​Air Conditioning Buying Guide

January 29, 2024

​Air Conditioning Buying Guide

January 29, 2024

​Buying a new air conditioning system is a big decision. There are many things to consider during the purchasing process. Our A/C Buying Guide was designed to help you make the right choice. When you have the right A/C system, you’ll enjoy a more comfortable space, lower electric bills, and confidence that you made the right decision.​

When shopping for a new A/C system, we recommend buying a high-efficiency unit. It may cost more up front, but the unit will eventually pay for itself with the money you’ll save on your electric bill.

Step by Step A/C Buying Guide

Buying a new A/C system can be very intimidating. We want to help make the buying process easier for you so we created a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.
Step 1: We determine if you need a new system.
Step 2: We evaluate your options.
Step 3: We choose the system that’s right for you.
Shop with Confidence for a New Air Conditioning System


Air Conditioning Terms

Here is a glossary of commonly used air conditioning terms.
Straight cool system – An air-conditioning system that includes a cooling cycle only. Gas, oil, or electric strip heating may be included in straight cool systems.

Strip Heating (or resistance heating) – A form of heating, where air is blown over electrically heated metal coils and circulated into the living space.


Heat pump system – Cooling and heating system that provides a cooling cycle during the summer and a heating cycle during the winter.

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) – A measure of the average annual cooling efficiency of an air conditioner or heat pump. We recommend a minimum SEER of 14.0.

HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) – A measure of the average annual heating efficiency of a heat pump. We recommend an HSPF of greater than 7.7.
The higher the SEER or HSPF, the more efficient the model.
These are units of measure that determine an A/C system’s size:

BTU (British Thermal Unit) – Used to describe how much cooling capacity a business needs.
Ton – A measure of the size or cooling capacity of an air conditioner. One ton is equal to 12,000 BTUs.​

​Contact Dales A/C and Heating

Dales Air Conditioning and Heating, we take care to provide our customers high quality air conditioning & heating services personalized for their unique needs. We are available to take your A/C order! Our HVAC technicians are professional, courteous and efficient.