A lot of factors dictate HVAC pricing, so if you’re in the market for a new furnace or air conditioner for your home in Buckhead or Atlanta, you’ll need to know what to look for to get the most bang for your buck. Consider how brand, efficiency, features and size influence the total cost of an HVAC system.
Brand
Just like any consumer product, there are units designed just to be a low quality, low price offering and there are units with high quality and longevity as their design criteria and as with all products, you get what you pay for. A brand like Trane has been around for a long time, is a leader in the industry, and as a result, has a reputation as an innovator in heating and cooling technologies. Trane makes units in all price ranges for all budgets. They tend to manufacture durable, dependable equipment that customers have trusted for decades.
Efficiency
Efficiency greatly dictates HVAC pricing, too. As a general rule, as the efficiency of an air conditioner or furnace goes up, so does its cost. The high-tech components manufacturers employ to make an HVAC system more efficient tend to cost more. But you get a higher return on the back end, too, in terms of comfort, life span and energy savings.
Features
It pays to investigate the features available in various HVAC systems. Some of the most important ones to consider include:
- A variable-speed air handler runs at multiple speeds to move air into the home, whereas a standard air handler is either off or on (running at full speed). As a result, your HVAC system can match the heating or cooling load of your home, but it will run the majority of the time at the lower speed, creating even home temperatures and saving energy.
- A two-stage compressor allows an air conditioner to run at a lower cooling stage and a higher cooling stage. The most important factor to know about this feature is that it tends to run most often at the lower stage, and it runs in longer cycles. As a result, it dehumidifies the home more efficiently and uses less energy. The lower stage means that it’s quiet, too.
- A two-stage gas valve leads to higher furnace efficiency. With two stages of fuel consumption, the furnace uses less energy when the heating load is lower, and ramps up only when the heating load reaches a certain limit. Most often, the furnace runs at the lower stage for optimal savings.
Sizing
You can’t change a home’s total square footage, which in part dictates the size of the HVAC system you’ll need, but you can change how much heating and cooling is required. You can do that by upgrading your insulation and sealing air leaks around the home. Duct sealing and tightening can make a huge difference in what size of unit is needed.
The bottom line.
Experts advise upgrading both the furnace and air conditioner (and the A/C coils) at the same time to ensure compatibility and peak efficiency. Depending on the factors listed above, the upgrade can range between $3,400 to $7,000. A Trane system can be designed to meet almost any budget and with its ten year parts and labor coverage, it’s hard to stop a Trane.
For more information about HVAC pricing, or to request a free home consultation, contact Reliable Heating and Air.