If you want to make some major upgrades in your home, then a new cooling system may be at the top of your list. Air conditioning systems can make your home more comfortable, reduce moisture in your house, and increase your home's value. However, a new cooling system is a huge purchase that can cost you as much as $10,000. To make the most of your purchase, you should choose the unit that is the most efficient. There are several things you should look for when it comes to air conditioner efficiency. 

Coil Size And Design

Almost all air conditioners have a series of coils both inside the condenser and the evaporator units. These coils are designed in a specific way to transfer heat away from the condenser coils as they run through the condenser unit that sits outside your home. The coils that sit inside your home are made to pull in heat from the air that moves past the copper tubing. 

Throughout the years, regulatory changes have made it necessary for air conditioning manufacturers to make their units more efficient. They have done this by designing their coils differently. Specifically, the coils are installed in a few different shapes to encourage heat transfer. Both N-shaped and A-shaped coils are now being used. You should look for a unit that has one of these designed.

An A-shaped coil creates a triangle A-shape. This type of coil allows air to flow over the top of the coils and also along the backside of them. Typically, two layers of coils will be seen along the right and left side of the A-shape. This helps to increase the surface area while also minimizing the amount of space that the coil takes up in the AC unit. 

While A-shaped coils are considered efficient, N-shaped varieties are much more so. N-shaped coils look similar to A-shaped types, but they have a separate leg or protrusion that extends from the right side of the coil. This creates the N shape. This type of coil takes up a little bit more space than the A-shaped variety. However, the coil is larger and the surface area of the coil is greater. This means faster heat transfer.

Whether you choose an A-shaped or an N-shaped coil, you should make sure that the tubes that make up the coils are relatively large in diameter. This increases surface area as well for better cooling efficiency.

Variable Speed Blower

If you have a high-efficiency heating system, then you may notice that the heater seems to blow heat through the home more aggressively when the system first turns on. The heater will burn a good deal of fuel at first to rapidly increase the temperature in your home. The blower will increase its speed or intensity when this happens as well. The system will then reduce its energy consumption afterwards. 

Much like these high-efficiency heating systems, certain types of air conditioners also have variable blower speeds. Blower speeds are high when the unit starts, and then they slow down as the house cools. In the case of your air conditioner, the blower will force more air over the evaporator coil as the speed increases. The coils can then remove more heat from the air, and the cooled air can be pumped into your house. 

Since the heat that is absorbed by the evaporator coil must be expelled outside the home, the outdoor fan must also increase its speed. While this may use more electricity initially, your air conditioner will need to turn on less often, and it will not need to cycle as long. Not only does this assist with efficiency, but it also reduced the stress on your air conditioner so it will last longer, with fewer maintenance concerns.

Many variable-blower-speed systems come with automatic delay fan switches as well. This type of switch, which also may be called a delayed blower switch, keeps the evaporator blower on for some time once the system no longer calls for cool air. This helps to move residual cool air into the house before the system turns off completely. 

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