Mississauga L5J-2B4
Tips for Buying
a New Air Conditioner or central Air conditioning system from your local
Mississauga contractor.
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Air conditioning tips for buying ac systems and central air from contractors
in Mississauga Oakville Canada
Ask your
{Mississauga) contractor we advise you to size the air conditioner based on the latent cooling load (which
considers the humidity of the air) as well as the sensible cooling load (which
considers the temperature of the air) for your home.
Don't be tempted by the lowest bid. Be willing to pay for the time the
contractor must spend to do the job right.
Check for duct leaks and disconnected ducts. Also be sure air flow is not
restricted by ducts that are crushed or too small for the system. Ideally, the
Air conditioning contractors should use diagnostic equipment to
find leaks and then fix them with quality duct sealants (not duct tape). It
doesn't make a lot of sense to buy a larger air conditioner to cool your attic
or crawlspace!
Buy a high-efficiency unit. New air conditioners are required by federal law
to have a SEER of 13 or higher. See
understanding SEER ratings and seer levels. Even though it will cost more, it's usually
worth it to buy at least a SEER unit of 13, because over time that initial
investment will be paid back with energy savings. Look for an ENERGY STAR
label when you shop. If you are replacing an existing air conditioner, you
must replace the whole unit, including the inside evaporator coil and often the blower
fan, to achieve the rated efficiency.
Install for ease of maintenance. If possible make sure the inside coil can be reached for
cleaning. The Contractor may have to install an access panel, depending on
the model. Never leave your filter out and you will never have a dirty coil .
The better filter you have the cleaner your coil will stay clean.The air filter should
be located where it is easy to remove. Check it every month during the summer,
and clean it or change it whenever it is dirty.
Place the outside unit on the north or east side of the house, if it is within
the proper distance out of direct sunlight, but don't add shade for it. Leave plenty
of room for free air flow on all sides, and leave at least 4 feet of clearance
at the top. Keep the area free of debris and shrubbery. The air conditioner
draws a lot of air through it. It's more important for the unit to have a lot
of space for air movement than for it to be well shaded.
Installing the
air conditioner properly is the most important part of the expected life of
any AC system.
Over sized air conditioners
Studies show that one third to one half of home air conditioners don't work
the way they should because they are oversized. Air conditioning Contractors
generally size air conditioners at least a half ton larger than necessary, and
often oversize by a ton or more. (We're not talking about the weight of the
air conditioner here, but tons of cooling. One ton of Air cooling is
approximately how much Air cooling you'd get from melting a ton of ice. One
ton of cooling is equivalent to about 12,000 Btu of air conditioner capacity.)
An (oversized air conditioner) turns on and off more often than it should, even
during the hottest weather. You pay more for it, and it uses more energy,
raising your utility bills. It won't dehumidify the air as well as a smaller
system would. It's noisy, especially if the grilles in your house were
designed for a smaller unit, as most are. An oversized air conditioner doesn't
mean cool comfort for you. It means higher first costs, higher electricity
bills, and a home that's uncomfortable to be in. It is estimated that in
Mississauga Etobicoke Oakville and other areas that 35 % of Air
conditioners are grossly oversized. So make sure that your air conditioning
contractor has the experience to size your air conditioner properly.
Another important consideration is the ability of the selected air conditioner
to remove moisture from the air. Different models have different abilities to
handle moisture. The contractor should understand how to pick an air
conditioner that is suitable for your house, and for your climate.
The energy
efficiency of a central air conditioner is measured in a unit called SEER -
seasonal energy efficiency ratio. The SEER is the cooling output divided by
the power consumption, with climate and other variables factored in to get the
best savings from your central air conditioning system..
The higher the SEER, the better - a rating of 13 is considered the minimum for
new systems in Canada. Your older system might have a SEER of 7 or 8 - or even less
if it had a bad service life or was not repaired properly or installed by an
armature. The
SEER level of your air conditioner will be listed prominently on the
yellow-and-black Energy Guide Label.
When you buy a new air conditioner, there
are three things to remember. Don't buy an oversized unit. Buy an efficient
model. And make sure that the
If you replace an older central air conditioner with a new 13.0 SEER unit, you
can lower your cooling costs by at least 30 percent! Or more.
Installing your new central air system
When your new air conditioner is installed, make sure the dealer places the
outdoor air condenser in a shady area if possible and within reason of
length. This can help reduce air
conditioners energy use by up to 10 percent giving you a better seer level. Although you cannot always
achieve this your air conditioning contractor should try. Be sure to maintain
at least a one-foot airflow around the entire air conditioning system when
doing the installation.
And if you don’t already have one, now is a great time to install a
programmable thermostat. Using it to automatically raise the temperature 10
degrees while you’re sleeping or at work can cut your air conditioning
electricity bills by 10 percent!
Sales and service contractors and companies in Mississauga Milton Streetsville.
Know your seer level.