If you do need to replace an air conditioner in a 2800 square foot above ground home you will need to be prepared to spend between $3,000 and $5,000. There are new laws about the refrigerants, so if you have to replace, rather than repair you will need to upgrade to the newer units that are better for the environment.

In all cases, for both repair and replacement, it is important that you are working with a trusted heating and cooling expert who will come to your home twice a year even when a new unit is installed or an older one is repaired. Looking at the furnace in the fall and the air conditioner in the spring, HVAC experts are also looking at the vents in your home to make sure that everything is working as it should. These regular service calls can significantly increase the effectiveness of your heating and cooling system, as well as extending the life of the entire unit.
As important as the HVAC system that you have in a home, however, are the basic materials that you use to build your home. Although many buyers simply go with the standard materials that a builder suggests, there are more and more home buyers who are demanding the highest quality materials in an effort to make sure that their homes will be as energy efficient as possible. In fact, in today’s home construction industry there are specific materials like insulated concrete forms (ICFs) and light construction materials that can make a home more energy efficient, as well as more friendly to the environment.

The Latest Home Construction Materials Help Create Energy Efficient Homes
Selecting the right builder can help you build the home of your dreams. If, for instance, you work with a builder who is using the latest materials you can create a structure that is not only more friendly to the environment, but also one that is going to be more energy efficient for the life of the home. Consider some of these statistics about the latest materials that home building companies are implementing into their plans:

• Because they are capable of withstanding 402 kph winds, ICF construction is capable of protecting properties from natural disasters.
• When compared to traditional buildings, buildings constructed with ICF are six to nine times stronger.
• Although they may not be common in residential home construction, ICF systems have been used in global construction for over 60 years.
• Patented in 1966 by Werner Gregori, a Canadian contractor, the first foam concrete form measured at 16 inches high and 48 inches long.
• The average ICF block is 10 inches wide.
• In addition to being more energy efficient and stronger, ICF systems can also cut final costs on a property by an estimated $0.75 per square foot.

The HVAc system that you install is what regulates the temperature inside your home, but the structure of the home itself is equally important. A well insulated home helps home owners safe energy costs even before the heating and cooling system is installed. The best home construction project starts with the selection of the very best materials.