Did your contractor preform a Manual J load calculation?
Tons? BTUs? What does it all mean? Sizing matters when it comes to a new heating or air conditioning system. Did your contractor properly size your new equipment before installing it in your home?
Rule-of-thumb measurements or basing the size of your new system on what you already have is not best practice. A contractor should preform a Manual J load calculation to determine the size of your new heating and air equipment.
But, what is a Manual J load calculation?
Simply stated a Manual J load calculation factors in the different characteristics of your home (such as square footage, position of your walls, building materials, etc.) to determine how much heating or cooling capacity your home needs. Air conditioner capacity is measured in tons and BTUs. Tons – in relation to HVAC – is not a measurement of weight. A ton in HVAC is defined as a measurement of capacity in relation to melting one ton of ice over a 24-hour period. One ton is equivalent to 12,000 BTU/h.
But, why does a proper load calculation matter?
An undersized or oversized air conditioner can have an impact on the comfort of your home. Undersized air conditioners never reach temperature settings, run constantly, dry out your air and may have a shorter life. An oversized air conditioner will go through a process known as “short-cycling.” When an air conditioner short cycles, it reaches your desired temperature too quickly. Sound like a good thing? Well, your air conditioner is responsible for more than just temperature. It is also responsible for removing enough humidity from your home’s air. When an air conditioner short cycles, it is not removing enough humidity, and an overabundance of humidity can make your home feel warm and encourage mold growth – yuck!
When your local contractor comes out to give you a quote, make sure they perform a Manual J load calculation before they determine your needed cooling capacity. If they say you don’t need one, this could be a red flag.
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Are you considering a high-efficiency air conditioning upgrade?
How old is your air conditioner? Did you know that the average lifespan of an air conditioner is approximately 16 years? However, after a certain amount of time, the efficiency and performance of your unit could diminish due to regular wear and tear. There will come a time when it is no longer cost effective to continue making repairs. Instead, you should opt for a replacement.
When it comes to buying a new air conditioner, it always pays to invest in the most efficient air conditioner for your budget. Why is that? Well, here are some perks of a brand-new, efficient air conditioner.
Decreased utility bills. First and foremost, your new high-efficiency air conditioner can make a significant, positive impact on your utility bills. Higher SEER ratings translate to more dollars in your pocket.
Increased comfort. New air conditioners, high-efficiency models in particular, feature comfort-enhancing components that can improve your satisfaction with your cooling equipment. These features include variable-speed motors, swept-wing fan blades, multiple stages of operation and more.
Qualifies for local and manufacturer rebates (if available). To help offset some of those higher initial costs, high-efficiency air conditioners may qualify for local and manufacturer rebates. Make sure to talk to your contractor and see if your new unit qualifies.
Lower your ecological footprint. High-efficiency air conditioners are eco-friendly. Not only do they operate using less energy, but they are compatible with more eco-friendly refrigerant choice – R410A.
The upfront costs of a new high-efficiency air conditioner may be higher than the standard model, but money-saving operation could make up for those cost disparities over the life of the unit. Ask your local HVAC contractor about having a high-efficiency air conditioner installed in your home.
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Do you know the ideal temperature to set your thermostat at during the summer?
Let’s face it – we want to have a comfortable home during the summer, but we don’t want to rack up a big utility bill. Although it’s tempting to drop the thermostat down to 68°F on a 100°F day, this could make your utility bills skyrocket.
Summer may be ending, but that does not mean that Mother Nature does not still have some hot days in store for us. Here are some things you can do to lower the impact on your air conditioner on your utility bill AND make sure that you are experiencing premium home comfort.
The Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 78°F when you are home. Seem a little bit warm? Well, the important thing to remember is to set your ideal temperature and leave it be (unless you have a programmable thermostat).
If you have a programmable thermostat, adjust your settings so that your home is warmer when you are not home. This way you won’t waste precious cooling dollars on an empty home.
Try lowering the humidity. Not only will a lower humidity level help prevent mold growth, but it will make your home feel cooler as well. Just remember to not set it TOO low. You don’t wnat your home to suffer from dry air.
Don’t dramatically plunge your temperature settings when your air conditioner starts. A lower temperature setting will not cool your home any more quickly – your air conditioner will just run longer and rack up a higher bill.
If you feel like you are doing everything right, but your electric bill seems unreasonably high, get in touch with your local heating and air conditioning contractor. They can look at your system and diagnose any issues, if they exist.
What do you set your thermostat at during the summer?
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Having a properly sized air conditioner is important.
Did you make sure your contractor properly sized your air conditioner when you had it installed in your home? Proper sizing is a critical step in the air conditioning purchasing process. Your contractor should not simply base equipment size on rule-of-thumb measurements. In fact, they may not want to go off the size that you currently have in your home. An improperly sized air conditioner can have serious implications for your home comfort AND wallet.
