If you own your own home, most likely you’re living with the air conditioner that was already installed. But if you’re building a home or replacing an air conditioner in your current home, there are lots of things to consider.

Central air conditioners circulate cool air through the supply and return ducts in your home. These are the same ducts used for heating in the winter. As the air circulates through your house, it becomes warmer and flows back through the return ducts where it is cooled again.

The best home conditioning units will operate on a minimal use of electricity to hold down your utility costs. That’s especially important if you live in a warmer climate.

But a good system will provide dependable performance year after year if you keep them property maintain.

A good system will also be quiet, last a long time and energy efficient.

If you’re installing a new system or replacing an old one, you want to make sure you get the right size unit. A system too small won’t cool your whole house sufficiently. Likewise, as system that is too large will cycle off and on more frequently than is necessary. That will waste energy and put unnecessary strain on the unit’s compressor.

A reliable contractor can help to determine the optimum size air conditioning unit for your home. That includes a study of your cooling needs and includes things like window dimensions and exposure, floor space, insulation and of course your local climate. It also includes heat-generating appliances you have, the direction your home faces and even the amount of your home’s exterior that is shaded by trees in the summer.

Federal regulations require manufacturers of air conditioners to evaluate and rate their systems based on energy efficiency.

Central air conditioners come in either a split-system units or packaged units. With a split-system unit you have an outdoor metal cabinet that contains the condenser and the compressor as well as an indoor unit that contains the evaporator. In many split-systems, the indoor unit will also contain a furnace or the indoor portion of a heat pump. If you’re installing a central system in home with a furnace, but no existing air conditioner, the split-system will be your most economical option.

A packaged central air conditioner contains the evaporator, condenser and compressor all in one cabinet. This is typically placed on the roof or on a concrete slab next to the foundation of the house. You’ll also see this type of unit in many small commercial buildings.

While room air conditioners are still widely in use and can be efficient for their designed purpose, central air conditioners are overall more efficient to operate. You want to make the best use of your available budget by looking for an energy-efficient air conditioner. This will lower your utility costs. While you may spend more in the initial purchase, you’ll see a return on your money over the life of the system.

If your home doesn’t have an existing central air conditioner, you may be looking at the need for additional ductwork. You’ll want to consult a local heating and cooling contractor to assess your needs.

Fortunately for the environment as well as your budget, the best air conditioners available on the market today use roughly 30-50% less energy to produce the same amount of cooling as systems made 30 years ago. Fact is, if your unit is as much as 10 years old, you may save money by replacing the entire system.

Look for a model with a high efficiency rating. Air conditioners have a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) which indicates the amount of energy needed for to reach specific cooling needs.

Written by Lawrence Reaves for HamiltonBeach.com. Visit the leader in kitchen appliances site to learn more about purchasing appliances for your kitchen such as coffee makers and slow cookers.

Written by Lawrence Reaves, a writer for http://www.HamiltonBeach.com. Find your new kitchen appliances and more information about how fun microwaves can be.

Author Bio: Written by Lawrence Reaves for HamiltonBeach.com. Visit the leader in kitchen appliances site to learn more about purchasing appliances for your kitchen such as coffee makers and slow cookers.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: air conditioners, home appliances, home advice