#1 for Central AC Services in Glastonbury, CT With Over 190 Reviews
Whether you’re installing a central AC system in your home, you need repairs on your current system, or you’re looking to keep your unit performing as it should with regular maintenance, you can trust SM Mechanical Services to provide you with the service that you need.
SM Mechanical Services provides AC services for folks throughout Connecticut, including those who reside here in our hometown of Wethersfield. Feel free to reach out to us for a quick quote for your project, or if you have any questions about our services — take note, we also provide emergency HVAC services if you’re in a bind and require service for your central AC as soon as possible! You can also continue reading to learn more about central AC systems, the benefits of central AC over other cooling systems, and guidelines on how to choose the right unit to meet the demands of your home.
What Is a Central AC System?
Central AC systems are the most common solution for residents across the nation, and they work similarly to your furnace — except, of course, they pump cool air throughout the ducts and vents of your home. A central AC unit relies on an exterior AC unit that is outfitted with a fan, compressor, and condensing coil. This unit is attached to an interior portion of your cooling system (via the refrigerant line) to evaporator coils which are contained within the “plenum” (a space in the ducts) at the beginning of your home’s internal ductwork, where air is cooled and then pumped through your home with a blower fan.
These cooling units rely on a refrigerant fluid which cools the air in the plenum as it is forced through the interior of your home. As the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator coils of the plenum, it absorbs heat from the surrounding air, thus cooling it. Then, the refrigerant cycles back to the exterior AC unit where the condenser, compressor coil, and fan work to cool and compress the refrigerant, which, in turn, transforms the refrigerant back into a liquid. From there, the cycle continuously repeats.
Your thermostat is hooked up to the AC unit to trigger the unit and fans to run during an “On” cycle.
The Benefits of Central AC Over Other Systems
Central AC units have a massive portion of the cooling system market simply because they’re the most effective, most efficient, and most economical choice for most homes. Central AC units are highly effective, since their larger AC unit quickly condenses the refrigerant which cycles through the system. This provides adequate liquid refrigerant to the evaporator coils, which, in turn, provides a powerful source to cool the air of a home. From there, a simple blower fan and ductwork are the only additional components (that ductless and mini-split systems don’t have) that are required to push the cool air throughout the spaces of your home.
While some may think that smaller, individual systems may be more efficient, they usually aren’t. Smaller systems (including ductless and mini-split systems) are best for smaller spaces or spaces that may be difficult to connect to a large exterior AC unit. Central AC systems are highly efficient, even though there may be some cold air lost through the seams of your ductwork. Even this lost air will cool your home, which means that it won’t be all for naught.
As a more efficient system, central AC units tend to provide homeowners with more value than other units. While an installation may cost more up front, you’ll save money in the long run thanks to reduced energy bills. In addition, you’ll only have to install ductwork once for the lifetime of your home, and maintenance and repairs on these units are relatively straightforward.
However, exterior central AC units may not last as long as ductless or split AC systems (which can last up to 20 years) and may need to be replaced every 12 to 15 years — likely when the compressor fails. Fortunately, replacing these units is often easy and fairly inexpensive, since most exterior AC units are at ground level, where they can be detached, carted off, and replaced without much fuss.
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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT UNIT
Here in Connecticut, our AC units ar18en’t on for much of the year. However, when summer rolls around, you’ll still certainly need to turn on the AC. We recommend the following AC unit sizes, according to the square footage of space that will be cooled by the unit — take note, a “ton” is not the actual weight of the AC unit; rather, it is the amount of BTUs (British Thermal Units) it may remove from the air in your home in one hour. One ton is equal to 12,000 BTUs removed.
AC UNIT SIZE GUIDELINES FOR CONNECTICUT:
- 700 to 1,100 square foot spaces: 1.5-ton AC unit
- 1,101 to 1,400 square foot spaces: 2-ton AC unit
- 1,401 to 1,650 square foot spaces: 2.5-ton AC unit
- 1,651 to 2,100 square foot spaces: 3-ton AC unit
- 2,101 to 2,300 square foot spaces: 3.5-ton AC unit
- 2,301 to 2,700 square foot spaces: 4-ton AC unit
- 2,701 to 3,300 square foot spaces: 5-ton AC unit
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Now, the guidelines listed above are just that: guidelines. While our scale will give you a rough estimate of the amount of cooling power you’ll need out of your AC unit in order to cool your home, you should be wary that other factors are in play. For example, you may have a home with walls, windows, and doors that have a high r-value (which measures the insulation efficiency of these components). For these homes, less cooling power will be necessary, and you may be able to get away with a smaller unit with a lesser tonnage. On the other hand, if you have a home with poor insulation, a home that is constantly bombarded by sunlight, or even a home where the kids are constantly coming and going while the family dog uses the doggy door, then your demands could be higher. Speak with an HVAC professional about the square footage of your home, your habits, and the r-value of the envelope of your home.
Trust SM Mechanical Services
If you’re stuck in the sun, don’t sweat — you can count on SM Mechanical Services for AC unit installs, repairs, and maintenance. Plus, as we mentioned, we offer emergency repair services if you’re really in a pinch. Feel free to reach out to us today to get a quick quote for your project, and keep cool this summer!