At least during the summer months, the air conditioner in your home is its most valuable appliance. If you are looking for a new air conditioner in Marietta, be sure to keep the following buying tips in mind as you make your decision. Making sure these steps are followed will ensure the air conditioner you ultimately buy will run well for many more years. Find an Outstanding HVAC Contractor The first thing you want to do is find a contractor you can trust. You need to ask the right questions, such as how much experience they have, whether they are licensed and insured, and what other projects they have completed in the last few months. Call a few contractors beforehand and collect estimates. Make sure to make your decision based on the contractor’s qualifications and not solely on price. There are a lot more important considerations to make that will affect the cost, and therefore the value, you are getting for your air conditioning project. Check on Costs and Collect Estimates Plan to get at least 3 estimates for the work to be done, and as mentioned before, avoid making your decision based solely on the cost you are quoted. The prices you will be quoted include two numbers--the cost of the unit itself and the cost of the labor. It may be possible for you to save money by purchasing your own air conditioner unit. Make sure you talk with a contractor about what type, size, and brand would work best before making the purchase on your own. Know the Right Size An air conditioner that is too big for your house will waste a lot of energy, no matter how efficient you think your house is. It will cycle on and off frequently and make your energy costs skyrocket fast. On the other hand, an air conditioner that is too small will not be able to cool your home, or you will have to run it nonstop, causing your energy costs to rise or force your unit to overheat. When you look for a contractor, they will be able to do a load calculation to determine the best size for your home. Consider Energy Efficiency Keep in mind when you have contractors give you estimates that there might be some that will try to cut costs wherever they can. One of the areas they might do this is in energy efficiency. By federal law, all air conditioners are required to have a rating of at least 13 on the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio scale. Units that are more energy efficient will likely cost more upfront, but will save you lots of money over time. With routine maintenance, your air conditioner should last 10 to 20 years before it needs to be replaced. When it comes time to get a new air conditioner in Marietta, make sure that you are keeping the above tips in mind before you make your purchase so you can have the right unit installed for the right price.
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