Chances are, if your heating and air conditioning system is more than a few years old, you’re familiar with the jolting, disruptive sound that it produces when it starts. Unfortunately, that is literally the sound of money draining out of your bank account. A great new feature to look for with newer heating and air conditioning systems is a variable speed compressor. When this compressor is added to a unit, it is considered a variable speed system. These systems can drastically reduce your energy bills and significantly improve the comfort levels in your home.
 
What is a Variable Speed System?
 
A variable speed system allows an HVAC unit to maintain a temperature setting without the need to constantly turn itself on and off.  Since the system runs continuously, it can gradually increase or decrease its speed to keep your home comfortable. This is a sharp contrast to older systems, which are either off or running at full blast. Older systems are designed to stop running when the desired temperature setting is reached. When the temperature goes outside of the specified range, older systems kick back on at full blast, even though that much airflow wasn’t needed. This requires a lot of energy. Since variable speed systems only run at the speed that is necessary to keep you comfortable, the savings can be substantial. Variable speed systems only have to run on full blast when there are extreme temperatures.
 
Benefits of Variable Speed Systems

• Energy Efficiency. As the name implies, variable speed systems can vary their output, thus avoiding the need to turn on and off constantly. According to Archnews.com, “Adding variable speed compressors to a dedicated outdoor air system can produce anywhere from a 20 to 40 percent savings, depending on the regional climate.”
• Humidity Control. Continuous operation provides variable speed systems with a broader range of control over the humidity levels in your home. This is especially significant during the summer months, when older systems struggle to effectively remove humidity from the home.
• Lower Noise Volume. Say goodbye to the loud startup noise associated with an older system. As it is continuously running, the noise of a variable speed system has the potential to fade into the background. It is only in extreme weather that a variable speed system will need to push a large load of air, so it will run quietly most of the time.
• Improved Comfort. Using continuous air flow allows variable speed systems to maintain desired temperature settings more effectively. Since older systems produce a heavy stream of hot or cold air, then nothing until the temperature changes again, the air can feel stagnant when the system is off and then overly hot or cold when it turns itself on again. Variable speed systems limit temperature variations in your home for continuous comfort.