Remember last summer when you and your family couldn’t sleep and were cranky and irritable with the summer heat and high humidity? Worried that this summer could be worse? If so, this might be the perfect time to consider installing or replacing your central air conditioner system for your home.
If your air conditioner is over 10 years old, you may want to consider asking a NATE certified contractor, like Flame to perform a free evaluation of your system. New air conditioning systems offer more efficiency, quieter operation and environmentally safe refrigerant (Puron versus Freon-22). You should also beware that in January 2006 federal law mandated that no air conditioner could be manufactured with a SEER (Season Energy Efficiency Rating) rating below 13. The previous mandate requirement was 10.0. What does this mean to the consumer; the more efficient units are also more costly. This translated into retail price increases of 30%-50%. The moral is if your air conditioner is over 10 years old NOW is the time to replace it.
Based on over fifty-eight years of selling, servicing and installation experience, Flame Furnace has developed a 7-step checklist that makes purchase of your new central air conditioning system relatively stress free.
- Choose a qualified contractor. Ask your Chamber of Commerce, friends, family for referral. Look for a contractor that has been in business and has trained and N.A.T.E. certified technicians to install one brand of equipment.
- Call your City Hall and speak with your building inspector. Central air conditioning installations require refrigeration and electrical permits to be filed the city and inspections by the building inspector upon completion. Check to see if there have been any problems with the contractor.
- Set up an appointment with the contractor. Make sure the contractor comes to your home at your convenience, and you have the name of the person visiting. Make sure they are licensed and insured. Ask if they belong to the ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America). Ask for a copy of their licenses, both mechanical and refrigerant handling and a certificate of insurance. Visit their showroom. Ask for references. Ask about NATE certification.
- Get a written estimate. Talk to the contractor about your home, any special comfort needs, how long you plan to stay in your home. This information will help the contractor propose the best central air conditioning system and associated equipment for you. Have the contractor list exactly what is covered by the estimate-new equipment installed, old equipment removed, warranties and time frame.
- There are many different SEER Ratings. The higher the number the more efficient. If you are going to be in your home for over 4 years, you should consider installing a Air Conditioner with at least a 15.0 SEER. The energy operating savings will more then cover the additional cost to purchase the higher efficiency.
- Explore payment options. Your contractor should offer options-cash, check, Visa and MasterCard, or 100% financing with terms. Often contractors ask for down payments to schedule the job and secure the equipment.
- Schedule installation. When you schedule your installation, make sure it is convenient for you and ask for the names of the installation technicians. Check id’s when the technicians arrive. Before they leave, good technicians should explain how the system works, and there should be literature, maintenance instructions and phone numbers on your central air conditioning compressor. Your home should be left cleaner than when they arrived.
- Purchase a maintenance plan. Annual maintenance of your central air conditioning system saves energy and often prolongs the life of your equipment. Good contractors offer these plans and the cost of the plan is often covered by the savings in your utility bill.
Still have questions? Want more information? Feel free to call Flame Heating Cooling and Electrical toll free at 1-888-234-2340, or peruse our website @ www.flamefurnace.com. Don’t sweat it!
Follow the Flame Doctor’s advice and be comfortable this summer.
