Purchasing a new air conditioner can be a budget-bashing experience. Your HVAC equipment will be one of your most expensive home purchases. A new air conditioner can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 depending on your installation and system requirements! This makes it tempting to skimp on installation or buy from an unknown source. What you may not know is skimping on costs upfront can often cost more down the road. And, you may be missing out on many of the great money-saving opportunities that your air conditioner upgrade can offer. Unfortunately, there is so much that goes into a new air conditioner purchase that prices can vary from one homeowner to the next. However, you can estimate which systems are generally more expensive by knowing what your Frigidaire contractor accounts for when calculating an air conditioning system quote for your home.
Factors That Affect Air Conditioner Cost
Tonnage:
Your home will be paired with an air conditioner that is able to provide the right amount of cooling capacity. Capacity is measured in tons. Calculating tonnage involves several different factors including: size of the home, efficiency of building materials, amount of people living in the home and more.
Efficiency:
The energy-efficiency rating of your air conditioner can oftentimes be associated with a higher initial price tag. However, this is the one area that there is the greatest potential for money-savings (see below.)
Labor Costs:
There isn’t a “one size fits all” solution for air conditioning like other appliance purchases. Labor costs may vary from home to home because each home has a different situation that may need to be addressed. . An important thing for you to keep in mind is that although price doesn’t always correlate to installation quality, for the most part you get what you pay for. Get several quotes from different contractors in your area and do your research. Different contractors will have certain certifications for specific equipment. Make sure the contractor you hire is qualified and licensed to install the air conditioner you want.
What Else Do You Need?
Factors like the unit’s installation location, whether or not you have the correct duct work or whether you are replacing only the outdoor or indoor component of a split system air conditioner, can affect the price. The more your contractor has to do or install, the higher both part and labor costs will be.
- Financing
Many contractors offer low-interest financing options that can help take the sticker shock off a new air conditioner.
Quality Contractor:
The best way to avoid emergency service calls is to hire the right contractor at the get-go. You are less likely to have a malfunctioning air conditioner if you hire the right contractor for the installation job, which means you save money on costly repairs.
Efficiency:
This is the big opportunity to save money. Although high-efficiency air conditioners cost more than standard-efficiency systems, they can make up the difference in utility bill savings each month. Not only that, but they can qualify for tax credits, utility rebates and incentives that will help lower the upfront cost. The cost to run an inefficient, old system can be taxing on the bank account. Even replacing your old air conditioner with one that meets minimum efficiency ratings can help.
- Don’t skimp on installation costs.
- DON’T BUY ONLINE! You can’t ensure that the air conditioner is the right size or has been installed correctly. Because of this, manufacturers will void the warranty.
- Know when it is no longer beneficial to repair your air conditioner and it is time to shell out the money to buy a new air conditioner
