Should You Buy an Air Conditioner Online?

If you are reading this article then you must already be considering purchasing your next air conditioner online and are trying to decide if you should or not. A good question a lot of people ask is if they should purchase an air conditioner online? The simple answer is maybe. Below we will highlight the various things you should consider when purchasing your next air conditioner online.

Why Purchase an Air Conditioner Online?

There are several reasons why you might want to purchase your air conditioner online. The biggest reason most people purchase an air conditioner online is the price. Many installers inflate the price on equipment as it is much easier to purchase from them rather than purchasing on your own. This higher price can be much higher than when you purchase your air conditioner from an online retailer. Most people that purchase an air conditioner online can save thousands of dollars on their equipment alone.

Who Will Install It?

The next thing you need to consider is who is going to install the air conditioner. Some HVAC technicians will not install air conditioners that were purchased online as they want to sell you the equipment as well (see reason why above). If you don't already have an installer, it is best to start looking now and get several quotes for the installation. This will help you find the contractor that you like the best and give you a variety of quotes to consider before selecting the final installer. We recommend that you have a technician already lined up to install your air conditioner when you make your purchase.

What Air Conditioner To Buy?

The next thing to remember is that you need to make sure you are purchasing the correct air conditioner. The biggest option you have when buying an air conditioner is the tonnage of the unit. The tonnage of the unit is what determines how much cooling the unit actual matchup. The next thing to consider is the SEER or efficiency of the unit. The higher the SEER rating the more efficient it is. When you purchase your unit online, you are responsible for the return shipping if you make an error so it is always a good idea to ask as many questions as possible and seek their help in finding the correct air conditioner. Most of the time it is recommended to replace your current air conditioner with the closest matching tonnage. This ensures that your furnace is still sized correctly for your home. If you are unsure of your air conditioner specifications you can look for a plate on the air conditioner that lists the model number and various other specifications and then call with that information to help decide what air conditioner is best for your home.

Do You Need a New Coil or Handler?

Another thing to consider is whether or not you will need a new evaporator coil. The evaporator coil is the part of the air conditioner system that is located inside your home whether in your air handler or next to your furnace. This is the part that actually gets cold and then your furnace or air handler blows the cold air throughout the house. Many times, if you are changing your air conditioner you will want to change your coil as well. The reason behind the change is that if your old system runs on R22 refrigerant then your old coil cannot handle the pressures of the new R410a refrigerant. The other reason is that newer units achieve a much higher SEER rating however to do this they require a larger evaporator coil with more surface area. To ensure that your system works as good as possible you will usually want to replace the evaporator coil at the same time.

What About a Warranty?

A common myth of purchasing your air conditioner online is that you do not receive a factory warranty. This is false but manufactures do have different requirements for their warranty. It is always best to read the warranty documentation but most manufactures require you to use a licensed installer and to register the air conditioner after installation.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, when purchasing your air conditioner online is that you need to make sure that you completely understand what you are purchasing and who you are having to install it. As long as you can answer those questions, you should not have any issues when purchasing your next air conditioner online.