Silence is Golden
When shopping for any kind of equipment, it's easy to overlook how loudly it runs. The oversight becomes painfully apparent when that loud air conditioner starts keeping you up at night or forces you to turn the TV on full volume just to hear the dialogue.
Getting a quiet HVAC system is now easier than ever. You can now get the quietest air conditioners and furnaces ever available. Here's what to look for.
Loudness
First, let's decipher loudness and show you what to look for when shopping for quiet HVAC equipment.
It's easier to understand how loud or quiet something is when it's compared to things found in our everyday surroundings. To get an idea of this, take a look at the noise level chart below:
For example, a decibel rating of 70 means the object is as loud as a vacuum. At 90 dB, it's as loud as mowing the lawn.
Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale. This means that a 10 dB increase in the rating of a noise indicates a doubling in the volume. So, an air conditioner operating at 40 dB is twice as loud as one operating at 30 dB, and one operating at 50 dB is twice as loud again.
Keep It Down
We're surrounded by active noise-cancelling features in everything, from headphones to the cars we drive.
As demand for such low-noise tech has grown, heating and cooling equipment manufacturers have responded by installing thicker insulation in their appliances thereby not only reducing the decibels, but also increasing efficiency!
Many manufacturers now feature noise ratings (measured in decibels or dB) right on their products and even list them in the product features. These ratings are important because they allow you to make a better judgement about how the product's noise and performance will affect your lifestyle.
If you pay attention to these noise ratings, and compare them with our decibel chart above, you'll be able to find the perfect-volume HVAC equipment that won't make you want to cover your ears.
As always, we're here to help you choose the quietest HVAC system. Please contact us to speak with an expert.
