Do you have an air conditioner that's on its last legs? Are you in the process of arranging to have a new one installed before the weather really heats up? In many parts of the country, having a working air conditioner is essential to being able to live and function while at home. But although it may be tempting to simply swap out your current unit for one that is as similar to it as possible, this may not be the best course of action. Some things need to be considered first before the actual purchase and installation are performed. A few of the most important considerations include the following.

1. Duct layout: If the home was added onto or otherwise modified in some way since your current air conditioner was installed, the ventilation may no longer be configured for the most efficient airflow within your home. Before any air conditioning installation services technician discusses the type of air conditioner to install for your home, you should definitely get your ductwork checked out. Not only could the layout be bad, some of the ducting could have become separated from the other parts, allowing cold air to leak into your attic or crawlspace. This leaking air could give you the impression that your new air conditioner isn't functional and needs to be replaced.

2. Home size: Even if your home hasn't changed size since the last air conditioner was installed, your air conditioning installation services technician should check to make sure that your new unit is the correct size for your home's square footage. An air conditioner that is too small will wind up running most of the time, in an attempt to cool your home and it may not be able to do so. A unit that is too big will certainly keep your home cool but will use more power to do so than an appropriately sized unit would. Keep this in mind if, for some reason, you might have to choose between a unit that is slightly too powerful and one that is smaller than you need.

3. Secondary units:   In some instances, it makes sense to have your air conditioning installation services technician install a whole-house unit and also window units in the bedroom. This can allow you to cool off the whole house when it's very warm, or you can turn off that unit and only turn on the bedroom units when it's slightly warm, and you need to sleep. Just using the bedroom units can save money when the weather is uncomfortably warm, but not hot, while the whole-house unit can keep the house comfortable even when the weather gets hot.

For more information, contact a company like A-1Finchum Heating.