Thinking About an AC upgrade? This Fall Might Be a Good Time

When cold weather seeps back into southwest Ohio, you’ll probably not be thinking about your air conditioner. Your AC made it through another long summer and you figure you can put it out of your mind till next spring.

However, if you’ve had your air conditioning system for more than 10-12 years and have been thinking about upgrading, fall can be an ideal time to consider a replacement system.

3 reasons the off-season can be a good time to invest in an AC replacement

• In the off-season, due to supply and demand, prices are likely to be lower than if you wait till April. As the weather warms up, so does people’s interest in air conditioning. Even waiting till mid-winter could be problematic because many HVAC contractors have already started replacing their inventories with newer, pricier ACs and heat pumps in preparation for the spring rush.
• In the fall, AC installers will have an easier time putting in a new system if it’s located in an attic that gets very warm during the hot months. A quicker installation could mean a lower price.
• If you think your air conditioner is approaching the end of its useful service life, you might save yourself a lot of trouble by replacing it in the fall rather than waiting until the following spring, when the sudden heavy usage might just push your AC to its breaking point. You don’t want to be stuck with an outside AC unit not turning on once the mercury rises.

Size, Energy-Efficiency and Advanced Features

Why it’s important to use a trusted HVAC company

Whenever you decide to replace your home’s cooling system, it’s important to remember the following:

• Shop with a trusted, reputable Cincinnati HVAC company that will take extra time to make sure you get the AC that’s right for your home and family, especially with regard to proper sizing.
• If an AC isn’t correctly sized for your home, you could find yourself with lower efficiency, higher costs and reduced comfort. This applies whether it’s under- or oversized. In either case, you won’t get the performance or energy savings that you’re expecting.
• Discuss with your contractor what level of energy efficiency you’ll want in a new AC (energy-efficient cooling systems cost more, but result in lower bills from month to month).
• Climate is another factor that should be discussed when deciding on the efficiency level of a new cooling system. The benefits of energy efficiency accrue with the level of usage. In a hot-summer climate like that of Ohio, a high-efficiency AC will provide more savings than it would in, say, Minnesota.
• Ask your contractor what sort of advanced features will improve cooling performance and efficiency at a reasonable cost. You may have the option of adding a whole-house humidity control or air-cleaning system.

Thinking ahead when it comes to a major investment like a new air conditioner can really pay off.

When your HVAC contractor comes out to service your furnace before winter sets in, ask them to take a look at your AC as well.