If you’re looking for reliable AC professionals to answer some frequently asked questions about air conditioners, then call Georgia Air Cooling & Heating at (912) 513-3724 to schedule an AC service!
Air conditioners help keep you cool during Georgia’s brutal summers, but only if they work properly.
If you’re like many other homeowners, you know that having an air conditioner break down unexpectedly can turn even a beautiful, sunny Georgia summer day into a headache.
At Georgia Air Cooling & Heating, we know that every fellow Georgia property owner heavily relies on their air conditioning systems during the summer. As Richmond Hill’s professional HVAC maintenance, repair, and installation team, we can help you keep cool by keeping your AC unit functional. And as Richmond Hill’s go-to team of experts, we receive a lot of questions from curious homeowners looking for more information about their air conditioners.
Here is a list of the most frequently asked questions we receive about air conditioners.
1. What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need for My Home?
It is essential for you to have a properly sized air conditioner for a lot of different reasons. First, a unit that’s too small will struggle to keep your home cool, driving up your monthly energy bills while gradually lowering the expected working life of your cooling system. Meanwhile, a unit that is too big is likely to short-cycle and, again, increase your utility bills.
Multiple different factors can determine what size air conditioner you need for your house like:
- The size of your house
- The type of house you have
- How much insulation your home has
- The size of your attic
- And more
An HVAC expert will consider these factors and more to determine what size air conditioner your home needs.
2. What Are the Different Types of Air Conditioners, and Which Is Best for Me?
Aside from knowing what size air conditioner you need, you also need to know what type will work best for your house. Fortunately, you have a lot of different options.
For instance, packaged central air conditioners come with a compressor, evaporator, and condenser that are all packed into a single unit, making them ideal for smaller homes.
Meanwhile, central air conditioners are the most common type of air conditioners. They use an outdoor and indoor unit, transporting cooled and warmed air through your home’s ductwork.
Finally, ductless mini-split air conditioners are ideal if your home doesn’t have any ductwork.
3. Should I Go for Central Air Conditioning?
A central air conditioning system is very common in Georgia, but is it right for your house? It depends.
If you’re looking for whole-home cooling and already have a ductwork system, central air conditioning could be ideal. However, it will be more expensive for you to install this kind of air conditioner if you don’t already have ducts because then you will need to install more than just the AC unit.
4. What Is a Zoned Cooling System?
A zoned cooling system is a highly efficient system that allows you to cool different areas of your home separately. For example, if you like your bedroom, especially chilly during the day or night but you have a guest room that is typically empty, a zoned cooling system allows you to keep your bedroom’s indoor temperatures lower than the guest room. As a result, you save money while enjoying maximum indoor comfort.
5. How Long Will My AC Unit Last?
One of the most frequently asked questions about air conditioners is how long a system will last. Typically, your air conditioner should last between 15 and 20 years, with higher-quality and properly maintained systems lasting up to 25 years.
However, if you fail to properly maintain your AC unit, you can expect a significantly shorter lifespan.
6. Is It Worth Installing a Programmable Thermostat?
Installing a programmable thermostat is one of the best ways for you to maximize energy efficiency and save money. Programmable thermostats allow you to adjust the temperature throughout the day, even if you’re not home. For example, you can set the thermostat to a higher temperature while you’re at work, then have it lower right before you get back home; this way, you save money without sacrificing any comfort.
With proper installation and use, a programmable thermostat can save you between 15 and 25% of your cooling costs, making them very much worth installing.
7. What SEER Rating Should I Look for?
When it comes to frequently asked questions about air conditioners, we have to talk about SEER ratings.
Your air conditioner’s SEER rating is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio rating. Basically, this rating tells you how energy-efficient your air conditioner is. The higher the SEER rating, the greater the efficiency.
Currently, the minimum efficiency rating an air conditioner can have is 13, although state-of-the-art units have up to a 21 SEER rating. Although units with higher SEER ratings are more expensive to install, they save you a lot more in the long-run thanks to impressive energy savings and higher-quality units.
8. Can Installing a New AC System Really Save You Money?
Have you ever needed to install a new air conditioner? Then you know that it requires a hefty upfront investment.
So how can installing a new system actually save you money?
Your old and outdated unit is costing you money because it increases your energy bills while requiring more maintenance and repairs. An older unit is also less reliable, so it’s going to break down more often which means it can’t keep your home as comfortable as you want. When you install a new unit, you get to enjoy lower energy bills, fewer repairs, and better cooling.
9. What Should I Do if My AC Unit Won’t Turn On?
When the Georgia summer rolls in and brings with it intense sunshine and unbearable humidity, few things are as frustrating as an air conditioner that won’t turn on. So what can you do to restore your home’s cool air?
If your AC unit won’t turn on, don’t panic. First, check your thermostat. In a lot of cases, someone accidentally shuts off the thermostat, which then turns off your air conditioner.
If your thermostat isn’t the problem, make sure you don’t have a tripped circuit breaker. You can check this by looking over the circuit panel.
If it’s neither of the problems and you’re still left sweating in your house, it’s time to call the professionals for air conditioning repair. Several things could cause your air conditioner not to turn on, but an HVAC professional can diagnose the issue and fix it rather quickly.
10. What Should I Do If My Air Conditioner Ices Up?
This is a common problem among air conditioners, and it could be due to several different things, like:
- Poor airflow across the condenser coil
- Too low of refrigerant levels
- Dirty evaporator coils
- Mechanical problems, like with the motor or fan
No matter what’s causing your AC unit to ice up, you should call an AC expert to fix the problem.
11. Why Should I Replace My Air Conditioner?
Your air conditioner is bound to malfunction occasionally, but at what point do you need to replace them instead of repairing them?
It may be best to replace your air conditioner instead of repairing it if:
- You have an old unit: Air conditioners over ten years old are more likely to work less efficiently and cause more problems. If your unit is over ten years old and frequently breaking down, it’s time to consider a replacement.
- You notice refrigerant leaks: Leaking refrigerant is a serious problem that can often impact the entire AC unit.
- Your energy bills keep increasing: An inefficient system needs more energy to reach the desired indoor temperature. As an air conditioner ages, it becomes more and more inefficient, increasing your energy bills every month.
12. Do I Need to Replace My Home’s Ductwork?
Having clean and functional ductwork is crucial for having an efficient AC system. But when do you need new ductwork?
If your current ductwork system has several holes or is old, it’s probably costing you more money than you think, making it best to just replace it. For a more definite answer, hire an AC expert to inspect your system. They can tell you the most cost-effective solution.
Contact Georgia Air Cooling & Heating Today
Can you imagine your life without an air conditioner? Although these complex systems are often durable, you need to properly maintain them so that you can get the most out of these cooling units.
Georgia Air Cooling & Heating knows what it takes to keep air conditioners working all year round. So whether you need an emergency repair, routine maintenance, or a new system installation, you can rely on our experts.
Need more answers than you can find on this page listing frequently asked questions about air conditioners? Georgia Air Cooling & Heating has experience working on all types of air conditioning units, so call (912) 513-3724 to schedule a service.