Inland Empire & Orange County Air Conditioning Services

Welcome to the finest in Orange County Air Conditioning: With more than 25 years in the business Dial One Sonshine is your best choice for air conditioning products and services for the greater Orange County area.

Modern air conditioners use environment friendly R-410A refrigerant, and are more efficient using much less energy than older units. Replacing an existing unit that is ten years old can save you 30-40% on cooling costs. However just purchasing a new unit with a high SEER rating is not the only thing you should consider.

The Right Sized Air Conditioner
Air conditioners have Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratings (SEER) which rates the energy efficiency of the unit. They also have a British Thermal Units (BTUs) rating which measures the amount of heat they can remove from inside your house per hour. Another rating you may hear is "ton", which is equal to 12,000 BTUs per hour. The efficiency ratings, performance and initial cost of an air conditioner are functions of matching its size to the following conditions:

1. The size of your home and the number of windows it has.

2. The amount of shade that falls on your home (windows, walls, roof)

3. The amount of insulation in the walls and ceiling of your home.

4. Your home's seals (windows and other areas) which determine air leakage

5. The amount of heat produced by occupants and appliances

A large air conditioner will not necessarily provide the best cooling. Installing an air conditioner that is too large for your needs can actually be less efficient and even less effective than a unit sized properly for your specific conditions. In fact, here are some negative consequences that can arise from an improperly sized system:

• Higher initial cost than needed
• A unit sized too large will cycle (switch on and off) more frequently, reducing efficiency
• Frequent cycling fluctuates indoor temperatures more affecting indoor comfort negatively
• Frequent cycling also minimized moisture removal which is essential for humid climates
• The life span of the air conditioner is shortened with frequent cycling
• A larger air conditioner uses more electricity

Air Conditioner Efficiency
As mentioned above, central air conditioning efficiency is measured by a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER). The SEER rating measures how many BTUs per hour are removed from a space for each watt of electricity consumed. Air conditioning units with the Energy Star label have higher SEER ratings resulting in less energy requirements and lower utility bills.

Typically, the higher the SEER rating the higher the unit's initial price, however the money saved in energy costs will make up the difference many times over the life of the unit. We always recommend our customers install the most efficient air conditioner they can afford, especially when living in an area where the power demands and/or rates are high.