| Air Conditioners: Playing It Cool
A compressor on the outside of your home moves liquid refrigerant indoors through copper tubing. Once inside, the liquid refrigerant is compressed into a gas. Then it is pushed into the indoor evaporator coil, where the refrigerant absorbs the heat from the warm room air that is blown over it. This results in cool air, which is then moved back into the room. The heat absorbed by the refrigerant is carried outside and expelled through the condensing coil of the outdoor unit, much like warmth from the refrigerator is blown out the grille at the bottom Cool Comfort For Less Cold, Hard Cash Cooling efficiency for a central air conditioner is measured in Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) numbers. Cooling experts arrive at the SEER by dividing output in BTU's by watt-hours of energy input. The SEER is a measurement of how much cooling you get for the amount of electricity used - much like a car's miles-per-gallon rating. The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the air conditioner. And, the less electricity it will take to cool your home. Older air conditioning systems are rated as low as 6.0 or 7.0. Our full line of air conditioners offers SEER ratings ranging from 10.0 to 16.0, and includes a unique two-speed model. It's called the Two Speed Plus, and it saves more energy by running on low speed most of the time. The unit automatically switches to high speed only on the hottest days, when more cooling power is neeeded. Whatever your cooling needs, we can help you choose a system that's right for your home. All of our air conditioner models also incorporate an exclusive Aerocoustic Designtm for enhanced efficiency and quieter operation. Other sound reduction features for quieter operation are also standard on all of our units. Keeping It Dry Most local weather bureaus quote a "heat index" in the summer. They "factor in" humidity with the temperature, because moisture in the air makes us feel warmer than the actual temperature. Air conditioners can help reduce your home's "heat index" by removing excess humidity. Your air conditioner works automatically as a dehumidifier. When air is cooled, it can no longer hold the moisture it carried before. So moisture condenses on the inside evaporator coil and drains off - just like moisture condenses on the outside of a glass of ice-cold tea on a hot, humid day. You Can Be Too Cool... As with furnaces, air conditioners must be the right size to take full advantage of their efficiency ratings. Oversized systems, designed to cool larger areas, will start up and shut down too frequently. A system like this costs more to operate, and the resulting on/off cycles are hard on your system. It is also noisy and drafty, and can create cold spots throughout your home. Even worse, an oversized system could make your air conditioner ineffective at removing unwanted humidity. A cooling system of the right size runs for longer periods of time, but actually saves energy as it saves you money. Units that are too small may cost less to buy, but in the long run, they won't be able to "keep up" with your cooling needs. So you won't be as comfortable and your air conditioner will have to work harder than it should. This could shorten its life. To make sure your system is the right size, we can perform a thorough energy load analysis that takes into account your local climate, the size and layout of your home, and heat gain through windows and walls. |
A central air conditioner operates on the same principle as your trusty
refrigerator by extracting heat where it's not wanted.