How to Choose an Air-Conditioning System?

Choosing an Air Conditioning System

Selecting an air conditioner for your home is a big decision. It's an important investment today. It will play a key role in your home energy expenses for years to come. And when the summer heat is at its worst, you'll want your family to have the best, most reliable cooling comfort possible. Here are a few things to consider.

What do good central air units have in common?

The best ones are efficient, operating on minimal electricity to hold utility bills down. They provide steady, dependable performance year after year when properly maintained. Good systems are quiet, long-lasting and low in service needs.

How can I be sure my Unit is the right size?

Obviously, an air conditioner that's too small won't keep your home sufficiently cool. But what many don't realize is that an oversized system will cycle (turn on and off) more than necessary, wasting expensive energy and possibly putting undue strain on the compressor.

A good contractor will determine the optimum size for your home by making a careful study of your cooling requirements. Window dimensions and exposure. Floor space, insulation and local climate. Heat-generating appliances. The direction your home faces. Even the amount of your home's exterior shaded by trees.

He'll specify the cooling capacity of the system in either Btu/h (British thermal units of heat removed per hour) or refrigeration tons (one ton being equal to 12,000 Btu/h).

Which air conditioners are energy efficient?

Much like automobile manufacturers, today's air conditioner manufacturers are required by law to evaluate and rate their equipment according to its energy efficiency. This rating is known in the industry as a SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the equipment.

Most new homes with central air come equipped with a standard builder's model. However, when replacement becomes necessary, property owners can upgrade their air conditioning by specifying a more energy-efficient system.

The Rheem Classic XIV® High Efficiency model, for example, has a SEER of 14.00, among the highest available. It's significantly higher than today's standard models, many of which carry SEER's of around 10.

High SEER models are generally more expensive, but can easily make up the difference by reducing your home energy bills over the long run.

Are some air conditioners built better than others?

The compressor is the heart of a condensing unit. On a hot day, it works long and hard. Rheem installs the highly advanced scroll compressor in every Rheem condensing unit we produce. Scroll Compressors are recognized by the industry as the leader in reliability, efficiency and quiet operation.

Other features to look for include louvered steel cabinets that protect the coils from damage and expensive repair bills.

Also, with some condensing units, the fan can be another source of bothersome noise. Rheem units have a grill design that minimizes air restriction for quieter fan operation.

How to Choose a Furnace System?

Choosing a Furnace System

These days, home owners search for all the value they can find in every household purchase they make. You're probably no different. So when the time comes to replace a furnace in an existing central heating system, or to install a totally new system, you want equipment that minimizes costs and delivers dependable comfort for your family - season after season. Here's a look at some things to consider.

What do Good Furnaces Have in Common?

The best furnaces are efficient. They keep a home warm and comfortable. They provide steady, dependable performance year after year. And they are quiet, long-lasting and low in service frequency and cost.

Which Furnaces are Energy Efficient?

When a furnace loses or wastes heat, it requires more energy to keep your home warm. Some furnaces lose heat through the walls of the furnace cabinet. Energy-efficient furnaces like Rheem's full line of state-of-the-art models significantly reduce this loss with a blanket of insulation that lines the inside of the cabinet walls.

When a gas furnace is not in operation, most send a steady, wasteful draft of warm household air traveling up the venting system and out the roof. The Rheem Classic® Series and Classic® Plus Lines - with AFUE ratings of 78% and better - feature an induced-draft blower that works in conjunction with a hot surface ignition system to pull hot gases through the heat exchanger at a constant and controlled rate of flow. As the burner cycles off, the draft blower stops, keeping the heating air in the system.

Pilot lights also can be wasteful. The electric ignition in many of Rheem's furnaces eliminates the need for a constantly burning pilot. This feature alone gives up to 6% higher efficiency. And in combination with an induced-draft blower, can improve furnace efficiencies by over 20%.

Most gas furnaces vent combustion by-products and gases by allowing the warm air to rise naturally. However, on occasion, proper venting of combustion by-products may be restricted due to blockage, deterioration of venting systems, malfunctions or other causes.

The Rheem induced-draft blower maintains a constant draft through the heat exchanger, which assures proper venting of the furnace combustion chamber. Rheem also features a pressure switch which continuously monitors venting; and in the event it senses a vent flow restriction, it will automatically shut down your heating system for your safety.

The most efficient furnaces tap the energy of the hot vent gases - which can reach temperatures of 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and more. The Rheem Classic Series® 2-Stage 90 Plus gas furnace does this by routing the hot gases through a secondary heat exchanger. This step captures the otherwise wasted heat-using it to preheat the household air-and delivers AFUE ratings up to 95%

A high-efficiency furnace generally wears a higher price tag, but it can make up the difference by reducing operating costs over the long run. And with today's consumer interest in efficiency, such equipment enhances the bottom line of your home.

Are some furnaces better than others?

Definitely. Features to look for include heat exchangers that resist corrosion, direct-drive blower units, induced draft blowers, pressure switches, and an insulated blower compartment, which helps minimize operating noise.

You also should ask your contractor if the manufacturer of the brand you're considering quality-checks and tests every unit before it leaves the plant.

And be sure to check out the terms of the Limited Warranty. Quality manufacturers put a convincing warranty behind their work. Rheem furnaces, which include all the features described here, offer one of the very best. Even the primary and secondary heat exchangers in the Rheem 90 Plus® are protected by a Limited Lifetime Heat Exchanger Warranty.