“Oh my God, why is it so hot in here?!” Well, that’s how summer evenings are– often quite unbearable. Summer is a generally fun period of the year. You get to visit the beach, spend more time outside, and enjoy the outdoors.
But annoyingly, after spending the entire day frolicking in the warm weather, you have to return to the hot chambers of your apartment. Needless to say, it’ll be uncomfortable, except you have air conditioners in the house.
However, it becomes another problem if you don’t have an air conditioning system in your apartment. There’s only so much your fan can do against the heat (and global warming is not helping matters). So your best bet is to get an AC set up in your home. The commonest AC you can get is the central air conditioner which has one of the best price valuations.
So, we’ll be discussing central air conditioners and their price in this post. We’ll discuss the factors that influence their cost and if they’re the best option for you. So, let’s get into it and consider a breakdown of the pricing model for central air conditioners in Vaughan. But before that, let’s look at what a central air conditioner is and how it works.
Working Principle of Central Air Conditioners
The best way to describe a central air conditioning system is as a giant refrigerator for a house. That’s because central air conditioners work very similarly to refrigeration systems. A central conditioner has the same components and uses a refrigerant to cool the temperature in the environment.
The central air conditioner is set up with mechanisms for exchanging warm and cold air. First, a system of tubes, coils, or fins collects hot air from your interiors and transfers it to the cooling compartment in the air conditioner. Then, the air conditioning system sends out cool air into the environment through an air handler.
Keep in mind that central air conditioners run on electricity, and they tend to consume a lot of energy during the summer months. As such, you should pay attention to the unit’s efficiency when purchasing a new central air conditioner. Choose a system that has a high energy efficiency rating. Or, better still, select one whose design is perfect for your household. Let’s see how much is sufficient for you to buy a central air conditioner in Vaughan.
Cost to Buy A New Air Conditioner in Vaughan
The price range of central air conditioners in Vaughan is typically between $2,500 to $9,000. Quite a number of factors are responsible for the huge price variation. The size, capacity, brand, and model are the biggest influencers among these factors. Let’s take a closer look at each of them and see how they influence the cost of new air conditioners in Vaughan.
Size and Capacity of Central Air Conditioner
Bigger appliances tend to cost more; the larger the item, the more it costs to produce and transport, hence the more its retail price pricing. Of course, this also applies to central air conditioners. Typically, larger air-con systems attract higher fees for initial purchase and installation. So, the larger the unit you intend to buy, the more money you should budget.
Keep in mind that the size of your home or the space you intend to cool will also influence how large the central air conditioner should be. You don’t want to buy a central unit that’s not large enough to do what you need it to do efficiently.
Most retailers calculate the AC sizes in tonnage, and it’s often directly proportional to the unit’s capacity. So, the larger your AC, the more its capacity. Although some smaller units have a high capability, they aren’t common. Below is an outline of the average price of central air conditioners in each size category.
- 1.5 Ton – $2,400 to $3,200
- 2 Ton – $2,600 to $3,500
- 2.5 Ton – $2,800 to $3,800
- 3 Ton – $3,000 to $4,100
- 3.5 Ton – $3,200 to $4,500
- 4 Ton – $3,300 to $5,000
- 5 Ton – $3,500 to $6,000
Brand and Manufacturer of the Central Air Con Unit
The price of a central air conditioner unit ultimately depends on how much the manufacturer decides to put on it. Nonetheless, there may be regulations and economic constraints that’ll influence the final cost of the unit. However, it doesn’t undermine or override the influence of the brand identity on the value of the appliances.
There are several popular air conditioner brands in Vaughan and all over Canada. They all attempt to put out their products at competitive prices. However, product value varies among brands due to quality considerations, brand identity, and other modalities. So, we’ve grouped the brands into three main categories to capture the variation in the value of their products quickly.
