Central Air Conditioning Enterprise

Because many variables affect the price, it is hard to pin down the precise cost of a central air conditioner. One of the biggest influences on price is the efficiency rating. Rated for their efficiency in comparison to other units, the best models are top-dollar products that can cool your home for less energy than most other models. The average price range of $5,000 to $12,000 is also influenced by size. The larger the unit, the more it will cost; however, larger and more efficient units also cool better. In considering layout, a well-designed duct system is crucial, as poor installation will lead to a poorly performing (and possibly overpriced) unit.

While it is not a legal necessity, air conditioning in commercial vehicles is a big plus for driver comfort and productivity. When you think about it, it's a no-brainer. A cooled cab in some of the torrid conditions drivers must work in is almost as essential as the engine itself. Indeed, even the most temperate of conditions can turn hot if a driver is confined to a cab for hours on end.

The abbreviation HVAC means heating, ventilation, and air conditioning—a system that controls the temperature, humidity, and quality of the air inside a building. The term "central air," however, refers only to the cooling aspect of HVAC. Air conditioning works on the basic premise of lowering the temperature of the air that is blown into a space, which the air conditioning itself cannot do without the heating and ventilation components that complete the HVAC package. In other words, a comprehensive packaged system of not just air conditioning controls must be used to cool an entire building.

Central air conditioning can be quite a financial commitment for many businesses. The enterprise can expect to pay anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 for a system, and this is before any sort of installation or extra components like ducts or zoning systems, which can drive the price up even more. The payback period is somewhat better than it is for a furnace, because people do tend to work during the summer, and they might also work during winter if their heat isn't sufficient. On the other hand, businesses do have a lot more options when it comes to heating and cooling, including the use of fans, which may be inadequate for comfort but might be cheaper than central air.

Installing central air in a house that is 1,500 square feet usually costs between $3,000 and $7,000. That figure, of course, includes both the equipment and the labor to install it. But the estimated cost can vary quite a bit from that average due to a number of factors: the specific equipment model you choose, especially its efficiency and cooling capacity; the not-always-straightforward nature of the installation (for instance, going up into an attic or down into a basement); and ducting issues (either using existing ductwork or installing new ducts). Service from the average regional HVAC contractor figures into this, too. Getting a few more or less on-the-spot estimates will serve as a good reality check.

The typical lifespan of a central air conditioning system is between 15 and 20 years. This length of time can vary due to the quality of the installation, the frequency of maintenance, and the conditions of the local climate.

Conventional homeowners insurance plans usually protect heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, including central air conditioning. However, this coverage typically applies only when a "covered peril" damages the unit, such as during a fire, a riot, or an act of nature (like a tornado, hurricane, or fierce hailstorm). If the system stops working due to wear and tear, a dropped part, or a serious design flaw (which might amount to a type of "poor maintenance"), the nearly 60 percent of U.S. households with HVAC may enjoy a reprieve—at least to the extent that homeowners insurance protects the parts and pieces of the system that were formerly en route to the landfill.

Indeed, adding central air conditioning can add value to a home. Prospecting homebuyers find it a desirable amenity. In many areas of the country, it is considered an almost essential feature, with no home that lacks it being very competitive on the real estate market. Even if buyers are not that excited about air conditioning, they are excited about homes that have it.

When there's no ductwork in place, a central air conditioning system can be installed for a cost of anywhere between $3,000 and $10,000. Several determining factors affect the base price, including the unit's size, how difficult the assembly will be, how efficient the equipment is, and where your contractor happens to be working that day. Getting several quotes from contractors will help guarantee a reasonable price, and you might find that installation prices offer the widest range of any A/C system component.

Indeed, commercial air conditioning systems may have a kind of insurance coverage, and that might be a good thing. Most enterprises that use them tend to have policies that cover a fair amount of property. Those policies probably cover the air conditioners themselves. If a fire or a storm damages an A/C unit, it's likely that the property policy would respond and pay for repair or replacement. But barring those sorts of situations, if and when an A/C unit fails, it might be due to "wear and tear," "poor maintenance," or just "mechanical failure." In other words, a thing that might happen to anything else that has been poorly maintained or is just old and cranky. That's probably not what these policies have in mind when they cover "Equipment Breakdown."