratings. The higher the SEER rating on the air conditioner, the more efficient it is. Currently, a 13 SEER rating is the minimum requirement, and 16 or above is considered highly efficient.

Properly Match the Indoor and Outdoor Unit

If you are only replacing one part of your air conditioning system, you will need to ensure that the indoor unit and outdoor compressor are properly matched. Recent refrigeration changes mean that not all systems will match properly. Your HVAC professional will be able to help with this.

Remember to Check for Rebates

Rebates for high efficiency air conditioners are common, on both the federal and state levels. Find out what rebates are available, and take advantage of them. Keep in mind that you may be able to offset the cost of a new air conditioner with a higher efficiency rating using a rebate, so research rebates before you buy.

If you are looking for more advice about choosing the ideal air conditioner for your Broken Arrow home, consider consulting with an HVAC professional. Air Assurance has a team of dedicated professionals who are ready to help you. Contact them today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “GSPhotography/Shutterstock”

Taking Advantage of HVAC Rebates and Savings

Any opportunity to save money on the next purchase is always welcomed with open arms. Thanks to HVAC rebates, you can get a new HVAC system for much less than the usual retail price. To be eligible for a rebate, your new system must meet certain requirements. Here are some of the HVAC rebate options that are available to Oklahomans.

• The Public Service Company of Oklahoma has a number of rebate programs for efficient HVAC equipment. They offer rebates of up to $900 for a heat pump or air conditioner replacement, $1200 for duct replacement, $700 for duct sealing and $5,000 for whole-house energy efficiency upgrades.

• Oklahoma Natural Gas is offering up to $1950 for conversion from an electric furnace to a natural gas furnace. They also have an $850 rebate for switching from an electric to a natural gas water heater.

• Verdigris Valley Electric Cooperative offers rebates for Energy Star-qualified heat pumps, electric water heaters and room air conditioners. They have a $50 rebate for air conditioners and offer up to $199 for electric water heaters with efficiency ratings of .90 and above, and up to $300 per ton for geothermal heat pumps with an SEER/EER value of 19.1 or greater.

• Manufacturers offer rebates and incentives when you purchase their high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment. Lennox offers up to $1700 for qualifying systems. You can choose cash rebates, extended financing options or extended warranties. Regardless of the rebates you choose, your local dealer will handle all the paperwork for you.

• Air Assurance also offers rebates from time to time. These may include seasonal promotions such as the "Free Air Conditioner Promotion," celebration specials, and Internet-only coupons just to mention a few.

By taking advantage of these great HVAC rebates and incentives, you can make significant savings on your next HVAC equipment purchase to add to the energy savings and lower utility bills you'll enjoy. For more information on the available HVAC rebates and how you can take advantage of them, please contact us at Air Assurance. We've been serving the Broken Arrow area for more than 30 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Christos Georghiou/Shutterstock”