If you’re shopping for a new central air unit, there are a few important steps to take before you make the big purchase. To ensure that you make all the right decisions for your home, check out this quick and easy guide to preparing your home and finances for a new air conditioning system! Set a realistic budget for yourself. How much are you willing to spend? If you do some quick research, you’ll find that the average spend on a new system ranges from $6,000 to $15,000. It’s important to find the most cost effective unit for your budget. There are also financing programs that will allow you to slowly pay off your new system. Check out our financing plans here! Check your air ducts! Rooms that are hard to heat or cool or tend to have a lot of dust may be rooms with leaky ducts. It’s very important to make sure you have functional air ducts before you purchase a new air conditioning unit. If your ducts are broken, make it a priority to install new air ducts before installing a new central air system. No matter how efficient your new unit will be, air will escape through leaky air ducts to the attic and cool the attic instead of cooling the house. To avoid experiencing a suboptimal performance form your new air conditioning system, make sure your air ducts are taken care of first. Verify that your attic insulation is high enough. This may sound daunting, but creating the right attic insulation is a quick fix and won’t be too costly. According to the US Department of Energy, its recommended that attics have an R-38 to R-49 (or about 12” to 15”) of insulation. Removing the old insulation, sanitizing, rat proofing and installing the recommended insulation is a good way to save you 10-15% on your electric bills. Better insulation will also reduce dust and bacteria in your home, making your house much more comfortable and hygienic. Be sure to choose the right location for your new system. Do you want the furnace to stay in the closet or do you want to relocate it to the attic? Furnaces in the attic are more quiet and tend to operate more efficiently. However, if you keep your furnace in a closet, you can add insulation and make sure the ducts are sized properly to achieve similar quiet and efficiency. Also consider where your condenser is located outside. It would be beneficial to move it to an area that won’t disturb you, so make sure it isn’t right beneath your bedroom window! Make sure you will have an energy efficient thermostat! Also ensure that the thermostat is close to the return duct. This will ensure a better reading of the thermostat and maintain comfortable temperatures throughout the house. Home comfort begins with the right thermostat and setting, so be sure not to overlook this! Don’ forget to optimize your indoor air quality. Talk to your installer about the best solutions for filters. One inch filters must be replaced four times a year , two inch filters need replacement every six months, and self cleanings filters need service about every three years. Choose the filter that is right for your home and ask your AC guy to install it for you!Now that your home is prepared for a new central air system, browse some popular units here!