If your central air conditioning system has broken down, or you just bought a new home and want to install one, there are definitely a lot of things that you will need to think about. The importance of air conditioning can factor based on your location. If you are in a hot climate it is an absolute necessity. Since money doesn’t quite grow on trees for any of us, one of the most significant factors that you will have to consider is the cost of doing this in the first place. I know that this is something you will most definitely need to do, regardless of how much it will cost you, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get informed about the prices in advance, so as to at least know what to expect.
Now, if you are here to simply get the numbers and be done with it, let me give you the information you need. Installing a central air conditioning in 2021 can cost anywhere between roughly $3000 and $10000. As you can see, this is a pretty big price range, which means that you might actually want to get some more pricing details, so that you can learn exactly what it is that this cost depends on and so that you can try and influence it as much as possible. Yes, the truth is that you can influence the price to a certain extent, but that most definitely doesn’t mean that you should haggle and try to beat down the prices.
In fact, the manner in which you can influence the price is a bit different. Basically, you can choose some lower costing units, as well as be careful when choosing your contractors that will install those. In any case, before you can even think about the contractors and about going through the overall installation process, you will actually need to get adequately informed about what it is that this price actually depends on. So, let us take a look at the most important factors that influence the cost.
The Type Of The Unit
As I have briefly mentioned, the type of the unit you will choose will most certainly play a huge part in your overall costs. A central air system is certainly one of the priciest options out there, but that’s because it is the option that provides you with the highest quality. Of course, if you find that these units aren’t quite within your price range, you can always opt for split, window, or portable units. The bottom line is, though, that the type you choose will definitely influence the price. Still, the central air system is most certainly worth the money.
The Size Of Your Home
It should go without saying that the size of your home is also a significant factor that will affect these overall costs. After all, installing central air conditioning in a smaller home is bound to cost less than doing the same thing in a larger home. This is basically common sense, which is why you should take a look at your actual home and try to determine its needs regarding the size and the temperatures that you want to achieve, as that might help you calculate the costs in advance.
Cooling Requirements
Apart from the size of your home, the cooling requirements play an important role here as well. Of course, these requirements will depend on several factors, such as the area you live in and the insulation of your home. The point is that you should be aware of these requirements before buying any systems. In case you can’t quite pinpoint them, you should let professionals conduct an inspection and advise you on what kind of a system you might actually need in order to meet those requirements.
Here are some more pricing details that might be of help: https://www.bankrate.com/loans/home-improvement/how-much-to-install-central-air/
Ducts & Vents
Whether or not you will have to install new ducts and vents will also play a crucial role in the entire cost of this process. If you are wondering why on Earth you would even think of installing new ducts and vents and thus increasing the price, let me tell you right away that you might not actually have a choice. The simple truth is that certain older homes don’t have the right duct and ventilation systems that will actually work well with the newer models of air conditioning systems. Unless you can find a way to go back in time and have those installed quite some years ago, you will have to think about adding them to process right now, which will definitely increase the overall cost.
Now, the good news is that not every single home will have these particular needs. Newer homes are usually already properly equipped with the right and necessary ducts and vents, which can be quite a relief for most homeowners, since they’ll realize that they can cut the costs here a little bit. So, do a thorough home inspection and check if your existing ducts and vents can work with the new central air conditioning systems.
Installation Process
I suppose that you aren’t thinking about installing these units all on your own. Well, sure, some people might get the idea to do that, but the truth is that they’ll probably regret that decision soon after starting the process, since they’ll realize that they don’t know the first thing about how to do this the right way. This is why hiring professionals for the job is necessary. Yet, that can definitely affect the overall costs, which is why you should shop around for a while before deciding which contractors should complete your installation process.
Materials & Supplies
The installation process will require you to get certain additional supplies and materials that the experts will use in order to set everything up perfectly. Now, the price of these supplies will be rather low compared to the rest of the costs, but you should still factor them in when trying to set your budget. Usually, around $100 will be enough for the extra materials that you might need.