If you are noticing any of the following things, your air conditioner may be too small.
- Your home never reaches your programmed temperature.
- Your equipment constantly runs.
- Your electricity bills are high.
Home comfort is paramount during the summer, but at what cost? An undersized air conditioner can have a major impact on your wallet. Not only will your system have a harder time reaching your desired temperature, but the constant operation can damage your unit – resulting in shorter system life. An air conditioner is an investment in your home comfort – you want to make sure your investment lasts.
If any of the following are happening in your home, your air conditioner may be too large.
- Your air conditioner short cycles.
- Your electricity bills are high.
- Your home is humid.
When your air conditioner is too large, it doesn’t run long enough to get the appropriate amount of humidity out of the air. High humidity in your home can have a negative impact on comfort. A humid home is a hot home – you could find yourself lowering the temperature your thermostat is set at because your home just does not feel cool enough. Plus, high humidity levels can encourage mold and mildew growth, resulting in poor indoor air quality and unpleasant odors.
Think your air conditioner is improperly sized? Reach out to your local heating and air conditioning contractor.
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Did you recently buy an air conditioner?
Want to make sure you are getting the best deal possible on your brand-new air conditioner? Consider the various cost-cutting rebates and incentives offered in your area. There are plenty of incentives for buying high-efficiency heating and air conditioning equipment, and they are fairly simple to look for – you don’t even have to leave your computer!
There’s no denying it, replacing your old air conditioner was most likely expensive. But with cost-cutting rebates and incentives, the additional bonus of efficient performance, it is a worthwhile investment. Local HVAC rebates provide hundreds of dollars for all the energy-efficiency improvements you can make to your home – whether you added a zoning system or upgraded to an ENERGY STAR-certified model.
Here are the ways you can look up your local utility rebates online.
For homeowners in the United States:
For homeowners in Canada:
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/statistics/neud/dpa/policy_e/programs.cfm
Don’t forget to ask your HVAC contractor about other cost-cutting promotions they may be offering at the time you buy your new air conditioner.
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Do you know what new air conditioners offer that old air conditioners don’t?
Many industries have taken extraordinary technological leaps and bounds over the past few decades. The heating and air conditioning industry is no different. Buying a new air conditioner or gas furnace isn’t something you do every day. The old unit in your home could be 10 to 20 years old! Heck, you may not have even purchased an air conditioner before. Not only could you be paying more for cool air if you have an old system, your home may not be as comfortable.
Here are some technological advances that make a new air conditioner so much better than older models.
- Smart thermostats. Okay, you don’t necessarily need a new air conditioner to have a smart thermostat, but you won’t be getting all the benefits that a smart thermostat offers. It’s like getting expensive rims for an old beater car.
- Modulating technology. Some of the most efficient air conditioners use modulation technology. These air conditioners reach staggering levels of efficiency, maintain more even temperatures and save you money on monthly utility expenses.
- Multiple stages of operation. However, you don’t have to invest in a modulating system to enjoy high-efficiency performance. Many models operate in more than one stage of operation. This also improves energy-efficiency and increases home comfort.
- Eco-friendly refrigerant. The type of refrigerant used in heating and cooling systems has changed over the years. Today, the industry standard is R-410A refrigerant. Your older system may use R-22 – a refrigerant that has been phased out. As we get further and further away from the phase-out date, this refrigerant is going to become more and more expensive as supply dwindles.
- Variable-speed air distribution. Variable-speed technology increases home comfort. The unit will be able to vary air distribution speeds to improve home comfort and maintain more even temperatures throughout your home.
The air conditioner in your home may have been “cutting-edge” in its day, but time moves on. Remember, even a new. standard-efficiency air conditioner can be a significant improvement over efficient systems from 10 or 15 years ago. Make sure you talk to your contractor about your cooling system options.
Are you considering a new air conditioner?
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Are you paying attention to how you’re operating your air conditioner?
Buying a new air conditioner is an investment. If you buy high-efficiency equipment, you are investing in years of money-saving performance. You are also investing in your home comfort. Maximizing that investment is crucial.
Do you want to maximize the lifespan of your unit? There are a few things that you should stop doing. These things can harm your air conditioner, maximize lifespan, reduce efficiency and diminish home comfort.
STOP…forgetting to change your furnace filter.
A dirty filter restricts airflow. This means that your air conditioner has to work harder to cool your home – reducing efficiency and decreasing lifespan.
STOP…putting off annual preventative maintenance.
We are already well into the cooling season, so the time for preventative maintenance this year has passed. However, pencil in a reminder for next year. Many manufacturers actually require preventative maintenance for full warranty coverage.
STOP…planting things too close to your unit.
Your outdoor air conditioning component needs “room to breathe” so to speak. When you plant too close to your air conditioner, it can restrict airflow. Plus, plants may GROW INTO your air conditioner, damaging important components.
STOP…constantly adjusting your non-programmable thermostat.
