Welcome to summer, a season of gorgeous weather, outdoor fun, and… suddenly being aware of just how well—or poorly—your air conditioner is working. Many folks are just now thinking about the condition of their AC unit and having concerns about whether they might need to get a new one before the summer is out. If AC replacement is on the horizon for you, there are a lot of options available. You should consider all these possibilities before making your choice.
Traditional Central AC Units
If this is what you already have, it’s probably what you’re imagining getting when you replace your air conditioner. And it’s a solid choice! If your home is already set up for central air, with a system of ductwork that’s still in decent shape, there won’t be any additional expense of modifications to make the AC installation in Grand Rapids, MN possible. And we have some very good news about the new models of central air conditioners that are now available.
Standards have changed, and while your ten or fifteen-year-old air conditioner might have been top-of-the-line when you got it, it’s probably seriously inefficient compared to modern ones. Advances in HVAC technology have made amazing things possible. Fan motors and compressors, once only able to be either on or off, now operate at variable speeds and automatically adjust the amount of power they’re using. They only amp up to full power when it’s absolutely necessary. Also, the coils that contain the refrigerant are now made of new materials that transfer heat more easily, carrying heat away from your home more quickly and easily. These changes mean that air conditioners use a lot less energy, decreasing environmental impact while decreasing your utility bills.
Ductless Systems
But perhaps you haven’t had a central air conditioner, because your home has no ductwork, so you’ve been using window units. Or perhaps your ductwork is very old and deteriorating, or has been damaged, allowing a lot of your conditioned air to escape. This means your comfort is lacking and you’re paying much more than you should for your cooling. A ductless system might be just the ticket! With an outdoor unit just like a central air conditioner, the indoor portion instead branches to multiple air handlers mounted on the walls in different areas of your home. This allows zone control—keeping different rooms at different temperatures—which can improve comfort and save energy.
Heat Pumps
Again, this system begins with an outdoor condenser unit much like that of a traditional air conditioner. But there is a unique component: the reversing valve. This allows the homeowner to reverse the flow of refrigerant through the system. When it’s hot, it works just like an air conditioner, carrying the heat away from your home. But when it gets chilly, the simple flip of a switch allows the opposite to happen. Heat can be absorbed from outdoor air and brought into your home. The system works surprisingly well even in cold temperatures, because the super-cooled refrigerant only requires a temperature differential and not a great deal of warmth in order to raise the temperature in your home. They can also be connected to auxiliary heating systems in order to keep your home toasty even during the worst a Minnesota winter has to offer.
A member of our team would be delighted to help you assess your home and your needs to determine which of these fantastic options would be ideal for you.
Reach out to Mesaba Heating & Air Conditioning today. Service to you is success to us!