If you’re planning on replacing the AC system in your home, you should carefully consider what type of system you want to install. Air conditioning technology has advanced a lot in recent years, resulting in AC systems that are far more efficient and cool much more effectively. One of the biggest advancements is the introduction of variable-speed ACs.
Comparing Standard and Variable-Speed ACs
Variable-speed ACs are relatively new types of units that are designed to work far more energy efficiently and effectively than standard AC units. Most standard ACs are single-stage units that always run at full power. This results in them usually not running for all that long and cycling off and on a few times per hour. The continual cycling creates various issues in terms of temperature control. One is that you end up with the temperature fluctuating between hotter and cooler since the house quickly starts to warm up again as soon as the AC shuts off. Another issue is that a single-stage AC often never stays on long enough to fully cool every part of the home, leading to hot spots in some areas.
Variable-speed ACs are different because they don’t always have to cool at full power. Instead, they have several different settings that they automatically switch between to ensure that the temperature in the home always matches the thermostat setting. Most variable-speed ACs can slow down to where they only cool at around 25%-30% of their total capacity. They can also still run at 100% capacity when needed. However, they will generally only do so on rare occasions, such as during an extremely hot, humid day when much more cooling is required to maintain the correct temperature.
The other time a variable-speed AC system will ramp up to full power is if the temperature in the home is much higher than the thermostat setting. For instance, many people program their thermostats to a higher temperature when they’re away during the day and then set it to change back to the normal cooler temperature sometime in the afternoon. In this case, the system will start running faster in the afternoon to quickly cool the home back to the normal thermostat setting. The rest of the time, the system will only run as fast as it needs to in order to prevent the temperature from increasing.
The biggest difference with variable-speed ACs is that they will run continuously throughout the summer. The only time it will cycle off is on much cooler days or nights when your home stays cool enough on its own without your AC needing to run. Essentially, the system will slow down so that it runs as slowly as possible and then only shut off if the temperature drops below the thermostat setting.
Another thing to understand about a variable-speed AC system is that it also has a variable-speed blower or fan instead of a single-speed blower. This means that the blower will also continually adjust the speed at which it circulates air throughout the home, which changes the volume of air it moves at any given time.
How Variable-Speed ACs Improve Home Comfort
One of the biggest advantages of having a variable-speed AC system is that it will consistently keep your home at whatever temperature you want. This means fewer issues with hot spots in your home since the system will continually supply just enough cool air to keep every room at your desired temperature. You may still have slight differences in temperature in different parts of the home, such as between the upper and lower levels. Rooms that aren’t as well insulated or have large windows or skylights may also still stay slightly warmer. Nonetheless, these issues will be far less pronounced with a variable-speed AC than with a standard single-stage system.
How Variable-Speed ACs Overcome Humidity Issues
Probably the biggest reason that variable-speed ACs are ideal for Texas is that they provide much better humidity control. All ACs remove some moisture from the air flowing through them, and this happens because the water vapor in the warmer air naturally condenses into liquid when the air meets the cold evaporator coil. The issue with single-stage ACs is that they can’t remove a lot of moisture since they typically don’t stay on for very long. In the humid Texas climate, this often results in the home feeling quite humid most of the time.
It also means your home will feel warmer and less comfortable since humid air always feels hotter no matter what the actual air temperature is. Another issue in this regard is that your home can potentially get so humid that condensation forms on surfaces, creating the potential for mold and mildew to grow.
Variable-speed ACs overcome all of these issues. The fact that the system will run throughout the day means it will continuously dry out the air in your home to ensure that it never gets too humid and feels far more comfortable. Lowering the humidity level also allows the system to work more efficiently since it’s much easier to cool dry air than it is more humid air.
How a Variable-Speed AC Can Lower Cooling Costs
Another major advantage of having a variable-speed AC system is that it will allow you to cool your home for far less money. Even though the system will stay on throughout the day, it will still use much less electricity than a single-stage AC since it will run at a much lower speed. This is true for both the AC unit itself and the blower. As long as your home is sufficiently insulated, the system should run at a much lower speed the vast majority of the time. In most cases, this will allow you to keep your cooling costs at least 25%-50% lower than with a single-stage AC. That can add up to savings of a few hundred dollars per year and a few thousand over the life of your new AC.
Other Advantages of Choosing a Variable-Speed AC
Variable-speed ACs also have some other advantages that can make them a much better choice than single-stage ACs. One is that they run far more quietly most of the time. The system will be just as loud as a single-stage AC on rare occasions when it has to run at full power, but it will run almost silently when it’s operating at a much lower power. Another advantage is that variable-speed ACs typically have a longer life expectancy than single-stage ACs. Even though a variable-speed AC will run for many more hours per year, the wear and tear on the system is still reduced since there is less strain on the system when running at a lower speed.
If you’re looking to replace your AC, you can trust the experts at Accurate Home Services for help. We offer a range of variable-speed ACs as well as single-stage and two-stage units. We also install heat pumps, ductless mini-split systems and furnaces. For more information on the benefits of installing a variable-speed AC or to schedule any HVAC, indoor air quality or electrical service in the Kaufman or Crandall area, contact us today.