1. 2010 is the magic date when Freon begins to phase out. No new equipment will be manufactured using freon (R-22) coolant. Once the network news turns this into their hot topic, then you’ll be behind the curve as everyone will be jumping on board and quality installers will be in demand.
2. If something happens with your job or other circumstances arise that require you to move, it will be much easier to sell a house already configured with PURON air conditioning. It will not add to the value of your home, but in a buyers market it is a strong incentive to choose one property over another.
3. Some (not all) New Home Air Conditioners will qualify for a tax credit of 30% of the total cost (including installation) up to $1,500 in 2009 and 2010. This is what we will focus on in this post.

In order to qualify for the tax credit, you must purchase and install either a SPLIT SYSTEM with a SEER rating of 16 or higher and an EER rating of 13 or higher, or a PACKAGE SYSTEM with a SEER rating of 14 or higher and an EER rating of 12 or higher. You don’t have to be replacing an older unit to qualify, but if you are you will most likely have to replace your heater too if it acts as the air handler for your home air conditioners. To verify if you are eligible for the tax credit, you will need the MANUFACTURERS CERTIFICATION STATEMENT for the equipment you plan to purchase. This is available through your contractor, or the equipment manufacturers website.

What is SEER and EER?
SEER is an acronym for SEASONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY RATIO and it measures how efficiently home air conditioners will operate over an entire season. The calculation compares the cooling capacity in BTUs versus the energy in Kws that is consumed over the same time. This is just an FYI, because this calculation is done by the manufacturers and is clearly marked on the unit.

EER or ENERY EFFICIENCY RATIO is pretty much the same thing, but this time it is measured with a constant outside temperature. The number derived is BTU hours per watt and this number is also provided by the manufacturer.

In both cases, the higher the number, the more efficient the equipment is rated. As of January 2006, all home air conditioners sold in the US must have a SEER rating of at least 13.

SPLIT SYSTEM vs PACKAGE SYSTEM
A split system has THREE COMPONENTS, the outdoor cabinet with he condenser and compressor, an indoor cabinet with the evaporator coil, and an air handler that pushes the cool air through the ducts which is usually incorporated into the heater unit. With a split system, air is recirculated within the home.

A package system has all of these components located in one cabinet which is located outside of the home. With a package system, new air is circulated into the home from outside and return ducts are sent outside.

10am – Now we’re on to the final piece of equipment, the Carrier 24ABB evaporator coil unit.  The same process takes place, clean off the flooring, place a new drip pan under the equipment, place and level the equipment for in-line installation, metal screws to attach to the heater then some silver tape to seal and the placement is complete.  We just need to connect the PVC drain pipe wiht a fitting and some glue, and also the plastic tubing for the overflow drain from the drip pan and we’re good to go.

10:30am – Now that everything is in place, it’s time to connect all of the wiring and tubing.  The wiring is pretty straight forward.  We strip the ends off of the old power and control wires, splice in with the new units and cap off and place it back in the enclosures.  As with any installation that is not new construction, you don’t get to see everything that is needed until you tear out the old equipment.  In our case, the physical dimensions of the old heater was much longer than the new equipment, and then factor in the absence of a transition piece between each component, and it was easy to see that the old gas line was not long enough to extend to the new heater.  Now we need to make a parts run to extend the gas line and some extra silver tape will always come in handy.

12pm – The heat of the day is catching up with us and we’re close to firing up the system.  The gas line extension is fitted in after the emergency cut-off valve.  We turn the gas on and bubble test the connections for leaks and there are none so we’re in business with a heater.  Now it’s time to run the copper tubing for the air conditioner, sweat solder it in place with the torch (and it’s a good thing there were no gas leaks!).  Now the installer goes outside to the blower unit to charge the system with Puron while the helper bubble tests all of the solder joints for leaks.  No leaks!  So we have a full charged Puron home ar conditioners system ready to test.

1:00pm – We power up the system and ther is frosty cold air blowing into the attic.  Without the ductwork connected, all of the cool air is blowing into the work area, so now the fans are no longer needed.  Now since we don’t have to worry about cooking ourselves in the attic we can take a lunch break while the system runs.  This is important not only for cooling off the work areas for our comfort, but to make sure everything is working properly, and especially that the drain is draining.  The worst thing that could happen is that the condensation flow is obstructed or improperly routed and you end up with water damage…not good.  The guys head out to get a bite to eat while I keep an eye on the condesnsation flow, and it’s a good thing because the placement of the unit was on a slight tilt that backed up the condensation flow back into the unit instead of out through the drain pipe.  So now I need to turn off the air conditioner until the guys get back so they can re-level the system and re-test.

Time for another Kolache break.  I promise that I’ll finish the story in Part 3.

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