Air Conditioning

Western Sales and Services is your #1 HVAC contractor in Birmingham, AL, and the surrounding communities. We are the leading company for all of your air conditioning needs. If you need repairs, maintenance, or a brand new system installed, the technicians at Western Sales and Services are the qualified and professional crew for the job.

We provide the highest quality service for your air conditioner. We also aim to educate and inform our customers. Informed decisions are good decisions. We want you to feel confident we are qualified to perform the service for which you are hiring us.

How Much Money Can a New Air Conditioner Save You?

Our SEER2 (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2) energy savings calculator can help determine how much you could save on your utility bills. Simply enter your current unit’s SEER value and compare it to a newer, more efficient SEER2 unit. You can even customize it to better match your home’s system for a more accurate calculation.

Air Conditioning Basics

The four main components to your air conditioner are:

Condenser: The condenser is the outside metal unit and where the gas from the compressor is condensed into a liquid. The gas entering the condenser is very hot. The temperature is then lowered, so the gas can convert back to a liquid.

Compressor: The compressor is inside the condenser. It circulates the pressurized refrigerant, to concentrate the heat, and changes the low pressure gas to high pressure.

Evaporator: The evaporator is the part of the system inside the home. In simple language, it absorbs the heat from your home.

Expansion Valve: The expansion valve controls the amount of refrigerant in your system.

All of these pieces are connected by a copper tube that handles refrigerant, creating a closed loop. Heat is collected in the evaporator, sent outside to the condenser. The heat is removed, and the cool air is recirculated back into your home.

AC Facts

An Air Conditioner Doesn’t Create Cool Air.
What happens in the AC process is actually the removal of heat from the air. Your AC uses a chemical called refrigerant to remove heat and transfer it outside. The warm air runs through the lines and coils in your unit and goes from liquid to gas and back again. During this process, the refrigerant removes the heat and transfers it elsewhere so that when the air comes out the other side, it is cool.

Your AC Will Remove Humidity.
Lower humidity helps the overall comfort level in your home by making you feel cooler, even if the temperature is the same.

Your Air Filter Needs To Be Checked And Replaced Every Three To Six Months.
(depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations)
A dirty air filter restricts your air flow, which reduces efficiency, costing you money, and over time can put stress on your unit and could cause a costly repair.

Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance.
Your air conditioner needs regular checkups to keep it running in tip-top shape. Having regular annual preventative maintenance will bring your system longer life and fewer breakdowns over all.

SEER
The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) measures air conditioning and heat pump cooling efficiency, which is calculated by the cooling output for a typical cooling season divided by the total electric energy input during the same time frame. A higher SEER rating means greater energy efficiency.

At Western Sales and Services, we provide all the services you need to keep your AC running in top-notch shape. Call us at 205-787-8674 for repairs, maintenance, or new-system installation.