Air Conditioner Installation Costs
Air-Conditioning
An air conditioner is a valuable addition to any home, but air conditioner installation can be both lengthy and costly. Knowing costs of installing a new air conditioner system before you begin the process of installation will help you to budget and plan effectively. If you are considering installing an air conditioning system in your home or office building, continue reading for advice on evaluating money concerns.
What Affects the Cost of Installing an Air Conditioning System
There are a variety of factors that will help to determine how much it will cost to install an air conditioning system. The condition and setup of the building, the type of system and the amount of time it takes to install will all influence the overall cost of an installation procedure. Generally, the factors that will help to determine the total cost of installation include equipment price, building condition and labor
How the Price of Equipment Influences the Total Installation Cost
The three primary types of permanent air conditioning systems are window, through-the-wall and central systems. Of these, window and through-the-wall are the least expensive types to purchase. This is primarily due to their size. However, these types of air conditioners may not be suitable for certain buildings, especially larger spaces with multiple rooms.
How the Building Influences the Total Installation Cost
Installing an air conditioner can be an invasive process. Window air conditioners take advantage of preexisting holes in the walls of a room and typically do not require large-scale demolition of walls. To install a through-the-wall unit, however, you must cut a hole the size of the air conditioner cooling unit in one of the walls of a room, which increases the overall cost of installing the system.
Central air conditioning units can be extraordinarily expensive to install because of the air conditioner ducts. Homes without preexisting ductwork require massive remodeling in order to correctly install in-wall ducts for the air conditioning system. For this reason, many people choose to have central air conditioning units installed in houses that are being built or houses that already have ducts in place.
How the Cost of Labor Influences the Total Installation Cost
If you have hired a contractor or home improvement team to install your air conditioner unit, the labor cost will be an additional factor to consider. Window and through-the-wall units generally require less than one day’s worth of work. However, central units may necessitate much more labor, which may in turn increase the cost of the installation process considerably. For the best labor rates, consult with a number of contractors.
When planning for an air conditioner installation, it is also important to consider the post-installation costs of various types of air conditioners. In general, expect your electricity use to increase significantly after installing an air conditioner, particularly if you are installing a centralized unit. Remember also, however, that an air conditioning system greatly increases both the comfort and the marketability of a home or office building.