These days, air conditioners can come with all kinds of bells and whistles that can make your home more comfortable and efficient. As with any major purchase that you make, adding certain features to your new air conditioner will increase its price. One popular upgrade that homeowners often make is to install a two stage air conditioner instead of a single stage system. Today we’re going to talk about why you should consider a two stage air conditioner and how to figure out whether or not it’s worth it to go with this upgrade for your next cooling system!
What is a two stage air conditioner?
Before we get into the benefits of a two stage air conditioner, let’s briefly discuss what a two stage system actually is. When we talk about a two stage air conditioner, we are specifically talking about the system’s compressor. In traditional air conditioners, the compressor operates at one capacity at all times, so it is always using the maximum amount of energy.
Two stage air conditioners, on the other hand, have compressors that operate at two different capacities: medium and high. The medium capacity uses much less energy than the high capacity, and it is used a majority of the time when temperatures outside aren’t extremely hot. When it gets too hot for the medium capacity to handle, the compressor switches to the high capacity and your home remains perfectly comfortable.
Energy-saving benefits of a two-stage air conditioner
As we mentioned above, the medium capacity of the compressor in a two stage air conditioner uses much less energy than the high capacity. On average, these compressors operate at medium capacity about 70 percent of the time. This number tends to be slightly less in our climate where temperatures are much hotter than the rest of the country, but it still accounts for a large majority of the operating time (especially during our cooler nights).
So how much energy could one component of your system actually save? As it turns out, the compressor is one of the top energy-consuming parts of your air conditioner. So by cutting down on your compressor’s energy consumption, a two stage air conditioner as a whole consumes much less energy than a traditional air conditioner.
Home-comfort benefits of a two stage air conditioner
Another great benefit of two stage air conditioners is that they make your home more comfortable than traditional air conditioners. That’s because the medium capacity used by the compressor allows your home to be cooled more gradually, which results in more even temperatures and less severe temperature swings throughout the day and night.
Is a two stage air conditioner worth it for you?
In most cases, a two stage air conditioner is a great “bang for your buck.” That’s because the investment that you make upfront to upgrade to a two stage system will be paid off in future energy savings for years to come. As an added bonus, your home will be more comfortable and you’ll have the satisfaction of helping out the environment!
If you have any questions about whether or not it’s worth it to upgrade to a two stage air conditioner, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed in your home, contact Hydes, your Indio, CA, air conditioning contractor.
