Central Air Conditioner Buying Guide

Most people only buy a central air unit or furnace once, maybe twice in their lifetime, so when the time comes to pick a new unit it is important you do your homework before the salesman comes to your door. 

Tip #1.  Keep in a mind:  A FREE Estimate, is anything but free.  The comfort consultant is there for one reason only - to sell you a new air conditioner.  No salesman ever made money giving free estimates.

Tip #2.  Your comfort consultant does not always have your best interests in mind when reccomending a new home comfort system.  He gets paid based on what you buy.  So that new system he shows you may very well be the one that pays him the biggest commission, or the heftiest spiff.

That said, you can still learn a lot from your comfort consultant.

What to Expect During a Free Estimate

If your salesman is any good at all, he should take the time to educate you on what is available, and on the different options best suited to your house.

Here are just a few things he should do during his visit:

1. Introduce his company, and how they are different from the competition.  Make sure he shows you his company's contractors license, Better Business Bureau information, letters of recomendation, pictures and lists of the work that will be performed.
2. He should measure your house, and perform a Manual J calculation to determine the proper size unit for your home.  If he just looks at your house and says a 2 ton unit is going to do it, or looks at the old unit and says that is the size you should go with - Kick him out of your house.  There are tens of thousands of houses out there with under or over sized units.  If you want to be comfortable, you must size the unit correctly.
3. He should explain the different units available.  Air conditioners are rated by SEERS (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating).  The higher the SEER rating the more efficient the unit is.  Units start at 13 SEERS, and work up to 21 SEERS.  Most people with averaged size homes will be more than comfortable with a 13 SEER unit.  Some companies are still selling the old 10 SEER units fom two years ago, and they will save you $300 to $500 in up-front costs over a 13 SEER unit.  But, be warned, they will cost you $200 or more per year in extra energy costs (something the salesman with older units may not want to share with you).
4. Important Factoid.  Just because a unit is rated a certain SEER rating does not mean you will get that rating if you purchase that particular unit.  To achieve the highest efficiency you need to have a properly matched coil, and often times a variable speed furnace.  That said, If you are going to shell out the extra bucks for a higher SEER unit, make sure the salesman guarantees you that you will achieve that configuration with the equipment you are purchasing.
5. Many utility companies offer a rebate for air conditioning units that have a 14 SEER or higher rating.  To get these ratings you must fill out a form, and send the info into the utility company.  They ask for the info on your coil, ac unit, and any enhancers used to achieve the efficiency rating.  No utility company lets the dealer claim the rebate for you.  So if your dealer says he will deduct the rebate from your purchase, and file for the rebate himself - He is lying to you.  It means they can not achieve the SEER rating they are selling you on.  And, they are hoping that you will not catch on, because the utility company will if the info is sent into them.

Are There Any Benefits To Buying A System Compared to Just Buying An Air Conditioner Or Furnace

This is the Million Dollar question.  Every comfort consultant is going to suggest that you replace the system, because in the long one it will save you money.  He may be right, and he may be wrong.

The average life expectancy for a furnace or air conditioner unit is 15 to 20 years.  Some units only last five years, and some can last forty or more.  It really depends on how well you take care of it, and how much it is used.

My thought is if the other unit is working fine, why replace it. 

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