How Should I Compare Air Conditioners Before I Buy One?
If you live in a climate that's typically hot and muggy all year long, the last thing you want to happen is have your central unit suddenly stop working.
Purchasing, or upgrading, air conditioners is a task to be taken seriously and you should always make it a habit to compare brands and prices and the warranties involved before making your final decision.
You want your new unit to last for many years, not suddenly need servicing after only a couple of months.
By taking the time to compare the pros and cons of the different brands on the market, you will be able to find a top quality unit that will fit within your budget.
Your first step when starting your research into which air conditioner you'll eventually choose is looking at what's called the Seasonal Energy Efficient Rating for each brand.
The higher the number, the higher the efficiency of the unit.
Make sure that you examine the features that come with each brand.
Many brands offer features that aren't specifically necessary to the function of the unit and those will cause the cost to be higher in the end.
Believe it or not, when it comes to air conditioners you'll need to check and see what kind of refrigerant is being used.
Make sure that it's Puron instead of Freon, which depletes the ozone.
Puron is EPA approved and will not make your air conditioner obsolete after you purchase it.
Another important feature to examine before deciding between brands is the parts and labor warranties.
Everyone knows that these units can be expensive to fix if anything should happen and you will need to make sure that all the necessary parts and any labor involved in repairs is covered for at least 5 to 10 years.
And finally, the best thing you can do before making your purchase is to get a brand, whether it's Mitsubishi or Amana, that's Energy Star rated.
Those brands that are not energy star rated will be considerably more expensive to operate than those brands that are rated.
When you have a unit that's energy star rated, it saves you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars a year on your electricity bill.
A definite bonus if you live in a hot climate where you need to run your A/C continuously.
Purchasing, or upgrading, air conditioners is a task to be taken seriously and you should always make it a habit to compare brands and prices and the warranties involved before making your final decision.
You want your new unit to last for many years, not suddenly need servicing after only a couple of months.
By taking the time to compare the pros and cons of the different brands on the market, you will be able to find a top quality unit that will fit within your budget.
Your first step when starting your research into which air conditioner you'll eventually choose is looking at what's called the Seasonal Energy Efficient Rating for each brand.
The higher the number, the higher the efficiency of the unit.
Make sure that you examine the features that come with each brand.
Many brands offer features that aren't specifically necessary to the function of the unit and those will cause the cost to be higher in the end.
Believe it or not, when it comes to air conditioners you'll need to check and see what kind of refrigerant is being used.
Make sure that it's Puron instead of Freon, which depletes the ozone.
Puron is EPA approved and will not make your air conditioner obsolete after you purchase it.
Another important feature to examine before deciding between brands is the parts and labor warranties.
Everyone knows that these units can be expensive to fix if anything should happen and you will need to make sure that all the necessary parts and any labor involved in repairs is covered for at least 5 to 10 years.
And finally, the best thing you can do before making your purchase is to get a brand, whether it's Mitsubishi or Amana, that's Energy Star rated.
Those brands that are not energy star rated will be considerably more expensive to operate than those brands that are rated.
When you have a unit that's energy star rated, it saves you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars a year on your electricity bill.
A definite bonus if you live in a hot climate where you need to run your A/C continuously.
Source...