High Efficiency Central Air Question

17 years ago

Hi, our central air conditioner is at least 20 years old (we bought our house 8 years ago and were told it was the original). We haven't hardly used it because it takes forever to cool, and because the house also came with the old, leaky original windows. We've recently had the windows replaced and are now ready for a new central air conditioner.

We'd decided on a high efficiency model, but I just read that those often require extensive duct work remodeling. Is there any way to tell if we would require such remodeling, and if we do, does anyone here know if that is very expensive? The ducts are accessible from the attic, and they are insulated. The air conditioner unit is outdoors, so I assume the new one would be hooked up outdoors as well?

How about medium efficiency air conditioners, I read they don't require duct work. Do they run up much higher cooling costs than high efficiency?

Thanks in advance for any info, and sorry for all the probably really dumb questions. All this air conditioning stuff is new to hubby and me.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

veesubotee
17 years ago
It's impossible to say what if any modifications to the duct system would be necessary without an inspection.

What jumps out initially, is your statement: "We haven't hardly used it because it takes forever to cool"

Do you wait for your house to get hot, then turn on the a/c? If so, depending on where you live, and the condition of your house, it could take forever for the system to recover. Try setting the stat at your temperature and leaving it there.

A high efficiency a/c (nor a medium one), in itself, does not require extensive duct modifications. Many homes have poorly designed duct systems which may be too small for the tonnage of a/c being used. This results in poor air flow (may be few or all ducts). It also may be excessively loud.

So don't upside your a/c due to the present unit's performance. Have a proper heat calculation done and ask for a printed copy.

When a new a/c is installed with a modern furnace (or air handler) equipped with a variable speed blower, the blower will attempt to push the required amount of air through the ducts, regardless of any shortcomings of the system. Again, could be loud and system could fail prematurely.

V
User
Original Author
17 years ago
veesubotee, many thanks for the info. I guess we'll wait and see what the local H/C people think re. the duct work.
We live in TX, but in the hill country which does not get as hot as much of the rest of the state. The old air conditioner is likely low on freon, from what I've read. Since they are phasing freon out by 2010, we'd be better off replacing now. Especially with the energy saver tax credits offered this year.
Related Professionals
Fayetteville General Contractors · Mount Vernon General Contractors · Topeka General Contractors · Brainerd General Contractors · Santa Barbara General Contractors · Florence Home Remodeling · Texarkana Home Remodeling · Mankato Home Remodeling · Sioux Falls Home Remodeling · Pocatello Home Remodeling · Miami Bathroom Remodelers · Rock Hill Bathroom Remodelers · Muskegon Bathroom Remodelers · Honolulu Bathroom Remodelers · Edmonton Bathroom Remodelers