If Your Getting Quotes On Installing a New Air Conditioning System and They Fail To Mention This One Important Detail Give Us a Call
Choosing the right HVAC contractor in Fort Lauderdale to install your new air conditioning units can be a daunting task. How do you know who to trust? How do you know you’re getting the very best? To be honest, most air conditioners today are made very similarly or even made by the same manufacturer on the same assembly line. The true value and measure of quality is in the installation itself.
Experienced AC installation technicians who are taught the HVAC trade correctly know the finer details that can make your new air conditioning system last so much longer than inexperienced or poorly trained installers. The longevity of your new air conditioner is directly tied to the quality of the installation. That’s why it’s so important to take the time and do as much research as you can. Most air conditioning companies offer free estimates on new installations and is a great way to get informed before making an investment in your new equipment.
Cool My Air takes pride in everything we do offering Fort Lauderdale residents the very best in AC repair, maintenance and air conditioning installations. One thing that we do a little different than almost all other HVAC companies is to install a fused disconnect at the outside AC condenser unit.
What Is A Fused Disconnect Switch?
A fused disconnect is a safety disconnect switch fitted with a fuse. The goal of a fused disconnect is to open a circuit and disengage power quickly in case of an overload or short. When potentially harmful electrical problems arise the fused disconnect detects them, the fuse blows, and your AC equipment is shut off automatically. This protects your compressor from pulling too much voltage and shorting itself out. When a compressor is shorted the whole unit will need to be replaced for reliable operation.
Now some people would say there’s a breaker in the electrical panel that will trip if the compressor, fan motor or contactor starts pulling too many amps. This is true. However, it takes A LOT of amp draw to trip that breaker. Basically a dead short. A dead short is where some of the copper windings in the compressor have over heated and break apart. The broken copper wires can touch the outer shell of the compressor causing a dead short which cannot be repaired.
A fused disconnect will extend the life of your new air conditioner because if there’s any high amperage being pulled from the compressor (from being over charged with freon or a dirty AC coil for example) the fuses are more sensitive than your breakers and will blow if there’s stress or high amperage being pulled. By the time a breaker trips significant damage has already been done.
That’s why every single AC replacement or new AC installation we perform get’s a fused disconnect. Another great thing about a fused disconnect is that it also acts as a sort of warning system. If you forget to change your air filter, your AC coils are dirty or if the system is over charged the fused disconnect will blow killing power to your AC and in turn letting you know there’s some sort of issue going on with your air conditioning. By catching an air conditioning problem early with a fused disconnect you are almost always avoiding permanent damage or complete compressor or fan motor failure which would need to be replaced.
That said, many situations actually require the presence of a fuse to stay within NEC code. This is because fused disconnects naturally carry a higher “Amps Interrupting Capacity,” or AIC. The addition of fuses equips the disconnect to more precisely monitor huge draws of power, allowing for a more precise failsafe.
Check back for more expert tips and staff picks from Cool My Air and if you have any questions Contact Us or call 954-298-0114 and we’d be happy to help you.
