If you live in Jacksonville, you know all about the blistering heat and the muggy summer nights that seem to drag on and on. They're the kind of nights that make it impossible to not think about reliable air conditioning, and the last thing you want to think about when you're too hot to function is a long list of potential central air conditioning candidates to purchase. Luckily, we've done the hard part for you. We've picked a handful of the best central air conditioning systems for a variety of different types of homes across a range of prices. By the end, you should have some good ideas of what to shop for wholly or partly to stay cool this summer.
Imagine this: you're hosting a summer barbecue, or you're just settling in with a good book after a long day of work. In moments like these, the last thing you want is an air conditioner that makes noise or, even worse, a unit that's silently inefficient. Split systems—usually consisting of an outdoor compressor and an indoor air handler—are popular in this part of the country because they're efficient and quiet. Alternatively, packaged central air conditioning systems contain all the components in a single outdoor unit, which could be a good option if you're saving indoor space. Each choice, of course, comes with its own set of pros and cons. Understanding how they fit into your life is the key to picking the right one.
Let's discuss energy efficiency—not the most exciting subject, to be sure, but one that is undeniably important. When it comes to the comfort level in your home, energy bills can shoot to the sky, especially when your AC has to work around the clock, and choosing a system with a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) can make a noticeable difference.
The SEER rating is similar to a system's EER, or Energy Efficiency Ratio, but the EER is determined at a steady temperature (95 degrees Fahrenheit), whereas the SEER is calculated based on the average expected cooling load over a season. A unit can have a high EER but a low SEER rating because it's not necessarily a true reflection of the unit's performance over an entire cooling season.
Researching a selection of AC systems and their various efficiencies can help you prevent buying a poor performer that either works harder when it shouldn't or coasts along doing the bare minimum while the humid days of summer wear on.