If you’re considering an air conditioning installation in Perth in the near future, it’s important to fully prepare yourself for each step of this process. Replacing, upgrading, or installing a new AC system will have a dramatic effect on your home, and it’s important to be informed so that you can make the best possible decisions. It’s a great idea to involve your air conditioning installer early in the process, they can offer you expert advice, and this will make it easier to get the right AC system to meet your needs. Let’s take a closer look at how to prepare your home for an air conditioning installation.
Choose the Best Contractor
This may seem obvious to many readers, but you may be surprised at how many homeowners don’t take the time to find the right contractors for the job. This is the very first task, before you even look at AC systems or think about any other preparations, it’s imperative that you choose the best contractor. Choose a local HVAC professional that’s easy to get hold of if there’s a problem and check online reviews to see what other customers are saying. The best type of recommendation that you can get is a personal one, so ask your family, friends, and work colleagues about their experiences.
It’s important to understand that the quality of the air conditioning installation will have a dramatic effect on the performance and efficiency of the AC system that you choose. If you choose a “handyman” or a less experienced contractor for the job, it could affect your indoor comfort and energy bills for many years to come. Fixing errors in a poor quality installation combined with the money paid for the original work will cost far more than it would have cost to get the job done right the first time.
Many people choose an HVAC contractor based on the cheapest price, but this is a huge mistake, and many low quality contractors use lower pricing simply to get your business. A high quality contractor will invest in the best training for their technicians, and this translates into work that will stand the test of time. It’s also worth mentioning that you will need a contractor with adequate levels of insurance in case anything goes wrong.
Choose the Size and SEER Rating
The size of the air conditioning system has to be carefully matched to the home where it will be installed. An HVAC professional can carry out a load calculation to make sure that the air conditioner will be able to treat the air in your home efficiently. There are load calculators available online, but they are of limited use, each home has a unique airflow and layout that will have a dramatic effect on how the cooling or heating will work.
Many homeowners make the mistake of simply purchasing and installing the largest HVAC system that they can afford. However, if the air conditioner is too large or too small, it can cause a number of problems in the home. A system that’s too large will cool the space too quickly. This will confuse the thermostat and cause it to turn on and off frequently. This is known as short cycling; it causes a great deal of stress to your equipment leading to frequent breakdowns and a shorter lifespan. If the HVAC system is too small, it will struggle to meet your temperature needs, and it will be less effective at dehumidifying your home. This results in a clammy home where mold growth is encouraged, and the air quality is compromised.
Once you know the size of the system that you need, it’s time to start looking at the SEER rating. The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio or SEER rating is an indicator of how energy efficient your prospective system is, and the higher the rating, the more efficient the system will be. An air conditioning system with a SEER rating of 14 or higher is considered to be a high efficiency system. Generally speaking, a system with a higher SEER rating will cost more to purchase, but the energy savings are significant, and the lower energy bills will help to recoup the costs in the medium to long term.
Consider the Advanced Features
Modern air conditioner systems have a number of advanced features and optional extras that can make your home more comfortable, improve energy efficiency, and make your life easier. Some of the best examples are zoning systems, programmable or smart thermostats, two stage cooling, variable speed air handlers, automatic delay fan switches, and thermal expansion valves. A detailed explanation of these features is beyond the scope of this particular article, so make sure that you ask your HVAC professional about how these features could make an impact in your home.
The Installation Day
Once all of the preliminaries are out of the way, the contractor will be able to arrange the installation on a mutually agreed day. Prior to the arrival of the HVAC technicians, it’s a great idea to clear a path into your home and around where the system will be installed. Take some time a few days before to remove any expensive or fragile items in the area and move them to a safe location to protect them from potential damage.
Professional HVAC technicians will clean up after themselves, but an installation can be messy, so it’s likely that you will need to do a little cleaning after they have left. Once the system has been installed, make sure the technicians walk you through starting and operating the system and make sure everything is working before they leave.
It’s important to understand that an HVAC installation is complicated; sometimes, there are small issues to fix before the system is fully bedded in and working as intended by the manufacturer. If you notice some odd behaviour in the first few weeks, contact your installer, and they should send someone out to troubleshoot and fix the problem.
If you need an air conditioning installation in Perth, contact AirSpares for a quote today.