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Do you get your electricity from a power co-op? My co-op does heating and cooling load calcs for free. Or, get three bids from contractors and ask them to tell you why they think such-and-such size of system is right for you. Just because you may now have a, say, 2.5 ton A/C does not mean that is the right size. In years past A/C guys used to size them by some random rule of thumb, like 1 ton per 1,000 sq ft (a ton, btw, is 12,000 btu). Have your loads calced by someone that knows what they're doing and ask to see their calculations, which should include not only sq ft of floor but sq ft of window glass, type of glass (low-E?), type of insulation, north-south orientation, etc. You do not want to oversize or undersize the unit, either of which will cost you money on your utility bill. Some co-ops, like mine, also have special deals on energy efficient appliances. We got a 105-gallon high-efficiency Marathon hot water heater for $300 from our co-op (big, because we heat with radiant hydronic flooring)! Take time to do this right and you'll be glad you did. P.S.: this might be a good time to check out solar heaters. Good luck, pal.
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