Frequently
Asked Questions
About Heating and Air Conditioning
Knowing what to ask is the first
step in choosing the best home comfort system for
your home.
Below are some of the most common questions
homeowners ask about heating and air conditioning
systems. Just click on the question that interests
you to go directly to the answer.
Q: Why should I replace
my existing heating or air conditioning system? A: You may wish to consider replacing
your air conditioning or heating system if it is
old, inefficient or in need of repair. Today's
systems are as much as 60% more efficient than
those systems manufactured as little as ten years
ago. In addition, if not properly maintained, wear
and tear on a system can reduce the actual or
realized efficiency of the system. If you are
concerned about utility bills or are faced with an
expensive repair, you may want to consider
replacing your system rather than enduring another
costly season or paying to replace an expensive
component. The utility cost savings of a new unit
may provide an attractive return on your
investment. If you plan on financing the purchase,
the monthly savings on your utility bill should be
considered when determining the actual monthly
cost of replacing a system. The offsetting savings
may permit you to purchase a more efficient
system.
Back to Top
Q:
How expensive are air conditioning and heat pump
systems? A: Many factors affect the
cost of a heating or air conditioning system,
including the size of your home, the type and
condition of the ductwork installed and
accessories you might need such as a thermostat or
an electronic air cleaner. We have a complete
range of systems and accessories available to meet
all your needs, including your financial ones! We
are happy to assist you in finding the right
system to meet not only your comfort needs but
also your household budget.
Back to Top
Q:
How do I select the right heating/cooling system? A: First, make sure the unit is
properly sized. We will provide a load calculation
for your home. Also ask our technician to provide
an energy analysis to determine operating cost.
Next, consider any comfort issues in the home.
Some products can reduce air stratification and
uneven temperatures from room to room. If you have
allergies, an indoor unit with an ECM motor will
allow you to circulate the air in your home
continuously while filtering the air for about the
same cost as operating a standard light bulb.
Finally, know your budget parameters and the
efficiency of the system being proposed. Does the
system offer a payback? In other words, will the
monthly savings over time offset the cost of the
new unit or efficiency option being
considered?
Back to Top
Q:
What is involved in replacing an old system? A: Aside from the placement of the new
equipment, our technician will inspect several
items and make a determination of whether or not
these items need to be supplied or replaced. Some
of the items include: ductwork, insulation,
refrigerant piping, electrical service, wiring,
thermostat, condensate piping, flue piping, flue
terminations, chimney liner, slabs, filter,
driers, registers, grills, drain pans and
evaporator coil.
Back to Top
Q:
What is involved in installing a new system? A: If a system is being added to the
home for the first time, most of the items noted
in the previous question and answer may be
required to install the new system. Besides the
equipment, the most significant component is
ductwork. The ductwork can be either metal or
fiberglass ductwork. The ductwork needs to be
properly sized to deliver the right amount of air
to each room. The ductwork consists of supply and
return ductwork. The supply duct is attached to
the outlet of the furnace or air handler and
delivers air to individual zones in your home. We
will determine the size of the ductwork going into
a space by the amount of air that needs to be
delivered to the space.
Back to Top
Q:
How long can I expect a new system to last? A: If you have a qualified technician
perform regular preventative maintenance and
service suggested for your unit, industry averages
suggest that an air conditioner should last 12-15
years (sea coast applications may be less) and a
gas furnace should last as many as 20-25
years.
Back to Top
Q:
What are some preventative maintenance things I
should be aware of? A: With the proper
attention, heating and cooling systems can keep
you comfortable year-round. Heat pumps and
oil-fired furnaces and boilers need a yearly
professional tune-up. Gas-fired equipment, on the
other hand, burns cleaner and can be serviced
every other year. A close inspection will uncover
leaks, soot, rust, rot, corroded electrical
contacts and frayed wires. In furnace (forced-air)
and boiler (hot-water) systems, the inspection
should also cover the chimney, ductwork or pipes,
dampers or valves, blower or pump, registers or
radiators, the fuel line and the gas meter or oil
tank — as well as every part of the furnace or
boiler itself.
Next, the system should be
run through a full heating cycle to ensure that it
has plenty of combustion air and chimney draft.
Finally, cleaning the burner and heat exchanger to
remove soot and other gunk will prevent such
buildup from impeding smooth operation. For the
burner, efficiency hinges on adjusting the flame
to the right size and color, adjusting the flow of
gas or changing the fuel filter in an oil-fired
system. A check of the heat pump should include an
inspection of the compressor, fan, indoor and
outdoor coils and refrigerant lines. Indoor and
outdoor coils should be cleaned, and the
refrigerant pressure should be checked.