Luxury Tier Brands
The first category contains what we’ll call the luxury tier brands. These brands identify themselves as the market leaders, and their product prices are top of the ladder. They generally market their products to high-end consumers who can afford to pay high to satisfy their luxurious tastes. So you should expect to spend a few hundred dollars more than necessary if you want to get AC systems in this group.
That said, products from luxury brands are not necessarily better or of higher quality than products from other categories. In some cases, they may only have a few peripheral perks that aren’t present in the lesser tier brand names. But, most times, you’ll be paying in excess for the brand name and not for utility.
Some popular brands in this category include; Lennox, Carrier, American Standard, Rheem, Ruud, Bryant, and Trane. In addition, the average price range of central air conditioners from the manufacturers in this tier is between $3,500 to $9,000. However, keep in mind that other factors also influence these prices.
Mid-range Brands
Mid-range brands are the most popular category you’ll find on the market. Most of the common brands have their products in this group. These units are typically mid-range in terms of efficiency and are generally better than what you’ll find in the economy tier. They have more features, innovative technology, and higher SEER than brands in the lowest category.
The Seasonal energy efficiency rating for mid-range air conditioners is usually between 13-24.5%. So, these central air conditioner brands are the best in terms of value for money and cost-effectiveness.
Some of the popular brands in the mid-range tier include; Armstrong, Amana, Coleman, Heil ComfotMaker, Luxaire, Napoleon, Payne, Daikin, and Tempstar. These central air conditioners generally have a price range of $3,000 to $6,000.
Economy Tier Brands
Air conditioning products in this range primarily focus on utility and don’t usually have a lot of peripheral features. So, they offer decent air conditioners at best without the additional components that you’ll find in the upper tiers. So you shouldn’t expect all the bells and whistles available in the upper tier designs from this category. But, overall, these brands provide a budget-friendly home cooling system for your needs.
Brands in this category come at the lowest prices, for which you can get a central air conditioner. Manufacturers like Goodman, Keeprite, and York are popular in this group, and they generally cost between $2,500 to $4,800.
Related Article: What is the Most Efficient Way to Run Your Furnace?
Cost of Installation for Central Air Conditioners
The cost of purchasing a central air conditioner is different from the price of installing it. Unfortunately, most blogs will lump the details together without a clear distinction between the cost of buying air conditioners and the installation expenses. Now that you know how much the cost of a central air conditioner is, let’s examine how much you’ll spend to set it up.
The price for installing central air conditioners in Vaughan generally ranges between $3,000 to $7,500. Why do you have to pay that much to set up the unit? As you should know already, a central air conditioning system is a complex setup. It involves several components such as air handlers, fluid exchange channels, and in some cases, vents. The installation cost covers the purchase and fixing of all these components.
That said, various other factors also impact the price you’ll have to pay for installing a central air conditioner in your home. Let’s look at these factors and the way they influence how much it costs to install a new central air conditioner in Vaughan.
Pre-installation Evaluation
Every AC installation project will be unique depending on your house’s needs, size, and condition. You can’t install a central air conditioner without having an HVAC specialist check your home first. Whoever you intend to employ for the installation will most probably insist on inspecting the area before getting to work.
The pre-installation procedure helps the technician determine some of the essential factors that’ll affect the project. For example, it helps decide the right AC size for your home. You’ll also find out if your home has good insulation and if you’ll need ducts or not. The HVAC specialist will also do a Manual J load test to determine the heat retention capacity of your home. Essentially, this process will determine how the overall project will pan out.
While most homeowners will like to avoid this part of the procedure, it’s arguably the most crucial step for the entire project’s success. The pre-installation evaluation can save you a lot of money down the line, and it may not even cost more than $300. It essentially makes sure you get the suitable AC unit and install it in the right areas of your home.
The average cost of a pre-installation procedure in Vaughan is $420. However, the price can go as high as $2,000, depending on how large your apartment is and the level of auditing you prefer. While it may seem unnecessary, you shouldn’t overlook this aspect of the project; it might yet be the most crucial part of the whole process.
