Air Conditioners

An air conditioner controls the temperature, humidity and general quality of the air in your home. As part of a central heating and cooling system, an air conditioner draws heat out of the house and transfers cooler air inside.

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. SEER is the most common way to evaluate an air conditioner's efficiency and measures how much energy it takes to keep your home at the temperature you choose.

New air conditioners usually range from 13 SEER to 23 SEER. A higher SEER rating means greater energy efficiency and potentially lower energy bills. A good SEER rating for you depends on your home size, where you live and other factors. Even the minimally allowed SEER rating is going to be much more energy efficient than your current, old air conditioner. It’s not always about choosing the model with the highest SEER rating, it’s finding the one that’s right for you. This is where your dealer can help.

When comparing Trane air conditioning systems, think about the features you care about most. You can look for value, energy efficiency and noise levels and select the model that best matches your needs. Energy Star® qualified units, high SEER rated systems and multi-stage systems are all good indicators of air conditioners that will save energy and reduce your energy bills over time.

Your air conditioner is going to age differently than another based on location, maintenance, build quality and several more factors. However, we recommend replacing an air conditioner if:

A split system is the most common central air system and includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. An air conditioner is an outdoor unit, usually installed in conjunction with a furnace or air handler to provide both heating and cooling comfort.

A matched system is the combination of products that make up your HVAC system. Depending on your region, a matched system can be composed of the following: an air conditioner and furnace , a heat pump and furnace, a heat pump and air handler, an air conditioner and air handler, or an all-in-one “packaged” system. By combining components that are made to work seamlessly together, you can create a more efficient ideal system.

Choosing the right size air conditioner is a crucial part of the HVAC buying process and one that you’ll need an HVAC professional to help you with. Here’s why buying the right size air conditioner matters: if you buy an HVAC system that’s too big, you’ll end up wasting money and energy. And if it’s too small, you won’t get enough cool or warm air to keep you comfortable.

A Trane air conditioner can range in price from $4,000 - $10,000. Our pricing guide explains all the factors that affect your price. The cost of your air conditioner will vary depending on the size of your house, model you choose, special installation requirements - even where you live and the climate in your area. You can lower your costs thanks to local rebates, special offers and tax credits. To get the most accurate price for your home, schedule a home evaluation with your local dealer.

R-22, or Freon, is a common refrigerant in residential air conditioners. In 2010, the EPA banned the production of any new systems that used R-22 due to its harmful effects on the ozone layer. In addition, they mandated a complete ban on manufacturing or importing the chemical itself starting January 1, 2020. See our R-22 Trane Topics post for more information.

Honestly, it depends. First thing you need to know is whether your current system uses R-22 or not. If it does, you can continue to service your system but at some point in the future, any replacement Freon will be increasingly hard to get and more expensive - so an upgrade to a newer model may make sense rather than repairs.