Blower
Tuning up the
distribution side of a forced-air system starts
with the blower. The axle should be lubricated,
blades cleaned and lower motor checked to insure
the unit isn't being overloaded. The fan belt
should be adjusted so it deflects no more than an
inch when pressed. Every accessible joint in the
ductwork should be sealed with mastic or
UL-approved duct tapes. Any ducts that run outside
the heated space should be insulated. On a
hot-water system, the expansion tank should be
drained, the circulating pump cleaned and
lubricated and air bled out of the radiators.
Thermostat
While thermostats
rarely fail outright, they can degrade over time
as mechanical parts stick or lose their
calibration. Older units will send faulty signals
if they've been knocked out of level or have dirty
switches. To recalibrate an older unit, use a
wrench to adjust the nut on the back of the
mercury switch until it turns the system on and,
using a room thermometer, set it to the correct
temperature. Modern electronic thermostats, sealed
at the factory to keep out dust and grime, rarely
need adjusting. However, whether your thermostat
is old or young, the hole where the thermostat
wire comes through the wall needs to be caulked,
or a draft could trick it into thinking the room
is warmer or colder than it really is.
Humidifier
A neglected
in-duct humidifier can breed mildew and bacteria,
not to mention add too much moisture to a house. A
common mistake with humidifiers is leaving them on
after the heating season ends. Don't forget to
pull the plug, shut the water valve and drain the
unit. A unit with a water reservoir should be
drained and cleaned with white vinegar, a mix of
one part chlorine bleach to eight parts water or
muriatic acid. Mist-type humidifiers also require
regular cleaning to remove mineral deposits.
Filters
Most houses with
forced-air furnaces have a standard furnace filter
made from loosely woven spun-glass fibers designed
to keep it and its ductwork clean. Unfortunately,
they don't improve indoor air quality. That takes
a media filter, which sits in between the main
return duct and the blower cabinet. Made of a
deeply pleated, paper-like material, media filters
are at least seven times better than a standard
filter at removing dust and other particles. An
upgrade to a pleated media filter will cleanse the
air of everything from insecticide dust to flu
viruses. Compressed, media filters are usually no
wider than six inches, but the pleated material
can cover up to 75 square feet when stretched out.
This increased area of filtration accounts for the
filter's long life, which can exceed two years.
The only drawback to a media filter is its tight
weave, which can restrict a furnace's ability to
blow air through the house. To insure a steady,
strong airflow through the house, choose a filter
that matches your blower's capacity.
Duct Cleaning
A maze of
heating and air conditioning ducts runs inside the
walls and floors of 80 percent of American homes.
As the supply ducts blow air into the rooms,
return ducts inhale airborne dust and suck it back
into the blower. Add moisture to this mixture and
you've got a breeding ground for allergy-inducing
molds, mites and bacteria. Many filters commonly
used today can't keep dust and debris from
streaming into the air and over time sizable
accumulations can form — think dust bunnies, but
bigger.
To find out if your ducts need
cleaning, pull off some supply and return
registers and take a look. If a new furnace is
being installed, you should probably invest in a
duct cleaning at the same time, because chances
are the new blower will be more powerful than the
old one and will stir up a lot of dust.
Professional duct cleaners tout such benefits
as cleaner indoor air, longer equipment life and
lower energy costs. Clean HVAC systems can also
perform more efficiently, which may decrease
energy costs, and last longer, reducing the need
for costly replacement or repairs. Cleaning has
little effect on air quality, primarily because
most indoor dust drifts in from the outdoors. But
it does get rid of the stuff that mold and
bacteria grow on, and that means less of it gets
airborne, a boon to allergy sufferers.
Back to Top
Q:
Should I change my indoor coil? A: When
replacing your air conditioner or heat pump, the
answer is most likely yes. The efficiency ratings
that are advertised for an air conditioner or heat
pump are based on the performance as part of a
matched system. If only the outdoor portion is
changed, the efficiency and savings could be less
than that of a matched system.
Back to Top
Q:
Where do I get replacement parts? A: Contact
us for help obtaining replacement parts.
Back to Top
Q:
What is covered in my warranty? A: All
of our HVAC products come with a written limited
warranty on parts. This warranty states that a
replacement part will be furnished for any part of
the product that fails in normal use and service
during the applicable warranty period specified in
accordance with the warranty's terms.
Back to Top
|