Ductwork
The more common central air conditioners use ducts and vents as a flow system for regulating temperature. So, if you’re installing a central air conditioning system, you’ll most likely have to set up the ductwork. But, you won’t need to do that if your home may already have vents in place.
Furthermore, there are also split-ductless systems that primarily use air handlers without vents. These systems are a great option if your apartment doesn’t have ductwork and you don’t want to do a massive structural overhaul. However, they’re more expensive than traditional central air conditioners.
During pre-installation inspection, the specialist will recommend the best central air conditioner for your apartment. Depending on your home’s age and wall structure, they may recommend ductless or ducted units. The technicians will mount the ductless units on walls during installation. However, the process is a bit different with ducted systems.
There are two types of ducted units. The first is the traditional larger-format duct system. Technicians install these duct systems through the walls and basement of a building. So they are essentially built into the house.
The second type is the small duct high-velocity system. This system uses small, flexible tubing rather than standard ductwork. So, the SDHV is suitable if you want to install a ducted system in a relatively old apartment; or if you don’t want to undertake a massive structural revamp. Regardless, the cost of purchasing and installing ducts typically ranges from $500 to $2,200.
Labour
Unless you’re a technician yourself or a professional DIY artist, you most probably won’t be able to install a central air conditioner yourself. Instead, you’ll need to hire a qualified HVAC technician to handle the installation for you. Unfortunately, that means you’ll have to pay for labour. In fact, labour cost constitutes a significant part of the installation fee.
Then again, the installation cost may vary depending on the size, shape, and design of your home. The energy efficiency rating of the central air conditioner may also influence how much you’ll spend to set up the system.
We mentioned the seasonal energy efficiency rating (SEER) earlier. It represents the ability of your unit to manage energy consumption per season. You can calculate the SEER by dividing the air conditioner’s cooling output by the amount of energy it consumed during the same season. The higher the SEER rating, the higher the efficiency. However, systems with higher SEER typically cost more to install.
Price Range for Replacing an Old Central Air Conditioner
The price to purchase a new unit is the same whether you’re installing a central air conditioner afresh or you intend to replace an existing one. However, the cost of installation may be a bit different. Generally, the setup fee should be cheaper if you’re replacing an old system with a similar one. You’ll not need to purchase new components; you can simply use the old components for the new unit.
However, the cost may be significantly higher if the new unit is different from the one you’re discarding. First off, you may need to pay the technician to help you disassemble/dismount the old system. Then, you’ll have to pay them to mount the new central AC. You should also consider the cost of purchasing new components and materials for the installation.
Tips for Saving on AC Installation Cost
Considering that installing a central air conditioning system requires a significant financial commitment, you may find it somewhat overwhelming. But, there are ways you can beat down how much you’ll spend on setting up AC in your apartment before even talking to an HVAC technician.
Install For Your Cooling Needs
If you’re the type that doesn’t spend much time indoors, consider getting ductless mini-split central air conditioning. These systems don’t take much time to install as they combine an outdoor condenser with indoor blower vents. So, you can install them in any part of the house.
They’re pretty efficient for cooling smaller zones like the TV room, bedroom, and kitchen. Plus, they’re relatively affordable.
Time the Installation Right
HVAC professionals are often in high demand during the hottest and coldest periods of the year. So, they tend to charge more for their services during those months. So, you should schedule installation during off-season periods like spring or fall. Then, you may be able to get good service for a lower price because the workers won’t be very occupied at the time.
Related Article: How Much Does Residential Air Conditioner Unit Cost In Toronto?
Summarily
There’s no doubt that the price of getting a new central air conditioner can be pretty overwhelming. A central AC unit can go as high as $9,000 plus an installation fee, especially if you have an old or large apartment. However, you shouldn’t let the cost discourage you. Instead, consider it as an investment in your comfort and convenience.
You can save on installation fees when you employ professionals out of season. However, if you don’t have any professional HVAC services in mind, we can help you with that. Check out our air conditioner installation services at ALP Heating for a high-quality and affordable AC setup.
