The Logistics Of A Good Air Conditioner Installation Can Pay Off Over Time | Fort Worth, TX
An air conditioner installation requires some thinking ahead, and it’s amazing what you’ll see if you tour around, especially in a crowded city. You’ll find systems that exhaust towards the building have lower efficiency and ones that are bolted down make service access is a real challenge. Good installation practices help avoid these issues, also ensure that your air conditioner installation has short runs to the home for better efficiency and less chance of damage, and avoids noise and vibration issues when it runs. Even for air conditioner replacement, our One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth team thinks ahead. We want to make sure your air conditioner installation in Fort Worth, TX serves you well in the years ahead, a sign of professional excellence. Our expert team keeps you informed of your options, providing the tips you need to get the most out of your system, and we leave it up to you to make informed decisions.
Air Conditioner Installation Is a Decision Point for New Technologies
A new air conditioner installation with today’s high-efficiency technology is a great choice. Many homeowners are also considering geothermal systems, which can save energy costs over time if you meet certain requirements. We can explain what’s involved, and the benefits, if you like. Another choice some homeowners make is to use ductless mini-split air conditioner units for all or part of their home’s heating and cooling. These units work like heat pumps, but instead of distributing air through a central air handling unit through ducts, they deliver to each room. A small, unobtrusive unit installed on the wall or floor, or in a drop ceiling above, provides individual temperature control to that space. It’s a perfect solution for smaller homes, in-law apartments, home offices, and other applications. Most ductless mini-split systems can handle up to four individually controlled spaces per heat pump unit. Ductless systems are perfect for homes where installing a new duct system would disrupt the interior, and they’re also great at giving central air a break. You can cool your Fort Worth, TX home theater or home office by itself, without resorting to portable or window-based units.
Sizing Your New AC System
For whole-house air conditioner installation, it’s important to size the AC unit properly, for the most efficient and comfortable operation. Especially if you’ve made changes to your home, it’s worth reviewing the sizing of any existing system and ensuring that it’s appropriate for your current needs. You’ll also be pleasantly surprised at the efficiency levels available from modern air conditioner installations, both from upgraded components and also new technologies such as dual-stage compressors that allow increased comfort and humidity management by adjusting the intensity of cooling operation. If you consider options like ductless mini-split systems for some rooms, you may also find that adjusting the sizing of your central air unit is appropriate.
New Technologies for AC Management
If you’re replacing an air conditioning system that has served you for decades, you may have a single system of ducts running throughout the house. Many homeowners install zoned duct systems, which distribute cool air independently to various zones within the home. A typical design might feature separate bedroom cooling, living room and dining area comfort, and basement or family room cooling. When one or more areas are not in use, the thermostat setting there can be lowered for energy savings and less wear on the AC system. Whether you have zoned systems or not, advanced thermostat controls can help save energy and anticipate your comfort needs, with intelligent thermostats and also smart home wireless thermostat systems that work hard to adapt. Intelligent thermostats recognize the settings that you prefer, so you can enter spaces with cooling already completed just before, while smart home thermostats can provide added efficiencies or fulfill your home automation dreams by integrating with smart window shades and blinds, time of day, and seasonal information, even the weather forecast for varying operation on sunny or cloudy days in Fort Worth, TX. If you hit the road for a family trip, for some systems you can use your smartphone to set cooling to a vacation mode for additional savings, even if you forgot to set it before you left. If your system can’t keep your home cool or warm as needed, you may also receive notifications so you can arrange for service, pet care, or other needs. There’s a lot to consider with your new air conditioner installation, and many ways to both increase your family’s comfort and add energy savings at the same time.
When Your Air Conditioner Installation Involves an Existing Duct System
Even if you don’t choose to add a zoned duct system to your air conditioner installation, it’s important to think about the existing ducts and their condition. A duct cleaning service is a great way to start, getting all the accumulated airborne material from dust and pollen to grease and chemicals out of there. Along with cleaning, or separately, a complete duct inspection and any necessary repairs are critical to the performance of your new air conditioner installation. Older ducts may have leaks, internal damper door malfunctions, or other issues that affect air flowing through them. It may also be helpful to renew or add insulation to the ducts to ensure that your energy costs are not being wasted by cooling attic spaces or other unoccupied areas where the ducts are routed.
Indoor Air Quality Features
Many homes have indoor air quality equipment attached to the duct system to provide humidity management, sub-micron HEPA filtration, air purification, and germicidal UV lamps. This helps bring your indoor air, often even worse quality than your outdoor city area because it constantly recirculates, into line with your needs. If you have people in your home who are sensitive to particulates, allergens, chemicals, or other components of typical indoor air, this can help a lot. Many homes already have HEPA filters in individual rooms, common also in medical environments, and having a whole-house version adds greater coverage as well as easier maintenance when you don’t have to shop for individual HEPA filter cartridges. Air purifier systems use techniques to remove materials passing through the area such as electrostatically charging them, and germicidal UV lamps, also popular in medical and food service environments, neutralize pathogens such as bacteria and mold to prevent their reproduction and spread through the air handling system.
