If you’ve been thinking of installing a new air conditioner in your Lake County home, autumn may be the best time of year to do it. The cool fall air might make summer heat seem like a problem to worry about in the distant future, but acting now is a good idea for several reasons.
Why Installing a New Air Conditioner Now Is a Good Idea
- A/C equipment is less expensive in the fall. Suppliers and manufacturers are trying to make room for furnaces and boilers in their warehouses and on their production lines, so HVAC companies can get great deals on this year’s A/C equipment and pass the savings along to you.
- Fall is usually not the busy season, so HVAC professionals are often offering lower prices for expert air conditioning design, installation and repair services. With the summer cooling season and its demand for emergency repairs behind us, technicians aren’t as busy in the fall, so you’re less likely to have to wait as long for service as you would at the height of summer.
- Mild fall weather is a good time for major repairs or renovation projects. Installing a new air conditioner can take several days, so your family will appreciate being able to stay comfortable with the windows open during the day while the work is being done.
Other Things You Can Do When Installing a New Air Conditioner
Once you decide it’s time for installing a new central A/C system in your home, consider saving more money this fall by piggybacking other repairs and renovations on top of the A/C installation. As long as crews are on the job, you might as well take advantage of the cost savings you can realize by having them work on more than just the air conditioning.
Here are a few projects that will be cheaper when combined with A/C work that will also pay themselves back over time in reduced monthly energy bills:
- Have the HVAC technician perform routine maintenance and repairs on the heating system while they’re installing a new central A/C system. Have them inspect, clean and repair ductwork at the same time they’re installing the indoor A/C coils inside the ducts near the air handling equipment. Have the furnace burner cleaned and tuned up, the blower fan and motor lubricated and the entire system inspected for safety and efficiency.
- Consider installing zoned heating and cooling by putting motorized dampers in the ductwork to control the airflow to different parts of your house. With each zone controlled by a programmable thermostat, you can tailor your heating and cooling to provide the right comfort level for the occupants and activities in separate parts of your house.
- Upgrade insulation as needed to minimize summer heat gains and reduce winter heat losses from your home. Adding insulation to the attic floor is relatively inexpensive and an investment that will pay back quickly with correct installation.
- Insulation experts can also see that ducts are insulated anywhere they run outside your home’s conditioned space, and they can seal air leaks around doors, windows and places where utility lines run through exterior walls.
If you’re handy with tools and don’t mind working in tight spaces or on ladders, there are a lot of fall home maintenance projects you can tackle yourself. Your HVAC experts can advise you on the right types of caulk, weatherstripping and insulation to use if you decide to do some of the air sealing and insulation work yourself.
Perform a basic home inspection to look for potential problems caused by missing shingles or siding damaged by weather or woodpeckers. Fall is a good time for repairing your home’s exterior.
Give us a call at Sun Kool Air Conditioning, Inc. for expert air conditioning and heating design, installation and repairs. We can help keep your Lake County home comfortable and energy efficient all year round.
