Are You Satisfied with Your Heating and Cooling System????
Do you’re heating and cooling system protect your health, or cause you to suffer? Is the temperature in your home comfortable? Does your home have hot spots or cold spots? Is the floor colder than the ceiling area? Is it running efficiently? Is it safe? Are you getting acceptable efficiency from your heating and air conditioning equipment, or do you get nervous opening those utility bill envelopes? Let’s talk about the 74% rule.
A recent report indicated that 74% of the systems are not installed properly or running efficiently. Is your HVAC contractor in the upper 26% or the lower 74%? Your answer will be reflected in comfort and efficiency. Properly installed and serviced equipment will meet your needs.
Installation issues may be as simple as the wrong amount of refrigerant in the system, which can dramatically reduce efficiencies. However, some installation issues are major. For instance, one study indicates that 72% of the HVAC equipment is sized wrong. It costs more to operate improperly sized equipment, and comfort typically falls short.
The HVAC contractor needs to use specific calculations to properly size equipment for every application. This is an exact science when done correctly, but it takes time and skill. Be wary of the HVAC contractor that can produce a handwritten bid in 15 minutes. I’ve seen them do just that.
Your HVAC contractor should be concerned about your needs and ask the proper questions. Some of those questions are fairly basic like, “are there any hot spots or cold spots we need to address”, or “is there anyone with allergies in your family”? Be ready to answer quite a few specific questions and be suspicious if the contractor does not ask them.
Expect quality HVAC contractors to recommend heat pumps with variable speed furnaces, because they are very efficient in our community. Electrical rates are low and work great IF installed properly. Again, this gets back to design and installation.
Consideration also needs to be given to ductwork sizing. It’s fairly common for ducts not to be sized properly, which can result in systems being noisy or in some cases damage to the heating and air conditioning equipment. Once the new heating and air conditioning equipment is installed, the airflow from the ductwork should be balanced to allow even distribution throughout. This is essential to get the right efficiencies.
As soon as the equipment has been installed and is running it makes sense to get it serviced within 6 months to verify your equipment is operating as designed. Just like your car, HVAC equipment manufacturers typically require annual maintenance programs, or the warranty may be null and void. A good Service Maintenance Plan (SMP) will pay for itself many times over.
HVAC Service Technicians are another set of eyes, trained to fine-tune that equipment each year. The best technicians are certified through North American Technician Excellence (NATE). Is your HVAC contractor NATE certified?
Buying a new heating and coa oiling equipment should not be taken lightly. Do your homework and make sure your contractor is capable of providing acceptable results. Get to know your contractor. The average handyman does not have the proper licenses, background to install the right equipment, tools, or experience to work on it. Heating and air conditioning are very technical today. Your contractor must be committed to ongoing training of their comfort consultants, installers, and service technicians. It’s a full-time job that takes expertise.
There is a risk in buying new heating and air conditioning equipment. There is an even greater risk of not buying new heating and air conditioning equipment if your system is older or not reaching efficiencies that make sense. The cost for maintenance is minimal compared to what can be lost today by poor efficiencies or short equipment life.
John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical believes in the quality of our installations and now has the only two-year Test Drive for HVAC equipment in our community. If the HVAC equipment does not perform properly under normal guidelines, we will refund your investment. Ask our HVAC comfort consultants for details. John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical can do this because we practice what we preach. It’s not bragging if you actually can perform!
I believe the best two comfort consultants in our community are Ryan Caldwell and Aaron Davis. Last year their low-pressure equipment sales were over $1.5M each. That’s impressive. Are you satisfied with your HVAC system or should you call them at 435-5555?
