subject: A Complete Guide To Purchasing The Perfect, Most Efficient Hvac System For Your Home [print this page] The definition of quality can sometimes be very subjective so when being told to look for quality work in a contractor, we wanted to give you some tips to help you make the good quality assessment.
Tip #1: Make These Two Important Considerations
When preparing to buy a new A/C and heating system, two of the most important decisions you need to make are (1) selecting the right local company to size the equipment, design the system and control the quality of the installation, and (2) choosing the equipment with the efficiency rating and features to fit the specifics of your situation.
Tip #2: Calculating The Correct Load and Size Air Conditioner And Furnace
The ultimate goal of calculating the right load for your HVAC system should be to get the optimum size and features for your climate and situation. Despite popular belief, in this situation, bigger is not better.
There are three main areas your Greenville SC HVAC technician will consider in calculating your specific load requirement:
1.The amount of heating and cooling needed in your climate
2.The amount of area you have to heat and cool
3.The condition of the envelope or part of your home or building that interfaces with the outside air.
Within each of these categories, there are many other factors that also affect the load and equipment size requirement.
Air conditioning repair Greenville SC HVAC contractors measure the size of A/C systems in tons. If your system is too low in tonnage rating, the system will work very hard and very efficiently. It will use too much electricity attempting to cool the air.
On the other hand, if your system is too high in tonnage rating, the system will cycle on and off too quickly to condition the air properly and also works inefficiently. This results in clammy uncomfortable feeling cold rooms plus extra wear on certain parts of the system.
If a heating system is too small for the space requirement, the room will take too long to heat up or have areas that are colder than other areas. In this case, running the system too long in an effort to keep up with the thermostat setting would likely cause extra wear on the heating equipment and create an energy inefficiency.
If the size of central heating system is too large, you will pay more than necessary for the equipment. An oversize heating system cycles on and off too quickly, and causes extra wear on certain related parts.
Tip #3: Understand and Pay Attention to the Efficiency Ratings
There are multiple efficiency ratings you should know and be familiar with which include:
SEER Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio
EER Energy Efficiency Ratio
HSPF - Heating Seasonal Performance Factor
AFUE - Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency Rating
COP - Coefficient of Performance
SEER is the measurement of central air conditioners or heat pump usage over the cooling season.
EER is a measurement of the cooling capacity for a unit (in Btu/hour) divided by electrical energy it uses (in watts) at a specific temperature of 95F. The higher the energy efficiency rating, the less energy the window air conditioner units use to cool and the more money you save on your utility bill.
HSPF is a measurement of Heat pumps energy efficiency over one heating season.
AFUE is a measurement to determine the efficiency of a furnace and boilers. It is a seasonal energy efficiency of fuel heating equipment and shows how efficient a gas furnace converts fuel to space heat (through combustion) in comparison to the amount of fuel the furnace used.
COP is the ratio of output energy divided by the input energy. Its generally used to measure how efficient heating and cooling in heat pumps or chillers are for a cooling mode.
Based upon the system you choose, there is a direct relationship between higher up- front costs and long-term savings through lower utility bills for air conditioning and heating energy efficiency.
Tip #4: Warranty for Innovative Equipment
When considering newer HVAC models with multiple features, ask how long the product has been sold and if you should anticipate any additional maintenance or repairs with the extra features. If so, you may want to consider purchasing an extended parts and labor warranty along with the recommended maintenance agreement. An example would be a unit with multi-stage equipment or fan speeds and electronics with many settings.
Tip #5: Efficiency Rebates Or Conservation Incentives
Talk to your HVAC Greenville SC, contractor or ask your tax advisor if there are any efficiency rebates or conservation incentives available from your city or local power company or other third parties before you decide to make a major repair or buy a new system.
Rebate programs often specify a certain minimum efficiency rating or energy conservation measures to be eligible. Your contractor should be aware of the rebates and able to participate.
Tip #6: System Compatibility
If your A/C unit needs to be replaced before the furnace or central heating, you should get trusted advice from your contractor on the compatibility of the new suggested unit and the existing heating unit. Even though the new A/C and old heating components may physically work together, this does not necessarily make matching them your best choice for optimum energy efficiency. If you can afford it, replace both the air conditioning and heating components at the same time for a more predictable result and higher energy efficiency.
Tip #7: When buying a Previously Owned Home
When buying a previously owned home, be sure to conduct a thorough inspection of the property to identify any and all maintenance issues. If your homebuyers inspection finds an issue with the HVAC system, you will want to call a HVAC contractor for an estimate for repair or replacement. In some cases, a few HVAC companies will not provide a free on-site cost estimate for replacing the system since you do not yet own the home. Should this happen to you, you may offer to pay for the on-site estimate on a new system, provided the company will take the cost of the estimate off any new system you purchase within a reasonable length of time. Be sure to have this arrangement written on your receipt when you pay for the estimate.
Tip #8: Consider an Annual Maintenance Agreement
Annual HVAC maintenance agreements are often a good value. To keep your system running at its highest efficiency, you should have the A/C unit checked in the spring and the heating unit checked in the fall.
In addition to the value of preventative maintenance, as an added benefit, some companies offer associated discounts on repair parts or labor when a client has an annual maintenance agreement with their company.
