Cooling System

Upgrade to a high-efficiency air conditioner – Replacing your old, inefficient air conditioning system with a high-efficient one can cut electricity bills significantly. Consult one of our professional technicians to ensure your system is the right size for your home, and you are not over- or under-cooling for your space needs.

Turn up the temperature – To save electricity during the summer, set the temperature above 75° as every degree below this will add an extra three to five percent to your energy bill.

Install ceiling fans – Change the direction of airflow on your ceiling fans. In the summer, the blades should operate in a counter-clockwise direction as a way of creating a nice, gentle wind.

Have an annual maintenance performed – Having an annual maintenance performed on your air conditioner by a licensed technician will help ensure it operates at its peak efficiency and catches any potential breakdowns before they occur.

Don’t block vents in well-used rooms – Keep your supply and return air vents free of objects like blinds, carpets or furniture so your air conditioner can operate efficiently and there is even cool air distribution.

Heating System

Upgrade to a high-efficiency furnace – New high-efficiency furnaces use up to 50% less fuel than an older system. It can save you up to 25 percent of your home-heating costs in one year, and within a few years, you will have recovered the initial cost of replacing/upgrading your furnace. Choosing a model with an energy efficient motor can save 20 to 50 percent of the energy needed to continuously operate a fan motor. Let us show you the advantages of replacing your old furnace today.
Have an annual maintenance performed – Having an annual maintenance performed on your furnace by a licensed technician will help ensure it operates at its peak efficiency and catches any potential breakdowns before they occur.

Install a programmable thermostat – A programmable thermostat enables you to control your home’s temperature when you are away or asleep. For every one degree you lower your thermostat for seven hours per day, you save one percent on your heating bill.

Don’t block vents in well-used rooms – Keep your supply and return air vents free of objects like blinds, carpets or furniture so your furnace can operate efficiently and there is even heat distribution.

Install ceiling fans- Change the direction of airflow on your ceiling fans. In the winter, the blades should operate in a clockwise direction helping to push the warm air from the ceiling down into the room.

What is the average life expectancy of equipment? Depending on the brand, most systems have a life span of 10 to 15 years (some builder grade equipment has a much shorter life span). As your equipment gets older, its efficiency and performance also declines. Typically if a system is 10-12+ years in age, it is good to consider replacement rather than investing in the old inefficient system. New comfort systems are more energy efficient and they will provide payback and energy savings. In addition, most of our new systems come with a 10 year warranty for your peace of mind.

Typically, no. The indoor coil’s refrigerant and efficiency rating must be matched to the outdoor unit. Freon R-22 has been replaced with a more energy efficient and environmental friendly Freon 410-A (also known as Puron). In addition, the minimum SEER rating or efficiency that we can install today is 14 SEER (older systems are 10 SEER and below). Therefore, you have to replace the indoor coil and outdoor unit at the same time for the proper operation and to protect your investment. Be leery of companies who would do otherwise.

No, you don’t want your air conditioner to be too big. Air conditioners control the comfort level in your home by cooling the air and by removing humidity. An oversized air conditioner will cool your home faster, but it will use more energy and will not remove humidity adequately.

A unit that is too big for your home will have short run cycles. It may take only a short time to cool the air, but the unit shuts off before enough air blows across the indoor coil where moisture condenses into water and drains from your system. Too much moisture left in the air can lead to mold and mildew problems.

These short run cycles also mean your system starts and stops more often which uses more energy and causes a lot of wear and tear. An air conditioner operates more efficiently during long run cycles.

The same holds true with heating systems. An oversized furnace will warm the house quicker, but it uses more fuel and causes greater temperature swings in the home.

How often you should change your filter depends on the type of filter you have and how much infiltration you have throughout your home and ductwork. “Throw away” or the lesser expensive filters have to be replaced every 30 days. “Pleated” or “Poly” filters have to typically be replaced every 90 days. “Media filters” or Clean Effects filters usually have to be replaced every year. We offer free advice so give us a call at any time with any additional questions.

Proper air filtration is just as important to the health of your heating and cooling system as it is to the health of your family. Without proper filtration, dust and dirt can build up on your system which impacts operation and efficiency. An AccuClean whole house air cleaner will remove up to 99.98% of dust, dirt, pollen, mold, allergens and other particles from the air. If you or anyone in your family suffer(s) from allergies or other respiratory problems, you should strongly consider an American Standard AccuClean air filtering system.

Yes. Keeping your system properly maintained will lower energy and repair costs, prevent breakdowns and prolong the life of your equipment. Neglecting necessary maintenance ensures a steady decline in air conditioning performance while energy use steadily increases.

Your heating and cooling system is just like your car and needs regular maintenance. Our service agreement is priced at break-even cost so all of our clients can afford to maintain their systems. Servicing your system will increase the lifespan of your system, reduce energy costs and increase comfort.

A heat pump is an air conditioner that also has the ability to heat your home. A heat pump can be installed with a variety of indoor systems including all electric and dual fuel. All electric comfort systems use heat pumps to heat your home in addition to back up heat strips for the cold days. A dual fuel comfort system also uses a heat pump to heat your home but for the really cold days it uses a gas furnace for back up heat. Just like air conditioners, we have a range of heat pump options for every budget. Different options provide different comfort levels, efficiencies and noise levels. Just like A/C replacement, it is important to look at your home as a system and perform the proper calculations to ensure you get the most value for your investment.

Variable speed equipment or variable airflow is almost always the first step toward a more energy efficient and comfortable system. Our variable airflow systems have “de-humidification control”. Traditional systems only have a one-speed fan and only read temperature. A variable airflow system reads relative humidity in addition to temperature. The system runs more often at a lower speed removing more moisture than a typical system. Removing more moisture means you are more comfortable at a higher temperature. In addition, the system does a much better job of filtering the air (because it runs more often), creates a more even temperature throughout your home and operates more quietly.