Guide - Replacing Central A/C

This guide is offered to help you make the best decisions and to think about aspects of the purchase you may have not thought about prior. If you have any questions on this guide or wish to speak to us call us at (920) 734-1436 or email us at [email protected]

Introduction

Welcome! This guide is for homeowners that are looking to replace their existing central air conditioner with a new unit. We go through some of the important points when looking at options. SEER = Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, higher the SEER the less electricity required to cool. As of 2023 the industry is now measuring new units with SEER2. The difference? SEER2 uses more practical numbers to calculate efficiency. What was 14 SEER is now 13.4 SEER2.

What Efficiency?

Today's regulation requires that manufacturers produce at a minimum of 13 SEER2 rating for their central air conditioners. Here in Wisconsin we are a strong believer that we need to invest in a good furnace before worrying about our air conditioner. This is the complete opposite of those in Florida. Most of our customers find the sweet spot for central air conditioners between the 13 and 16 SEER2 rating.

What Blower?

Even though the blower motor is part of the furnace, it does come into play to determine the air conditioner's efficiency rating. Ask your estimator about what type of blower you have in your furnace. If you have a PSC blower motor (standard efficiency that new furnaces cannot be sold with), upgrading the blower to a fixed speed ECM can get you an extra boost of energy savings. Blower upgrades pay for themselves in 3-7 years* depending on use.

All newer furnaces come with one of two versions of an ECM motor:

True Variable ECM: Smart controls adjust blower speed as needed to get the right CFM of air across your heat exchangers. Protects your furnace / ac better. (We recommend this one)
Fixed Speed ECM: The logic of the blower is restricted to be fixed to set speeds. Doesn't have the same feature set of the true variable. Still is efficient though.

Proper Air Flow

If you had problems getting good air flow with your existing air conditioner now is the time to bring this up with your estimator. Talk to them about what rooms are not getting good air flow. They can take a look at duct work and make sure that everything is properly sized and if there is anything they can do to assist. If you have a tune-up done by your contractor you can ask them to do a static pressure test. That will see if your duct work and register amount is adequate for the system you have.

Refrigerant Types

For many years, R-22 refrigerant was the choice for Air Conditioners. The refrigerant has long been phased out, but do not let your contractor tell you they cannot get it. R-22 is still available in limited quantities. They cannot produce anything new, but they can recycle, purify and sell again. That being said, R-22 is insanely expensive, costing contractors $1,500-2,000+ for a single jug of it. It is expected to go higher and higher.

Units sold today are R-410 refrigerant which has been around for a long time. It has less chlorine, so that any leaks into the environment is not as harmful. In 2023 the process to start phasing it out has begun. This will take a long time to complete, much like it did for R-22. Industries are going to be moving to two different types of refrigerants coming up.

Quality & Trust

Find a company you trust to do the work. Air Conditioners have so many points where there could be problems. Find a company that has been around and will be around in the future if you need them. Make sure they register all equipment with the manufacturer and that any additional warranties are done through the manufacturer. Check with friends and family to find someone that they have had good experience with.

Conclusion

Find a good balance of price and comfort. Make sure you get one with R410A refrigerant and that a company you trust installs it. You can upgrade your blower motor if you have a old standard efficient PSC motor on your furnace.

Central Air Conditioners

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* Statement made based off of Evergreen's posted energy savings estimates for Wisconsin and the cost of the upgrade.