Spring is here, and believe it or not, the warm weather is coming – which means soon you’ll be beating the heat in the friendly, A/C-cooled confines of your New Jersey home. If you’ve been thinking about putting your old home cooling system out to pasture, now could be the perfect time to upgrade.

To do that, you’re going to need some basic knowledge about how to get the most value for your air conditioning investment. Here are the three most important things you’ll need to consider when choosing a new cooling system for your home.

• Size. You might think that when it comes to air conditioning systems, bigger is better – but that’s not always the case: if you choose a central air conditioner that’s oversized for your space, it will cycle (turn on and off) more often than necessary, causing wear and tear that will eventually lead to premature repairs. An undersized unit will overwork to cool your home, leading (ironically) to the same problem.

  Right-sizing an A/C to your home isn’t simply a matter of applying a square foot to BTU formula – to do the job right, you need to understand the cooling load of your home, which takes into account everything from the amount of sunlight your house gets to the amount of insulation your home has. Our experts will help find just the right fit for your space and lifestyle.

• Efficiency. SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is a measure like MPG in your car – the higher the SEER rating, the more efficiently it operates. Similarly-configured central air conditioning models can vary in SEER rating; in general, you’ll pay about 10 percent more for every 1-point increase in SEER, all other things being equal. Our central air units have SEER ratings ranging from 16 to 20.

  Of course, efficiency is about more than SEER – leaky ductwork or improper insulation, for example, can raise your energy consumption – sometimes dramatically. Economical solutions like weatherizing your windows can go a long way toward raising your home’s efficiency – more on that in future blogs.

• Rebates and incentives. Manufacturer’s rebates and other incentives on high-efficiency cooling equipment can help you save you a bundle on a new A/C. Our experts are up to date on all the ins and outs of today’s rebates and specials, so we’ll help you get the most bang for your cooling buck.

If it’s time to invest in a new central air conditioner, don’t worry – we’ll find a match for your home and budget. Contact us today for a FREE estimate!