Cost to install new air conditioning unit – nothing lasts forever under the moon. And even the best air conditioners fail one day. They stop functioning and require replacement, adding to the financial expenses of homeowners. We hope you’ve started to prepare for this fatal day from the 8-10th year of functioning of the device, so you already have some amount saved for the global reconstruction of the climate control system. The Best Heating Cooling & Air Company, the leading contractor of repair and maintenance of climatic equipment in Colorado area, is telling about how to determine whether you have a sufficient amount of money saved for it and how you could lower the cost of air conditioner installation.
Planning the air conditioner installation
Thorough planning should be the head of every successful undertaking. The air conditioning system repairs are not an exclusion. In order to tell for sure how much does it cost to install new air conditioning system, an engineer should draw a schematic plan of the positioning of climatic equipment on the premises. Each unit should have a calculated cooling workload and the capacities should be selected considering a possible increase of a heat load when additional heating devices are plugged in.
Then one should determine the type of the system: single or multiple. Then one shall define the communications and pick the places to install internal and external blocks. Those solutions should be preferred, which do not require radical intervention in the design, which harmoniously fit the interiors and exteriors of the building, making sure free access to the main nodes. The final cost of the air conditioning system installation includes the installation works. If you leave the biggest part of communications, then you can significantly reduce the maintenance.
How much does it cost to install a new air conditioner?
How much a new air conditioning system installation will drain your pocket depends not only on the calculated power of the device but also on the air conditioning technology. A central system will cost you around $4,500-8,500. The cost of wireless options starts with $5,000 but the costs are recouped because of the more rational diversification of resources in the zoning. Trying to figure out, how much a new air conditioning system installation will cost you, think about the future as well: don’t turn down a split system only because of the high initial cost of it.
Which factors affect the cost of air conditioning system installation?
An approximate sum of costs to replace traditional climatic equipment can be found online in calculators but they won’t give you a complete final number since a program most definitely misses out on important technical moments. The more sophisticated the system is, the more repairs would cost. But the cost of installation of a new air conditioning system is also affected by individual parameters of a project and the personal desires of a client:
- volume and the size of the premises in footage
- seasonal coefficient of energy efficiency
- the type of air cooling
- desired level of heat comfort
- the energy efficiency of the building based on its thermal regulation
- the level of air conditioning efficacy
- noise load and sensitivity
- the cost of installation and commissioning
- costs for repairs and service maintenance.
The size of your house
The power of air conditioners is calculated based on the air exchange rate, which is calculated based on the footage of the premises and the height of the ceiling. The cooling power of the equipment is calculated in the British heat units. One British heat unit is the amount of heat, which is required to raise the temperature of water by 1 °F; the more the cooling power of the air conditioner is, the costlier it is.
The cooling power of the air conditioner with a voluminous air exchange of 1 tonne is estimated at 12 thousand British heat units, which corresponds to the footage of 400 square feet. To provide air conditioning to a house of 1,600 sq.f., one would need a device with a voluminous air exchange of 4 tonnes and the cooling power of 48 thousand British heat units. The cost of purchase of this equipment is around $2,000. But considering the cost of installation and commissioning, the average cost of new air conditioning system installation in a house like the mentioned is $3,500-4,000.
The SEER rating
The profitability of the air conditioning system is characterized by the ratio of the power of the equipment to the energy it consumes. In its turn, the efficacy of an air conditioning system and how much energy it will consume is defined by weather, climate, and the season of the year. Thus, climatic equipment is divided into classes considering their seasonal energy efficiency, which is estimated in the SEER rating. The higher the class of an air conditioner is, the better is its energy-saving feature.
- 13–14 – low-cost devices with low energy efficiency. Approximate cost is $2,800, including installation
- 15–18 – air conditioners of average characteristics. Approximate cost including installation is $3,500-4,500
- 21– 25 – the most efficient and modern models, having the price of $6,000+.
Cooling type
Depending on the fan, systems of microclimate control are divided into one-speed and multi-speed. The first ones are considered obsolete and have limited functionality but they are available at a price. Also, they are easily mounted and convenient for maintenance. You could spend only around $1,700-2,000 to buy one of these. The second type is air conditioners of the newer generation, which are equipped with multispeed turbofans; they allow adjustment of airflow but their price is higher: from $4,000 to $6,000.
A desirable level of comfort
Demands for heat comfort in various households are not the same. Some buildings require to be cooled in all the premises. Others might only need to maintain the required temperature in a few premises. In many-story houses, there is temperature layering and the heat difference between the upper and cellar floors can be 20 degrees. The load on the air conditioning system with climate control and demands to heat temperature vary from case to case and thus, the cost of the installation of air conditioners, which would work half-power and full-power would also differ.
Thermal regulation efficiency of your house
By increasing the energy efficiency of buildings, you reduce the load on climate control systems and decrease the cost of the installation of a new air conditioning system. Well-made and thorough heat insulation of a building, the western orientation of windows, and shading of the building-adjacent territory will make it possible to save on air conditioning. Even not so powerful systems will cope with air-cooling in the summertime. But should you have brightly illuminated rooms with the southern window orientation, then you would require more powerful equipment and additional investments to service maintenance.
