Birmingham Air Conditioning

Central air conditioning systems may be the most common type of HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system in the Birmingham area. They are affordable and efficient. They are called split systems because the condensing unit for the air conditioning sits outside the house and the rest of the system is installed indoors.

In this Birmingham Air Conditioning Guide we’ll provide detail of how an air conditioner split system cools your home. Most air conditioner split systems use a gas furnace as well, and we’ll cover the operation of a gas furnace in our guide to furnaces.

How Air Conditioning Works

The condensing unit contains a compressor, a condensing coil and a fan to disperse heat. Inside the furnace within the home is a second coil, known as an evaporator coil or an A-coil due to its shape. A copper lineset carries refrigerant between the condensing coil and the evaporator coil.

The compressor pumps liquid refrigerant through the line to the evaporator coil where the refrigerant evaporates into a gas. As it does, it absorbs heat from around the coil. The coil becomes very cold with the removal of heat. The furnace blower then moves air over that coil to cool it, pushing that cool air into your home through the ductwork into your home. The blower also draws warm air into the system to be cooled.

The hot gas refrigerant then travels back to the condensing coil through the second refrigerant line. In the outdoor condensing coil it returns to liquid form, shedding the heat it is carrying in the process. That heat radiates out of the condensing coil and is dispersed by the fan. This cycle continues until the air in your home is as cool as you’ve indicated on the thermostat.

Cost of Air Conditioners in Birmingham

There are several factors that determine the cost of an air conditioner split system in our area. Here are the most important.

Capacity: Other factors being equal, the larger the capacity, the more it will cost.

Efficiency: Efficiency is a measurement of how effectively the unit uses electricity to air condition your home. Efficiency is listed as the SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating, of the unit. Today’s least efficient central air conditioners are 13 SEER while the most efficient are over 20 SEER.

Features: With central air conditioners, the primary feature that raises their cost is a 2-stage compressor rather than a standard single-stage compressor. 2-stage models will cost slightly more.

Time of Year: Contractors in greater Birmingham are busiest from mid-spring into fall, and again if weather is very cold in the winter. When they are not so busy, many will offer better deals on both equipment and service in order to keep business coming in.

Installation: Contractors write their estimates in part based on the time and extra materials the installation will require. Installations that are more time-consuming or complex will cost more.

AC Sizing is Important!

Condensing units are made for residential use in capacity ranging from 1.5 tons to 5.0 tons, with tons being a measurement of their cooling capacity. To determine the size air conditioning split system needed in your home, an HVAC professional will do a load calculation. This is a complex set of equations that take into account the size of your home, its layout, type of windows and doors, the amount of insulation it has, and of course, the hot and humid weather here in the Birmingham area.

A central air conditioner that is not large enough won’t adequately cool your home. One that is too large will run on something called “short cycles” which damage the compressor and lead to mechanical failure. In addition, a unit that is too large won’t run long enough to effectively remove humidity from your home.

Sizing a central air conditioner should not be guesswork. It makes sense to have a full load calculation done to determine the size equipment that will serve your home efficiently and effectively in the years ahead.

Finding an AC Contractor

The greater Birmingham area has many outstanding contractors but separating them from the crowd can be difficult if you only look at the yellow pages ads to decide. Here’s a better way to find a reliable, experienced contractor to do your work.

  • Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations. Get details, if you can, about the quality of the work and whether or not the pricing was fair. Consider calling those that you hear consistently good things about.
  • See our Contractors Page for a list of the top HVAC contractors in the Birmingham area. Click on each company to read reviews left by other local residents who have recently used them.
  • Request free estimates from local contractors who have been pre-screened. These estimates are usually very competitive.
  • If you have a preferred brand, visit their website for a list of contractors in our area that sell and install their equipment.