Costs to consider when getting an air conditioner

Summers are getting hotter and as such, many homeowners are considering changing their current air conditioning systems to the latest versions. So whether you are considering an upgrade, a repair, or simply getting your first air conditioning system, here are a few things you need to know when it comes to cost. 

It’s No Longer Just Air Conditioning

Most companies no longer offer air conditioning on their own. It comes as a whole HVAC package, which means Heating, Ventilation, and Air conditioning. Therefore for the rest of the article, we shall only refer to air conditioning and these other systems as HVAC systems. Overall, HVAC systems costs vary depending on the manufacturer and the energy rating. 

Higher energy ratings are reserved for larger spaces such as factories, godowns, storage areas, and entertainment halls. It is estimated that at least 8 stadiums will be fully air-conditioned during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. One stadium requires over 4000 air conditioning systems. The cost of installing such is much higher than what a single individual's home would cost. 

What are the average costs of HVAC systems in Canada?

There are two price cadres when it comes to HVAC systems. The first is on the higher end of the spectrum and prices can range from $7500 to as high as $14000 for HVAC systems. On the lower end of the spectrum, you may find air conditioning systems pricing as low as $3000. 

However, you should be careful if the price is too low since this could mean the unit may have higher than average instances in need of repairs. In between these variations in prices, you will notice that the prices will range based on brand, energy rating, size, and even region.

Why are some brands more expensive than others?

Price variances based on brand arise most out of market segmentation and overheads. Some brands are larger and therefore can affect certain costs at scale whereas others are small and cannot affect their supply chains. Some brands such as Goodman and Keeprite are on the lower end of the spectrum and sell per unit at an average of $3000 to $5500. 

The majority of HVAC companies in Canada fall within this category.  In the middle segment are Daikin, Napoleon, and Coleman, whose prices range from $3500 to about $6500. Finally on the further spectrum are American Standard, Rheem, and Bryan whose prices go up to $7500 and above. 

Prices based on Energy Rating

The lower tier brands tend to have lower energy ratings than the middle or higher-end tiers. The average energy rating for the lower end tier is between 13 to 19 SEER. There is a minimal dip in quality within the economy tier brands as many tend to have the basic features without the high automation features in the higher tier brands. In the middle segment are the mid-range brands whose SEER ratings average between 13 and 24.5.

Most Canadian homes require at least a SEER rating of 18 and any higher rating is probably for a larger house or one located in areas with difficult weather conditions. Most mid-range HVAC systems are great for your family use and some feature advanced automation technologies and these are priced on the higher spectrum. Finally, the premium tiers have efficiency ratings of between 13 and 28.

Emerging Trends and Price Justifications in Premium Models

There is a reason your average premium model is priced at $7500 whereas others might go as high as $10000 despite sharing the same SEER rating. Of course, you can expect the warranty to also be similar, ranging between 25 to 35 years. The difference is in the advanced technologies that some users have come to expect. For example, in some of the high-end brands, there are Wifi capabilities, allowing users to tweak their HVAC systems to suit their needs. Others are fully autonomous meaning they take their ambient temperature and adjust accordingly based on what the owner needs. 

As your car approaches the house, the smart systems in your house begin to make the house accommodating to your needs. The HVAC system will immediately start heating your living quarters at the expense of other areas. If you have a pet, then the moment you leave the house, the HVAC system will revert to maintaining lower energy use whilst prioritizing your pet's needs. It is these premium features that make some units more expensive than others. 

An emerging trend in HVAC systems is overall responsiveness to climate change. There is a push towards sustainable living and this has put more traditional brands at loggerheads with calls for efficiency. 

The more energy your unit consumes the worse it is for sustainable development and therefore some companies have released energy-efficient HVAC systems that use solar energy and are more responsive to climate change concerns than others. This responsiveness is in terms of calibrating the changing weather and climatic patterns to offer the user a more adaptive response to changes. 

Air Conditioner Prices by Size

The size of an air conditioner is measured in terms of the amount of heat in British Thermal Units the machine can remove from the room or space in an hour. Getting the right size will eventually lead to lower costs, however, merely getting the right size doesn’t mean you end up saving. You need to measure your ceiling and the overall ventilation in your spaces. The more natural ventilation you have the less you will spend on energy since your HVAC system will have less heat to remove from the space. 

The approximate cost based on tons inclusive of installation ranges from 1.5 tons to 5 tons with 1.5 tons costing between $2750 to $3500 and the 5ton ones at $5000 to $7500. 

In conclusion, there are very many factors that will affect the price of an air conditioning system in Canada. Some of these factors are minimal and won’t affect many users, but the ones that have been detailed in the article above are the most common.