Demands to noise and sensitivity
If you feel nervous about the noise of a working air conditioner or the house owners’ association insists on quiet, you should opt for models with a low noise load. The quietest models are inverter air conditioners, which work without jumps in temperature or periodic turns off and on in the compressor of the internal block. But they are costlier.
Installation and functioning
A professional installation of a new air conditioning system costs pretty much the same as a conditioner of a middle class but you should never save on the services of qualified contractors. Installation and commissioning of climatic equipment require special knowledge and skills, which are impossible to acquire from ‘educative videos’ on the Internet. And the cost of a mistake can be too high.
The cost of long-term repairs
In order to prolong the life term of an air conditioner, you should take care of technical maintenance and periodic repairs. The more sophisticated the system is, the more weaknesses it has. Air conditioners are prone to freezing out and leaking. Their thermostat can turn off out of the blue. And their management system requires periodic verification and adjustment. So, when you choose an air conditioner, estimate the service maintenance cost beforehand – the device in this matter should not be a problem for a family budget.
Types of air conditioning systems
Living premises usually have climatic equipment of two types – monoblock and split systems. The majority of home air conditioners are of a household type. When the premises’ total area is over 800 sq.f., one should ponder about the usage of semiprofessional equipment. The difference in cost is tangible, though. So as to avoid overpaying, consult with the specialists of the BHCAir Company before you go for the installation of a new air conditioning system. We’re able to pick the rational solution and optimize the cost.
Window system
Monoblock air conditioning systems for windows have appeared on the market the first. Now, they are slowly running out of fashion and can’t boast of wide functionality. However, they still have a number of advantages: they work to heat and to cool; they are easy to mount; they provide a very intensive airflow; and they have a wide power range – from 1.5 to 6 kW.
Split system
A split system is an air conditioner, which consists of two blocks: an outer and inner, which are connected by a signal cable, and copper piping, used by a coolant to flow in a circle. Split systems are controlled by means of wired and wireless controllers, usually, with a video display to adjust the necessary cooling or heating and the regimen of airflow. Before being submitted to the premises from the street, the air is purified with filters of thick and thin purification.
Multi-room premises widely adopt split systems, where from 2 to 5 inner blocks are connected to one outer block. Advantages of split systems include zoning of heating/cooling energy and a low level of noise. Such systems vary broadly in design but most of all, for home usage, the on-wall modifications are the most popular.
Central air conditioning system
The central air conditioning system is designed for the premises, where an air conditioner should be placed away from working zones – for instance, to make sure of keeping it quiet. Since the central air conditioner functions not autonomously and requires communications to be built, one should expect a large initial cost of designing, installing, and connecting the system. On the other hand, the central air conditioning system has a number of advantages:
- expedient consumption of energy
- adjustable airflow from the street
- big power reserve – central air conditioning system can serve well for several dozen thousand square feet
- complex air preparation – cooling, heating, purification, drying, humidification
- fault tolerance and operational reliability.
Portable system
Installing a portable system does not require any installation skills: the air duct is put to the street through a window or an opening in a wall. To make it convenient to move this air conditioner, it is equipped with rollers. The power of mono-block portable air conditioning systems is around 3-4 kW. The more powerful models are designed as a split option: there is an outer block with a radiator, which is plugged into the main block using the fast connection.
Three tips on how to control the cost of central air conditioner installation
A turnkey replacement of an air conditioning system costs from 3 to 7 thousand dollars. This is significant money but you can change your air conditioning system to a new one with minimal cost if you use our pieces of advice. It is also of crucial importance to find a reliable contractor, which is able to fulfill your order, organize discount prices for equipment and eliminate the inexpedient expenses.
Learn your demands in cooling
If you don’t spend much time at home, a wireless mini-split system is capable of replacing a central air conditioning system. You can put a compressor block with a condenser that’s connected to a fan of the internal block to one of the outer walls. Additionally, wireless mini-split systems can be installed in separate premises where there is a high need for fresh air, for instance, in a bedroom or living room. If you compare, how much a new air conditioning system of a wireless type installation costs compared to the communications laying required for a central system, you will find that a mini-split system wins.
Choose the right time
Don’t postpone the capital renovation right to the summertime heat or the colds of winter, when the cost of services of all contractors rises since they are in the highest demand. To avoid the peak prices in the mentioned seasons, opt for works during spring or fall.
Ask for discounts for the equipment and tax deductions
Cost to install new air conditioning unit – manufacturers of climatic equipment, municipal authorities, and utility providers partially compensate for the installation cost of energy-efficient air conditioning systems. Taking part in one of the sponsored programs can reduce the cost of the installation of a new air conditioning system. If you’re planning a renovation, you might be interested in the actual offers in your area. Preliminary consultation of the BHCAir Company’s specialist can solve a lot of issues you’re interested in. Write to us through the website now and we’ll contact you to find out how we could renew your air conditioning system at a minimal cost.
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