You deserve the best air conditioner for your home. But do you need the absolute best? Is it worth the cost?
These are important questions.
But let’s say money is no barrier and you want the absolute best of the best for your home. We’re going to walk through exactly how you would build out a best-in-class, ultimate cooling system for your home.
Then we’ll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of this approach, to help you decide whether or not you want to go “top shelf” with your HVAC, and exactly how you can get it for your home.
How to Get the Best Air Conditioner
We’re going beyond just the air conditioner to get you the best.
Because an air conditioner is just a piece of equipment. Yes, there are different brands, models, and more advanced technology in some of them.
But what about the person installing the AC? What about the comfort accessories you add to your home to increase your comfort even further?
These questions – and their answers – are how we’re truly going to build you the ultimate system.
Best Air Conditioner Installation
First let’s talk about air conditioner installation. Because here’s the dirty truth: your AC installation matters as much or more to the integrity of your system as the equipment itself.
Ok, so how do we find the best installer? Doesn’t every contractor do the same thing?
Partially. The bones are the same, but the details are where the good companies separate themselves from the bad companies.
First, are they measuring your home to calculate HVAC system size? Not just square footage. Everything. Windows, doors, ceiling height, the quality and number of the windows, and much more.
This is called a Manual J Load Calculation, and it should really be standard for all installations. It isn’t, unfortunately, which means you’re going to have to ask about it when listening to sales pitches.
Next, what’s their commissioning process? Stated differently, how do they test the equipment once it’s installed? Because if they just tell you it’s done and leave, they’ve done it wrong.
Air pressure, static pressure, air flow, temperature variance, refrigerant pressure, and more should be checked. If they don’t do these things, you’re missing out on fine-tuning your system for optimal performance.
Lastly, check reviews. Bad ones too. Look, no one’s proud of bad reviews, but even great companies have a few. How does the company handle these situations, though? That’s the important part. So look at the overall review total, the average star rating, and also the bad reviews. This will give you a complete picture of a company.
Best Air Conditioner Brand
The best air conditioner brand is…well, you see, the thing is…
We don’t mean to waffle. An answer to the question is below. It’s just not as simple as naming our favorite brand.
The truth is that there isn’t a Single Best HVAC Brand. No such thing. But there are good, trusted brands, and shadier ones that exist to be sold to unsuspecting homeowners for cheap.
One of the more misunderstood aspects of this is that a less established brand can easily discontinue products, making parts more difficult to obtain. This is rarely the case for larger brands. Repairs can cost up to twice as much as a result!
“You get what you pay for” applies to both equipment and installations. A $3,000 air conditioner might sound great now, but won’t in 5-6 years when it’s breaking down, making a bunch of noise, and costing you more on energy bills.
So what are the “good” brands? You can read our article below that goes into more detail, but a handful include Amana, American Standard, Bryant, Daikin, Goodman, Lennox, Rheem, Ruud, Trane, York and a handful of others.
ARTICLE: Best Furnace Brands: Your Guide to Savings & Efficiency (yes, it’s furnace brands, but they all do good AC work too)
Here at CABS Heating and Air Conditioning, we’ll work with any brand of HVAC equipment but primarily install Lennox systems. We’ve found them to be reliable, efficient, and easy to work with on things like parts and support.
Sometimes paying extra for name-brand products can be more money than it’s worth. But this is the next 10-20 years of cooling comfort for your home. Cutting corners with an obscure brand that might not be supported in the same way can cost you in the long-run.
Best SEER Efficiency Rating
SEER Rating is a measure of air conditioner efficiency. If you’d like to know more, we have a deep dive on SEER linked below.
ALSO READ: What Is a Good SEER Rating? Your Cooling Efficiency Guide
Let’s again take a little wind out of the idea of “Best” SEER rating. Traditional, central air AC units can reach SEER ratings of 20-22, but you may not need this.
If you have an older system, chances are it’s operating at or below 10 SEER. A jump even to 18 SEER is enormous in terms of both cost savings and comfort levels.
In this case, the difference between 18 SEER and 20 SEER will be very minor, but the difference between your old 8-10 SEER equipment and either of those newer ones will be like you’ve entered a different, more comfortable universe.
Most contractors will have a high-end option they prefer to install. This generally ranges in the 16-20 SEER range. If you want to squeeze every last bit of cooling out of your system, splurge for the highest. Most times, though, 16-18 is going to be a huge upgrade for you, and the difference between that and “Best” is not one you’ll notice.
Best Air Conditioner Staging
Just as important as air conditioner efficiency rating is staging, and indeed staging and efficiency are linked closely.
Air conditioners come in one of three types:
- Single-stage
- Two-stage
- Variable speed
The first two are more self-explanatory. The last, variable speed, could be anything from 3-5 stages to 500 or more!
More stages equals more cost-efficiency, eco-friendliness, and comfort. Think of it like having extra gears to shift to in a car. Having only one gear would make for a miserable ride.
The best modern air conditioner technology is variable speed. This will come with an increase in installation costs due to the sophistication of the equipment. However, it’s the right choice for many homes because of the many benefits.
Cooling Accessories
We’re not quite done, because we have to talk about cooling accessories in your home! Yes, accessories don’t just refer to fashion but can be for your home as well. Like flashy earrings, except not flashy. Or earrings. Actually, let’s forget that analogy and just get back to talking about HVAC.
The biggest thing you can purchase to support your air conditioner is a whole-home dehumidifier.
A large part of what air conditioners do is remove moisture from the air. Whole-house dehumidifiers make this job easier and increase the cooling power of your home system.
Particularly if you live in an area where controlling high humidity is difficult, it’s worth considering one of these, because it will reduce costs and increase comfort in the home for many years. It can also help against basement leaking, mold, mildew, bug infestations, seasonal allergies and more!
RELATED: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): A Complete Home Guide
Cost of a Top of the Line Air Conditioner
Cost range for a high-end air conditioner is generally $10,000 to $14,000. This includes all fees and labor charges.
Can costs be less? Yes. Tax incentives and rebates on high-end equipment can take thousands of dollars off of that price.
Additionally, some of the price is dependent on where you live and the size of your home. If you live in a 10-bedroom mansion, you may actually need multiple systems to cool your entire home. Conversely, an 800 square foot home may end up coming in under that range.
Cost of living accounts for a lot too. In New York City? Expect the higher end. Rural America? You will likely be significantly less. That range is typical for homes in the country, but getting exact quotes is always recommended.
Do You Need Best-in-Class Cooling?
This is the question, isn’t it? Do you need the absolute best, or just something that’s “good enough.”
If you’re going to be in your home for a long time and can afford the initial cost of everything detailed above, it really can be life-changing to have an amazing HVAC system. The difference between an entry-level system and a top-end system can mean thousands of dollars saved in energy costs in the next decade or more, and a lot more consistent comfort.
This isn’t to disparage entry-level equipment, though. If your air conditioner is older, any new model is going to be a huge upgrade for you.
So it’s more a matter of what’s best for you individually.
We can help you answer that question for your home. We have a range of options for every home situation, every budget, and every dream of having a consistently cool home.
Give us a call here at CABS today and let’s get started on your journey to best-in-class cooling comfort, whatever that ends up meaning for you and your home.
