The short answer? “It depends.” But spring is officially here, and if your current West Palm Beach, FL air conditioning system is struggling—and repairs are not an option—then the time to consider what you’re going to replace your cooling system with, is now.
When the familiar sticky, humid and hot weather graces us yet again with its presence this summer, you want the peace of mind that comes with a fully functional and efficiently working air conditioner. But what sorts of factors determine what exactly your new AC unit will cost?
It Really Does Depend
There are a number of considerations that go into an AC installation that determine its cost. For instance, choosing a ductless mini split system could potentially cost you more than the installation of a new central air conditioner when you already have ductwork in place.
But, if that ductwork is in poor condition then you’ll want to also consider the cost of duct repair. After all, no matter how shiny and new a cooling system is, it can’t function as efficiently as possible if some of its components are malfunctioning. We’ve covered some other pricing factors for you to consider below.
- System Efficiency: This is one of the biggest, if not the biggest factors to take into account when installing a new air conditioner. Each AC system comes with a SEER rating. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, and is the measurement used to describe the level of efficiency you can expect from your new unit. The national requirement for the state of Florida is 14 SEER, and it’s important to keep in mind that some systems can go up to 20 SEER or higher, but a higher SEER doesn’t automatically mean more overall savings in the long run. We encourage you to speak to a member of our staff for further details.
- Your Air Ducts: We alluded to this above—if you decide to install a new central air conditioner, then you’ll need to of course have ductwork put in place. If you already have ductwork though, you want to make sure it’s in adequate condition. Were your air ducts professionally installed? How old are they? Do they have any damage to them, or loose connections? If any conditioned air is leaking through holes in your air ducts, it will need to be fixed before your new system is installed—which will affect how expensive or affordable that installation is.
- Size: How large is your home? You’ll want to make sure that your professional HVAC technician helps you choose an AC system that is correctly matched to your home. But it’s important to realize that as ineffective as too small a system can be for your comfort and energy costs, too large of a system can be just as bad. This is because if a system is too large, it will reach your desired temperatures too quickly, and as a result will shut off and turn back on in rapid succession—a process known as short-cycling. Short-cycling is very hard on the unit and will cause it to wear down a lot faster than it otherwise would. Plus, it will cost you more than it should month-to-month to run it.
- Community Rebates: When considering the cost of a new AC installation, you’ll want to look not only at what it will cost you month-to-month to operate over the lifespan of the system, but also what the upfront costs will be. Fortunately, there are ways to bring this upfront cost down. There are a number of state, federal, and local programs you can take advantage of to help you recoup the initial cost.
For superior air conditioning services, you needn’t look any further than Envirotech Air Quality Services. Contact us today!
