The Importance of Proper Air Conditioning Installation

Cooling our homes with advanced energy efficient systems improves comfort, health and productivity while increasing home value – but to reap these rewards they must be installed correctly.

An HVAC pro can evaluate your home’s insulation, ductwork and more to determine the most suitable system installation option, thereby minimizing surprise costs and future service calls. This assessment helps reduce unexpected expenses and unnecessary service calls.

Choosing the Right Unit

If you have decided to invest in a new AC unit, it’s essential that it fits properly for your home and is of appropriate size. Doing so could save thousands in energy costs over its lifespan while keeping your home cool and comfortable year-round.

Preparing the installation site prior to arriving is also key, including clearing away anything that may obstruct a technician from carrying out their job – this includes garbage cans, barbecues and children’s toys that might obstruct his/her efforts.

As part of your installation, be prepared to discuss and educate yourself on every detail surrounding it. It may be tempting for homeowners to assume their AC contractor will handle everything for them; however, understanding exactly what happens during installation will help avoid any surprises later on.

Preparing the Installation Site

If you are installing a system in an older home without existing ductwork, a contractor will have to add one from scratch – which can be both costly and time consuming.

As part of their service, contractors should perform a Manual J load calculation. This will determine the heat gain in the home, helping select an ideal unit size to address it effectively and reduce energy bills accordingly. Too small would not provide adequate cooling while too big would cause unnecessary wear-and-tear on its components and cause higher energy bills overall.

A technician will then pour a concrete pad or use composite pad to install the air conditioning unit on. They will connect the line set up from step one directly into the service valve of the air conditioner to ensure leak-free service; many companies skip this step but doing so could save significant amounts in long-term savings.

Connecting the Unit to the Ductwork

Your home’s duct system is an intricate network of tubes located within walls, floors and ceilings that carries heated or cooled air from one room to the next. Supply side ducts deliver air through registers while return side ducts draw in outside air for circulation back through HVAC equipment.

Sizing your home’s ductwork appropriately is key to energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. Each room must receive just the right amount of air without wasting energy or adding pollutants into your environment.

Proper sealing and insulation of ductwork is also vitally important; leaky air ducts lead to increased energy costs as well as rooms that don’t stay as cool.

Assuming you don’t have experience installing your ductwork yourself, it is generally wiser to let a professional installation team take over this task. They possess all of the skills and tools necessary for fast, safe installation of quality ductwork systems that meet industry standards – as well as understanding how best to insulate and seal them for long-term performance.

Installing the Condenser

Condensers are at the core of every new air conditioning system, acting to release pressure and heat from pressurized refrigerant so it can return to your evaporator coil for absorption, thus continuing its cycle. A dirty condenser can hinder efficiency as well as damage its fins; these can easily become bent or displaced when attempted by homeowners themselves without professional guidance for tuning-up purposes.

An effective HVAC installation team will carefully select a location to place their new unit. They should make sure it is free from garbage cans, barbecue grills, kids toys or any other obstructions; maintenance and servicing must also be accessible easily.

Install the condenser on a composite pad, install a line set from the house to the air conditioner, connect copper tubing from it directly to its service valve on the air conditioner and examine its electrical wiring versus that in its manual.