The hot weather has officially arrived and that means it’s time to start thinking about air conditioning service Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. How confident are you in your AC system’s ability to cool your home for the next six months? If your system is old and outdated, it might be time for an upgrade.
Even if your system is technically still working, consider how much it costs to run it. If your system is more than ten years old, an upgraded model will drastically reduce the cost of operation and make it much more affordable to cool your home during our extended cooling season.
The exact savings will depend on the new model you choose, but you stand to save quite a bit by upgrading an old air conditioner. Let’s look at your options for the best AC system for your Orange County home.
Central Air Conditioner
Did you know that energy efficiency ratings for central air conditioners recently changed? The previous SEER ratings were updated in January 2022 and have been replaced by SEER2. SEER2 evaluates AC efficiency ratings, which provides a more accurate representation of efficiency based on real-world conditions.
Although you don’t have to replace an AC simply because it has a SEER rating, it does mean that a new air conditioner with a higher SEER2 rating stands to save you a lot on energy usage and utility bills. The higher the SEER2 rating, the more energy-efficient the AC system will be. The minimum SEER2 rating is 14.3, but they go as high as 21.5!
Today’s uber-efficient central AC systems use inverter technology and feature two-stage or variable-speed compressors and variable-speed blowers. With this technology, your new AC system will be able to modulate the speed that it runs to maximize efficiency and your home comfort levels.
Central Heat Pump
Many homeowners are making the switch from central ACs to heat pumps. Heat pumps are ideal for our SoCal climate with its hot, extended cooling season and mild winter temperatures that rarely dip below freezing.
Heat pumps are highly energy efficient. They’re also rated by SEER2 for cooling and by HSPF2 for heating. That’s right: these versatile systems can also heat your home. As with central AC, the higher the SEER2/HSPF2, the more money you’ll save on utility costs.
Ductless Heat Pump (A Mini Split System)
Ductless mini splits are popular for their versatility and ability to customize your home cooling and heating. With air handlers in each room or zone of your home, you can vastly reduce usage. That’s because instead of cooling your entire home, you can choose to cool only one room or zone at a time.
For example, say you telecommute from your home office. You can cool down just this one room instead of running the central AC or heat pump which cools down the entire home. As you can imagine, the energy savings are impressive.
Contact us today for a professional opinion on whether it’s time for an AC upgrade!
Contact Saddleback Plumbing Heating & Air for fast, professional air conditioning services in Rancho Santa Margarita. We have served Orange County since 1981.