Physical Air Conditioner Installation Considerations
A new air conditioner installation is a good time to review your installation options, even if you’re replacing an existing system. Both the outdoor unit and the indoor, or evaporator unit have important factors to consider. For instance, the location of the evaporator unit should usually be near your furnace for combined air handling. Evaporator units are also often placed in the attic space, providing convenient access to duct systems. Evaporator units generate condensate, or water removed from the air as it is cooled, especially when the air is humid. If the condensate drain doesn’t work correctly, due to algae growth plugging the drain or other causes, overflow in the attic can damage the attic floor and the ceilings on the floor below. Areas around the unit will need to be kept clear for servicing, especially if icing of the coils occurs, typically a result of lower airflow from a clogged air filter. Outside, the unit needs to be properly mounted to reduce vibration and noise reaching inside, especially bedrooms. The lines between indoor and outdoor units need to be as short as possible, typically under 50 feet. These handle the refrigerant flow between the condenser and evaporator units and should be protected against damage and insulated. Airflow around the condenser unit outside is also an important factor.
Condenser Unit Considerations
As the condenser unit clears heat from outside your home, the easier it is able to do so the better efficiency you’ll experience. If the air conditioner installation blocks the incoming airflow or doesn’t allow for easy heat removal and dispersing, your system will work harder. A unit that is constantly in direct sunlight will also have more trouble dispersing heat from your home. In addition to installations where the fan blows towards a building, some enclosures, buildup of tools, chairs, and other items, or other blockages can affect the AC operation. In the north, wintertime damage to the lines connecting with the evaporator indoors from falling icicles is a concern, but here, it’s important to make sure the lines are not affected by landscaping activities and similar risks. All outdoor AC units have a risk of small animals nesting during periods when they’re inactive, and proper seasonal care and protection can help. In addition, careful selection of the air conditioner installation location to avoid temptation is helpful. If small animals typically nest or feed nearby, the AC unit will be at greater risk of becoming another nest location.
Quiet Operation of Your Air Conditioner Installation
The way that the unit pedestal is installed can help reduce vibrations that may become noticeable inside your home, but sounds from your AC unit can affect those trying to sleep in nearby bedrooms as well. Careful air conditioner installation in an area away from bedrooms can help, and also being aware of nearby fences and building walls that could reflect sounds towards bedrooms is also important. Modern ultra-quiet air conditioning units are also available that can be an excellent resource for keeping the noise down in difficult air conditioning installation situations.
Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioner Installation
Ductless mini-split systems can provide a great alternative to central air for many homes, as well as supplemental cooling and separate AC for Fort Worth, TX home offices and in-law apartments. Installation is similar to an air conditioning or heat pump unit, with a pedestal-mounted unit outside requiring electrical power on a separate circuit. Refrigerant and control lines run to each cooling head, one per space being cooled, typically up to four. This keeps the impact on the interior of your home limited to the presence of the cooling head and thermostat control for each room. Maintenance and servicing is straightforward, as is installation. If you’re using a combined central air and targeted cooling arrangement, you’ll be covered when your central air is being serviced. The lower energy usage of ductless mini-split systems also makes them excellent for homes with generator power, allowing homeowners to keep one area cooled even when the power is off, without having to provide backup generator capacity to heat and cool an entire home.
Planning Your New or Replacement AC System, and Urgent Replacement Needs
Our team enjoys sharing with you all the great efficiency and reliability improvements in modern AC systems, and options you can choose such as dual-stage operation and indoor air quality components. When you schedule an installation appointment with us, you’ll love our prompt arrival, efficient, well-organized installation operation, and thorough cleanup. The entire process is a positive experience for our customers, and they’ll provide so much feedback that we appreciate and learn from. One situation that can be a challenge, though, is when a replacement system is urgently needed and there’s no time to plan ahead and select the right system. With our years of experience and knowledge of area homes, we’re ready to help with emergency AC replacement! We’ll recommend some typical systems that are sized for your home, and get our people to work on planning the replacement quickly. You’ll still have a chance to select the right system for your needs and budget. We know you’ll be enjoying your new air conditioner system for years.
Your Air Conditioner Installation Experts in Fort Worth, TX
One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth provides top-quality AC installation and service, perfect for emergency repairs, urgent AC replacement, and planned air conditioner systems installed by our expert team. Don’t forget to schedule your regular air conditioning maintenance for a relaxed, well-cooled Fort Worth, TX summer! Call us today for all your AC and heating needs.