What is the Best Air Conditioner for Arizona?

Whether you’re an Arizona native or you’re just moving to the sunny state for the first time to broaden your horizons, there’s a truth that’s simply unavoidable: Arizona is hot. In fact, it’s blistering, one of the very hottest states in all of the U.S., with temperatures ranging up to a sweltering 110 degrees Fahrenheit at the height of summer. Needless to say, this can be a bit uncomfortable for residents like yourself.

That is unless you have the right A/C unit working for you and your home. While it seems completely obvious to anyone that an air conditioner is highly necessary for any home in AZ, what most don’t realize is that you need to be selective about the A/C you choose if you really want to get good results.

If you begin looking for a new air conditioning system for your home anytime soon, don’t settle for anything less than the best. Luckily, there are a few qualities you can look for that will denote the best of the best when it comes to good, powerful A/C units for homes located in this sunny southwest corner of the country.

An Air Conditioner Suited for Your Home’s Size

If you’re looking for the ultimate cooling experience, it might seem like bigger would be better in every case. After all, a bigger system means more cooling, right? Unfortunately, no. Having an A/C system that’s too large for the home you’re cooling leads to a number of issues and can be just as problematic as having a system that was far too small. That’s why finding the perfect unit size for your home is the first step toward finding the best home air conditioner for your Arizona home.

Fortunately, finding the right fit is easy when you know the correct steps to take. Some of these you can do on your own, and include:

• Measuring the square footage of every room you’re looking to cool
• Do some research on the energy needs of your home, considering materials and square footage along the way
• Take a look at how much cooling power your home will need in specific BTU measurements

Alternatively, working with installation professionals is the absolute best way to ensure you’re getting the perfect fit for your home’s cooling needs. It’s a less hands-on approach but offers more reliable results by far when you work with the right team.

Heed Professional Standards

If there’s one thing you can depend on throughout the selection process, it’s that the pros know what they’re doing. After all, they’ve trained for months on end to gain the expertise they bring to the field and have months or even years of on-the-job experience, so why not make use of the information they provide publicly?

Referencing industry standards from the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) can help you narrow down the options for your new home cooling unit quickly and ensure you end up with the right product in your hands at the end of the day.

Get the Right Air Compressor

The standards from the ACCA have a great deal to say about choosing the right unit, but one of the main points is the type of compressor the setup uses in order to get the job done. The compressor is an integral part that converts the power your unit receives into the energy used to cool your home’s interior. There are three main options to choose from when selecting a new unit, including a variable speed compressor, a two-speed compressor, and a single-speed compressor.

The best option of these three for tackling the Arizona heat is by far the variable speed compressor. This compressor is useful for climates with extremes because it can directly control the RPMs at which the A/C is operating, delivering to you as much cool air as you need when necessary and slowing things down to preserve efficiency when you don’t.

This ensures peak efficiency during all seasons without sacrificing an ounce of comfort. If the up-front price tag is too much for you, though, the next best option would be a unit with a two-speed compressor, while the single-speed compressor should be considered as a last resort.

Go for the High-End Model

It’s always great to save some cash where you can, but fighting the serious Arizona heat isn’t the right time to pinch pennies. If you want the best, then you need to be willing to pay for the best. High-end modern models are packed with useful features that you’ll need in the height of summer, such as:

• Thermostats that quickly and easily communicate with one another
• Zoning capabilities
• Indoor blower fan motor that works at variable speeds

Each of these features may cost you more up-front, but they’re integral to ensuring you’re getting the ultimate performance out of your unit in even the highest temperatures. Additionally, they make the unit more efficient than cheaper models by far. The monthly savings you’ll receive will eventually pay for the higher up-front cost of the purchase and installation.

Find the Right Balance

The best air conditioner for Arizona is one that strikes a perfect balance between power and efficiency. Sure, any big, high-end A/C unit can cool your house, but if it doesn’t have a decent measure of efficiency as well, you’re going to feel the strain on your wallet.

Likewise, a unit that’s efficient but not powerful enough will have you paying out for cooling you can barely even feel.  Therefore, don’t pay attention to which brand you’re buying, but rather the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) of each one.

The SEER2 rating measures how well a unit handles the extremes of each season. The higher the score is, the better you can expect your unit to perform. Ideally, you should aim to install an air conditioner with a rating of at least 20 in your Arizona home.

Some Excellent Options

When considering all of the above criteria at once, there are a number of potential options that stand out among the rest. These have a high SEER2 score, adhere to ACCA suggestions and standards, and implement top-of-the-line technology to get the job done. They include:

• Lennox Signature Series XC25
• Lennox Signature Series C21
• Coleman AC21B
• Amana AVXC20
• Carrier Infinity 21 24ANB1

These, among others, have both the power and efficiency to keep your home utterly cool in the mid-summer months in Arizona without destroying your monthly budget. These are, of course, just a few options out there.

To discover other models that might offer your home perfect airflow throughout every season, work closely with a team of professionals. They can give specific recommendations for both your home and your budget that gets you the best of both worlds.

Get Your Unit Running Smoothly

Whether you’re getting an old A/C back in order or looking for a new installation altogether, you need to get the process started if you want everything in order by the time the heat returns in spring.

After all, the last thing you want is to be stuck in the sweltering heat without the right A/C unit to keep your home comfortable and under control. Contact Howard Air & Plumbing for a tune-up before spring rolls around or to find the perfect unit for your home in Arizona.

Image Credit: Shutterstock By Ozgur Coskun