Summers are a very tough time to go through, especially when you only have a fan to cool you during the whole season. The only logical reason over here is to install a central air conditioner for your house, as HVAC units are the necessity for every household. That being said, the actual price to install a central air conditioner for your house is going to be a lot, but looking on the bright side it will rid you of all the worries.
If we discuss this process roughly, the whole deal is going to cost you $3500-$7500. Including in this cost would be the unit and the installation. As we have given a rough estimate of the cost, nothing is set in stone, it may cost you higher or it could even cost you lower than this. The factors which could vary this price range would be where the location of your house is, what specific model are you looking for or even the condition of your air ducts.
In our guide, we will fully discuss the cost to install a central air conditioner in your house, also the ways through which you can potentially save.
Factors Which Will Affect The Cost
Paying for a good air conditioner is just a portion of the total cost that you would have to bear. Before you actually go into the store to look for the appropriate HVAC unit, you would have to get some pre-installation evaluation. That will be done through a skilled HVAC technician, they will conduct a brief evaluation of your house, check the condition of your ductwork. After the evaluation they give you, would you be able to look for an air conditioner. Chances are that you would have to completely modify your existing ductwork.
What exactly happens in a pre-installation evaluation? The technician would come at your house and see that how much heat is produced during the day. All of that data would then be compared to the size of your house. Compilation and evaluation would then lead you to get the air conditioner most appropriate for your house.
After this an audit for your house would be conducted, this will be made to check if your house has any kind of air leaks or just poor infrastructure. Homes with poor infrastructure or air leaks consume more energy to cool or heat, all in all the unit has to exhaust more energy from their systems. This audit will cost you a few hundred dollars but if you are familiar with a good HVAC company, you could get discounts.
As we previously discussed, ductwork is going to be very much necessary for your household, it will decide what kind of air conditioner you would be getting. Your existing ductwork should be strong and reliable enough to support your air conditioner. Sometimes, houses with old ductwork are not compatible with the new air conditioners in the market, so that is why a modification is necessary. Sometimes, upon evaluation it is found that some homes cannot provide the space for a refrigerant to work.
A total revamp or modification of the ductwork is obviously going to cost you more money in the total cost for the air conditioner. It is also going to save you a lot of expenses in the long run.
After all the evaluations have been made, it is time for you to finally get an air conditioner. Since we are talking about central air conditioners, there are also some choices to go through like split air conditioners and heat pumps.
Air conditioner costs actually also vary by their size, and the way through which an air conditioner would cool depends on their size but this doesn’t mean that bigger is better. As we are looking for ideal air conditioners for our households, they are between 1.5 and 5 tons. Bigger units than that are for office spaces.
Sometimes you may choose an air conditioner with a higher SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) because they would be costing more money and if your house has any kind of leaks then they won’t function properly. So you would just be wasting your money over nothing.
Lastly, the installation would take place, it is always suggested to employ the services of certified technicians. The contractor’s size of the business and location can affect the cost to install. If the services you get are fast then they are not going to be good and if they are not cheap then they will be good but not fast. You would have to make the decision here.
According to survey’s conducted and reports, almost 30%-40% of all the HVAC units are installed incorrectly and because of that they lose most of their efficiency within the first year and it only goes downhill from there.
In order to get the best contractors make sure that you read a lot of reviews online, check your neighbors or relatives, and consult with them because they too once got their HVAC units installed. You need to get bids from contractors and then compare between them, reviews and referrals will help you after this.
Tips To Save On Air Conditioner Installation Cost
Sometimes the only time you would be spending home would be at night, so why go all the way for a super expensive air conditioner, you could always opt for a ductless mini-split air conditioner. Although they cannot be called central air conditioners, they certainly get the job done and are cost effective.
As we know that during the seasons, may it be summers or winters, the HVAC contractors are really busy, so why not save yourself some money and get the best deal possible before the season actually starts. Before the seasons, these contractors have nothing on their schedules and offer the best deals available.
Some governments actually motivate you to get the most efficient air conditioner for your house, and as a part of their rebates and incentives they too offer deals. Click here to find all the rebate deals around you and save some money.
Conclusion
HVAC units are an absolute necessity for your household, no matter what kind of air conditioner you get for your house it is going to cost you some money in the short run. You can be smart about the decisions you would be taking, and through our guide we have also provided the tips and tricks you can use to save yourself some money.
