MARGATE, Fla. -- It's hard to imagine life in South Florida without central air conditioning. "Forget it, I wouldn't be here," said Michael Drosdowich of Coral Springs.

But when Drosdowich's air conditioning system needed replacing he did his homework, and learned a lot.

"The key thing I learned is that bigger is not better," Drosdowich told Local 10.

"He's right," said Chuck Meyer of Engineered Air in Margate. "If a unit is too big it won't properly remove humidity from the home, if it's too small, it won't fully cool a home on the hottest days."

To get the size right, don't just go by square footage. "A licensed contractor should do a full load calculation on a home to figure out the proper size," said Meyer.

A load calculation will take into account things like the wall height, insulation, position of the house on the lot, along with the size and location of windows.

Once you know the right size, it's time to look for the SEER rating; that stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. "They higher the SEER, the more you'll spend on the unit but the more you'll save in energy costs," said Meyer.

It's important to know that age can affect the efficiency of an air conditioner so if you're planning to stay in your home, it may be wise to replace an older unit before it breaks down.

"In our extreme climate, you can expect to get anywhere from 10 to 12 years on average from a well maintained unit," said Meyer.

Well maintained means having the unit inspected and cleaned at least once a year.

"I was very careful about regular maintenance," Michael Drosdowich told Local 10. "But it reached a point where the unit was just old and needed to go."

Drosdowich actually found out that his old unit was too big for his home. He's now got a properly sized unit that's keeping his home cool and dry, and lowering his electric bills.

For information, contact Chuck Meyer, Engineered Air: 954-974-7277
Air Conditioning Contractors of America: www.acca.org