Programmable thermostats are nifty because they do the thinking/adjustments for you. If you are constantly adjusting your non-programmable thermostat, your unit could be going through frequent on/off cycles – consuming more energy and reducing system lifespan.
STOP…drastically dropping the temperature to cool your home more quickly.
Did you know that just because your thermostat is set at a lower temperature, ti does not mean your home is going to get cooler more quickly? Your air conditioner will simply run longer. If it feels like your home is never at the right temperature, you may want to talk to your contractor about zoning or making sure your air conditioner is the correct size for your home.
STOP…forgetting to schedule a cleaning appointment for your air conditioner and ductwork.
Like a dirty furnace filter or plants too close to your air conditioner, dirt and grime around your unit and in your ductowork can restrict airflow – reducing efficiency and decreasing system life. Plus, cleaning your air distribution system is important for indoor air quality.
Are you guilty of any of the above? If you need some more cooling system advice, turn to your local contractor.
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Did you know that cooling costs comprise over HALF of your monthly utilities during the summer?
Cooling your home can be expensive. And cooling your home with an old, inefficient air conditioner is even MORE expensive. With summer only a few weeks away, now is the time to invest in a new air conditioner. Things are already starting to heat up!
The most important thing to keep in mind while you are searching for a new air conditioner is efficiency ratings. Air conditioner efficiency, measured in SEER, is going to determine just how much money you drop out-of-pocket cooling your home month after month.
SEER stands for the “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ration” and is a measure of cooling efficiency over a season of use. This measurement is used for both air conditioners and heat pumps – the higher the SEER, the more efficient the system.
Air conditioners must be at least 13 SEER (in northern states) and 14 SEER (for states in the South). Heat pumps must be 14 SEER everywhere. If you are looking for a high-efficiency model, check out models that have an ENERGY STAR designation. These models go above-and-beyond standard efficiency. However, even a standard-efficiency model can be a significant upgrade from your old air conditioner in terms of efficiency and performance features.
When it comes to selecting a new air conditioner, you should always invest in the most efficient air conditioner you can afford. Although upfront costs for a high-efficiency air conditioner are going to be higher than a standard-efficiency equivalent, the unit may pay for itself over the course of its life in energy-saving performance.
Before you choose an air conditioner or heat pump from your home, make sure you schedule an appointment with your local HVAC contractor.
How efficient is the air conditioner in your home?
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Do you close the registers in rooms that do not need cool air during the summer?
It may sound intuitive – if a room doesn’t need cool air, why waste the energy dollars trying to keep that room cool? However, it’s not that straightforward. Heating and cooling equipment is complicated. Sometimes what you think is a good idea, may not be.
It is not a good idea to control the temperatures of your rooms by closing registers. Why is that? Well, your HVAC system is designed to heat and cool a certain amount of space. When you start messing with the registers, it affects that amount of space. Closing registers has the same affect that a dirty filter has; it raises the pressure in your system.
If you have a variable-speed motor, this can cause it to operate at a higher capacity for longer periods of time – essentially negating any of the efficiency benefits gained by investing in variable-speed equipment. If you have a single-speed motor, it may not be able to maintain proper airflow. Low airflow = low comfort levels.
And, those are just the problems that occur at the surface. The increased pressure also has additional consequences for other parts of your HVAC system. It could increase duct leakage – lowering comfort and raising utility bills. Or, even worse, you could wind up with a frozen coil or a broken compressor – two CRUCIAL cooling components.
All is not lost though. There are intuitive heating and air conditioning systems that do allow you to control comfort from room to room. It’s called a zoning system. Make sure you ask your HVAC contractor about your zoning options.
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Are you planning on hosting a get-together anytime soon?
May is starting to wind down. June will be here before you know it. Chances are, the kids are already out of school, the pools are opening, and the warm weather has officially arrived. There is no time like the summer to have a gathering or throw a party.
However, summer also means higher electric bills due to greater air conditioning demand. Luckily, there are some things you can do to make sure that your air conditioner is working as efficiently as possible, including things to keep in mind if you are having a get-together.
Stay either indoors or outdoors. Constantly opening and closing exterior doors can let in that hot air and make it harder for your air conditioner to get your home to the set temperature.
It’s better to bring things outdoors…provided it isn’t TOO hot of course. More people in your home can mean a greater cooling demand because of body heat. Consider creating a shaded outdoor living space for you and your guests.
Take advantage of the grill. The oven can contribute additional heat to your indoor environment. The weather is nicer than it usually is; consider investing in a grill to lessen the demand on your air conditioner.
Know when to host the event. Consider scheduling the event later in the evening so you can take advantage of cooler weather.
It’s nearing the end of spring, but there is still time to schedule preventative maintenance with your local HVAC contractor. Contractors are only going to get busier and busier as things heat up. Don’t delay for too long.
Do you do anything special during parties to save energy?