What you should know about heating and cooling your home


What should I know before choosing a heating/cooling specialist?

What can I do to help improve the air quality within my home?

What exactly is the expected lifetime of my equipment?

How can I help reduce energy costs during the Winter?

How can I help reduce energy costs during the Summer?

Do I need to replace my equipment?

What are the benefits of a preventive maintenance agreement?

What are SEER, HSPF, and AFUE ratings?

What products are covered under the Government Tax Credit?

 


Some questions to ask yourself when choosing a heating/cooling specialist are:

Does the heating/cooling specialist answer the phone and respond quickly?

How long has the heating/cooling specialist been in business?

Will the heating/cooling specialist give a fair quote before the work is done?

Will the heating/cooling specialist stand behind their work?

What can I do to help improve the air quality within my home?

Ensure that the air ducts are not leaking, install an air cleaning system, install a humidifier and have a properly sized air conditioner and heating system.

What exactly is the expected lifetime of my equipment?

The industry average life of a heat pump system is 12.5 years, while the average life of an electric air conditioner with a heating furnace is 25 years.

How can I help reduce energy costs during the Winter?

Set your thermostat at the lowest temperature you feel comfortable with and use a programmable thermostat to reduce the temperature when you are not home. Do NOT turn it off. This is a common assumption. We recommend turning it down 10 degrees instead, for a slight but impactful adjustment.

How can I help reduce energy costs during the Summer?

Set your thermostat at the highest temperature you feel comfortable with and use a programmable thermostat to increase the temperature when you are not home. Do NOT turn it off. This is a common assumption. We recommend turning it up 5 degrees instead, for a slight but impactful adjustment.

Do I need to replace my equipment?

This answer is not the same for everyone. There is a balance of repair costs, system age and gained efficiency. For example, if a heat pump system is 9 years old and is in need of a $500 repair, a new heat pump system could pay for itself in electricity savings alone and the $500 is better to invest in the new system.

What are the benefits of a preventive maintenance agreement?

Your HVAC AC heating and air conditioning system will perform at peak efficiencies when it is clean and has the exact refrigerant level. Plus, preventive maintenance helps prolong your system’s life, increases safety and you always get priority service for emergency calls.

 

What are SEER, HSPF, and AFUE ratings?

The SEER rating is a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. This is how the industry determines the efficiency rating of an air conditioner. The higher the rating, the better. The ratings are directly related numerically; for example, an 8 SEER air conditioner uses exactly twice as much electricity as a 16 SEER air conditioner.

The HSPF rating is a Heating Season Performance Factor. This is how the industry determines the efficiency rating of a heat pump. The higher the rating, the better. The ratings are directly related numerically; for example a 6 HSPF heat pump uses exactly twice as much electricity as a 12 HSPF heat pump.

The AFUE is Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. This is how the industry determines the efficiency rating of fuel burning furnace. The higher the rating, the better. The ratings are directly related by a percentage; for example, an 80% AFUE furnace will lose 20% of the fuel through the chimney, while a 95% AFUE furnace will only lose 5% through the chimney. By replacing an 80% AFUE furnace with a 95% furnace, there will be a direct savings of 15% in gas usage that will be reflected on the gas bill.

 

What products are covered under the Government Tax Credit?

All residential new HVAC AC heating and air conditioning systems are capable of qualifying for tax incentives. The new system must meet the set minimum Efficiency requirements; and all new HVAC AC heating and air conditioning systems do meet those requirements. More specifically:

Central Air Conditioner eligibility requirements:

    • Split systems: SEER >= 16, EER >=13

    • Package systems: SEER >= 14, EER >= 12

Air source heat pump eligibility requirements:

    • Split systems: HSPF >= 8.5, EER >= 12.5, SEER >= 15

    • Package systems: HSPF >= 8, EER >= 12, SEER >= 14

    • Natural gas or propane furnace must have AFUE >= 95