When those hot and humid summer months hit in Houston, Texas it is always important to make sure that you and your family are comfortable in your home. So if you are needing to replace your old system with a new air conditioning system or just recently finished building a new home and need to decide on an AC, finding the right one that fits your home is important.
There are a lot of things that need to be considered when comparing different AC units. The number one is making sure that it properly cools your home which is followed closely by it being energy efficient. Saving on your energy bill is a major plus with purchasing a new unit, which goes hand in hand with having a quiet system.
Having an air conditioner that is quiet is a major bonus, especially if you are a light sleeper or having children that are. Though I do not think that most anyone would prefer a unit that makes a lot of racket if given the choice.
There are numerous ways that air conditioning units are compared, which most charts you will find contain things such as BTUs and SEER but the rating you are looking for a dB, which stands for decibel. This is the sound rating. You will want to find the lowest number, as the lower the number the quieter the unit will be.
As of last year in 2015, the two AC systems that had the lowest dB rating of 55 were Trane XV18 and American Standard Platinum CX25. Currently, the lowest range right now is 55-60 dB, though that could change in the future.
Keep in mind that if you are wishing for the quietest air conditioner, you will need to expect paying for it. The quieter the unit runs, the more energy efficient it will be, thus the purchasing cost will be more.
To get the promised dB rating that that is promised on the chart for that specific AC you would need to make sure that the fan is running on its lowest setting, which in the great state of Texas with all of its humidity, would be hard to achieve. Also, it would take in account the size of your home too, the bigger the home, the less likely you will succeed in getting that exact dB rating.
With this being said, even though the actual dB would be louder if you do own a larger home and the fan is not running on its lowest, getting a system that is between 55 to 60 dB will still run much more quiet that one that has a rating closer to 70 or 80.
Now you may be wondering exactly how loud is 70 dB or even 60 dB, here is a simple break down. When you are told a unit has a dB rating of 80, think of the sound your garbage disposal makes when you turn it on to grind up the food. 70 dB is as loud as if you were vacuuming the carpets in your home.
Now when you reach to 60 dB, that is like being inside a restaurant and hearing the conversations throughout the sitting area. When you great 50 dB, it’s as loud as having a quiet conversation in your own home. Hopefully that gives you a better idea what each level of dB sounds like.
There are a few features to keep in mind that will help reduce the sound. They are noise-reducing fan blades, an insulated base pan, how the compressor is insulated, and the fan having various speeds. If you are not able to find the sound rating or dB, see if the air conditioner you are considering has any or all of these which will help you determine if it is a quieter system.
If your air conditioning system is not operating correctly or is in need of its annual maintenance to prevent potential issues, please contact us today to schedule your appointment. Do not be strand in the blasting heat of Houston, Texas summer without a cool home.
Autumn Mechanical
18812 Tomato St.
Spring, TX 77379
(713) 864-8368
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