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Energy efficient, well-made air conditioners dependably maintain a pleasantly cool temperature in your home even during the worst summer heat. McKinney, TX residents know there is nothing more nightmarish than having their AC start blowing out hot air in the middle of the night when work expects them bright and early in the morning.

The quality of air conditioner installation is also vital to ensuring your AC works smoothly and as expected. Even placement of larger window AC units should be done by technicians who have in-depth knowledge of proper weight distribution, leveling window ACs to prevent leaks and correctly inserting insulation to maximize cooling efficiency.

What to Look for When Buying an Air Conditioner

Air conditioners should operate quietly so that you hardly notice they are running in the background. An AC’s noise level is measured in units called bels. For example, an AC with a noise level of six bels will be 10 times louder than an AC with a noise level of five bels. Since six to seven bels is an average noise level for ACs, quieter air conditioners will have noise levels less than six bels. Also, air conditioner installation errors could cause an AC to make more noise than it should.

Other characteristics of an AC unit that McKinney, TX residents shouldn’t be without during the Lone Star State’s incredibly hot summers include:

Oscillating vents: high quality central air conditioners should have oscillating vents that force cold air currents to circulate around a room. This provides consistent air movement and a more stable temperature range. When oscillating vents fail to circulate cooled air, call our air conditioner installation and repair technicians for quick service.

Remote control: Air conditioners equipped with a remote control allow users to change AC’s controls without actually walking over to the AC.

Energy efficiency: unless rooms in which you are installing ACs have a dedicated electrical line, ACs using more than 12 to 14 amps of electricity may disengage your circuit breaker. Energy efficient air conditioners not intended for industrial cooling should not draw more than 15 amps since the majority of average-sized rooms contain circuits meant for less than 15 amps. If you aren’t sure about the amp amount used by an AC, have an air conditioner installation and repair technician evaluate the situation before plugging in the AC.

Automatic checks: Quality air conditioners will offer things such as a “filter check” light that tells the user when the filter should be changed or cleaned; a sleep mode that automatically adjusts the cooling settings at night; a timer that allows you to preset the unit to turn on or off at certain times of the day; and an inverter system that lets the AC alter speed levels according to cooling demands.

What Goes Wrong with Low-Quality or Older Air Conditioners?

Avoid dealing with unexpected AC breakdowns by having our air conditioner installation and repair technicians regularly inspect your ACs for signs of wear-and-tear or impending failure.

Common mechanical issues impacting older or lower quality ACs include:

• Broken thermostats and fan controls
• Defects in the duct system (often due to improper air conditioner installation)
• Compressor failures with central air conditioners
• Leaking coolant due to cheap rubber tubing

Before installing an air conditioner or central air conditioning unit in your home, schedule an appointment with one of our friendly K&S Heating and Air technicians to ensure your AC doesn’t stop working in the middle of a scorching Texas heat wave.

5 Tips for Purchasing the Right Air Conditioner

Air conditioner installation of the wrong type of AC for your needs could result in rooms that are too cold or not cold enough, expensive energy bills and dissatisfaction with something you probably can’t return. Here’s five great tips from your air conditioner installation technicians at K&S Heating and Air in McKinney, TX.

• Check the SEER rating of central air conditioners. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, a rating system that measures the ability of an AC unit to cool divided by how much electricity the unit needs to provide sufficient cooling. The lowest SEER rating is a “10” while the highest is a “16”. Higher SEER ratings indicate an AC unit that is more energy efficient, provides better warranties and is low-maintenance. Beware of any air conditioners with SEER ratings less than 10, since they are operating far below industry standards and should not be installed in new homes.
• Does the air conditioner have an adjustable, energy efficient thermostat? Do you have a choice of more than two speeds for both fan and cooling? Are vents able to be adjusted to direct cooling air in the direction you need it? If you find that filters are inaccessible without removing parts, have one of our air conditioner installation and repair technicians come to your home to safely remove and clean filters.
• Room air conditioners use the EER, or Energy Efficient Rating to determine how efficiently an AC unit operates. You can find both the SEER and EER ratings on the energy guide label attached to all air conditioners.

Also, determine whether the room has any mitigating characteristics that might affect the cooling ability of the AC unit. For example, does the room receive a majority of daytime sunlight? Or do large trees shade the room and prevent much warmth from heating it? Does the room have high ceilings? If so, you will need an AC unit with higher EER or SEER ratings. Additionally, keep in mind how many people are often in the room. The number of people remaining for several hours in a room can significantly affect the average temperature of that room.

Air Conditioner Installation in McKinney, TX

We can help you decide what kind of AC would work best in your home or business and install both window and central AC units professionally and affordably. Call K&S Heating and Air today for immediate assistance with all your cooling needs.