Air conditioning installation in Stoney Creek

Most people start thinking about a new system when the old one stops keeping up. The house is warm by late afternoon, the unit runs without a break, or the same refrigerant leak has been topped up more than once. Other signs are a compressor that has become loud or hesitant on start-up, an outdoor coil with fins that are badly corroded or flattened, and an indoor coil that keeps icing over. On the mountain, many of the units installed with the original furnaces in the Felker, East Felker and Heritage Green subdivisions are now reaching the end of their working life, and these signs tend to show up together.

Some checks are safe to do yourself. Look at the furnace filter and change it if it is grey and clogged, since a blocked filter can make any air conditioner look worn out. Check that the breaker for the outdoor unit has not tripped, that the thermostat is set to cool, and that grass, leaves or a fence are not crowding the outdoor unit. Leave the rest alone: the panels on the outdoor unit hide high-voltage parts, and the refrigerant circuit is not something to open or top up without the right training and equipment.

A single failed part on a fairly young unit is usually worth repairing. The picture changes when the system is old, the repair is a large one such as a compressor or a leaking coil, or the leaks keep returning. At that point the money spent on the repair is going into equipment that has little life left.

We will explain what failed, what a repair would involve and what a replacement would involve, each with a written price, so you can compare them side by side. There is no pressure to decide on the spot, and a system that is still sound can stay. If a cold-climate heat pump is worth considering in place of a straight air conditioner, we can set that out too; see heat pumps.

That depends a great deal on when the house was built. The older homes of Olde Towne, along King Street and Lake Avenue, were first heated with wood or coal and later converted, often to hot-water radiators. Many have no ductwork at all, or ducts that were added later and are small or oddly placed. In these houses a ductless system is often the better answer: an outdoor unit connected to wall-mounted heads in the rooms that need cooling, with only a small opening through the wall for the line set. It avoids opening up plaster walls and ceilings to run new ducts.

Houses built on the mountain from the 1990s onward usually have forced-air gas furnaces and central air already. Here, a new outdoor unit and matching indoor coil on the existing furnace is the usual route, provided the ducts can move enough air. The newer houses in Fruitland and Winona generally came with central air, high-efficiency furnaces and an HRV or ERV, so a replacement there is mostly about matching the new equipment to what is already in place.

Some houses suit a mix: central air for the main floors and a ductless head for a finished attic or an addition the ducts never reached.

A unit that is too large cools the air quickly but shuts off before it has removed much moisture, which leaves the house cool and clammy. One that is too small runs constantly on hot days and still falls behind. Before recommending a size, the technician looks at the house itself: its size, insulation, windows, which way it faces and how the rooms are laid out, rather than simply copying the old unit.

For central air, the ducts matter as much as the equipment. The indoor coil has to suit the furnace it sits on, and the blower and return air need to move enough air across it. If the ducts or returns are undersized, we will tell you, because a new air conditioner pushed through restricted ducts runs noisy and wears early. Where the furnace is also old, it can make sense to look at both together; see furnace installation and replacement.

You will have approved a written price before anything is ordered or fitted. On the day, the old equipment and refrigerant are removed properly, the new outdoor unit is set level on a solid base, and the indoor coil or ductless heads are fitted. The line set is run and sealed, pressure-tested for leaks and evacuated before the system is charged. The electrical disconnect and wiring are completed, the drain line for condensate is connected, and the system is started and checked while it runs.

Refrigeration and air conditioning work in Ontario is a compulsory trade. Work is performed by 313A refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics. If the job also involves the gas furnace, work is performed by TSSA-certified gas technicians.

Before leaving, the technician walks you through the thermostat or the ductless remote, shows you where the filter is and explains what normal operation looks and sounds like.

Register the equipment with the manufacturer soon after installation, and keep the paperwork, since the manufacturer's warranty usually depends on registration and on regular maintenance. Keep the outdoor unit clear of plants and debris, change or clean filters as the manufacturer recommends, and clean ductless head filters during the cooling season.

A yearly check before summer catches small problems, such as a clogged drain or a weakening part, before the first hot week. See furnace and AC maintenance, or request a written quote for a new system.