From the Desk Of Randy Van Den Elzen....
You wouldn't buy a brand new car and never expect to have to put air in the tires or change the oil, would you? When people ask me what is the best advice I can give them about heating and air conditioning equipment, my short answer always "prevention". Whether it is your furnace or air conditioner, time or money spent on preventative maintenance is never wasted. Just as a well running car can keep you safe on the road, annual inspections of your equipment will make it run more efficiently and keep you comfortable and safe in your home.
As a matter of fact, good warranties can make you complacent about the need for regular inspections for your heating equipment. However, if your equipment is not regularly inspected and maintained, the lack of service history will nullify your good warranty!
One of the best ways to avoid problems with your home comfort equipment is to prevent them from occurring. The best way to do that is scheduling regular maintenance. Our technicians are highly qualified to maintain all your heating and air conditioning equipment year round. Ask your technician, which planned service program would be best for you to head off problems before they start. Even the best equipment, if not maintained properly can cause problems that can lead to poor airflow, discomfort, and high utility bills.
Having your equipment serviced on a regular basis
has many benefits for you:
1. Regular service lengthens the life of the equipment by keeping it in good working condition.
2. It maintains efficient operation, which saves you energy dollars.
3. It will save you money by eliminating costs of repairs and reducing any major expenses.
4. It will establish you as a priority customer, that you will appreciate if you've ever needed cooling during the sweltering days of summer or heating during the coldest blizzard of the year. Let's not forget, at a better price too!
5. It assures you of service by qualified technicians from an established company who will be there when you need them most with our 24 Hour Emergency Service.
6. Regular service protects your equipment's warranties (manufacturers ask for service history when validating warranties).
If you like to think ahead, consider this; planned service can save you money down the road because your costs are fixed. That is one more reason to trust Van's Heating and Air Conditioning. As a homeowner, you take the responsibility to keep your home's systems operating efficiently. When you look for a service company, naturally you want expertise and experience. For over 30 years, people have trusted us with their home comfort needs. We worked hard to earn that trust so you will have one less thing to worry about!
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Tips for Buying a Furnace and Air Conditioners
The average home spends about $1,900 annually on energy bills. Heating and cooling accounts for as much as half of a home's energy use. The EPA provides important recommendations for energy efficient equipment including proper sizing, quality installation, and annual maintenance to help you get the most out of the heating and cooling products you purchase. Save energy and save as much as 20% annually on your total energy costs.
Whether you are replacing heating and cooling equipment in your home or planning the installation of equipment in a new home, choosing the right contractor with the right products can help you keep your home comfortable year round and contribute to a cleaner environment.
What do I need to know before shopping for a furnace?
Focus on Energy recommends that you abide by the following guidelines when shopping for a new furnace or boiler.
1. Look for a heating system that has an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating of 92% or higher. A heating system with an AFUE of 92% converts 92% of the energy contained in the fuel into heat. In other words, the higher the efficiency rating, the more money and energy you save, if your equipment is properly maintained.
2. Get a furnace with a "smart motor," or ECM motor, so the furnace fan is also energy efficient. These units provide ultra-quiet operation and increase comfort and air quality.
3. Consider a furnace that has two stages of heating or that is modulating. A properly sized furnace reduces heat cycling loss and provides better comfort and efficiency.
4. Make sure that the heating contractor does a heat-loss calculation so that your new heating system is the right size for your home. Since many installed heating systems are too big for the homes they are heating, the size of a new heating system should not be based on the size of the old one. Energy upgrades—such as high performance windows, air sealing, and insulation—will also reduce the size of the heating system needed and should be factored in when sizing a new heating system.
As with all major purchases, shop around your price range and determine what other services are provided after the heating system is installed. Some contractors provide you with maintenance plans that aid in staying organized and on top of keeping your heating and air conditioning system in proper working condition, and also serve to keep you manufacturers warranties valid.
Keep in mind that a drafty and under insulated home will cause high heating bills even if the heating system is new!
What kind of air conditioner should I buy?
Focus on Energy recommends that you follow these guidelines when purchasing a central air conditioning unit:
1. Choose an air conditioning unit that is properly sized for your home. Ask your contractor to determine the appropriate size by performing a heat calculation.
2. Purchase a high SEER (seasonal high efficient rating) unit. This rating compares the cooling power of the equipment to its electricity use. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the unit is. Buy a unit that has at least a SEER of 14 (the Energy Star standard) or higher.
Air is Life
We all know how difficult it is to breathe at night with sinus congestion from plugged nasal passages. Your body works harder to do the same functions and it drains your energy after enough time passes trying to get a sufficient amount of air into the lungs. To fix such situations doctor visits are scheduled and prescriptions are made among many other steps. Some actions we take are intended to fix the symptoms, and some are intended to fix the root cause. Treating a lack of air return is no different.
Now think of your furnace as your home's lungs, and your return duct work as your home's nasal passages. Just as with congestion in sinus cavities, a lack of return air to your furnace can occur for a couple of reasons including improperly sized duct work, lack of return runs, or poor system design.
Because there is no one answer that will ensure your furnace will receive the required amount of airflow, a complete system examination, often referred to as ductwork diagnostic testing, must be performed. Ductwork is ever bit as important as the furnace in respect to your home's energy consumption (electric and fuel usage). Not only does poor airflow cause increased utility bills that can hit hard in the wallet, but it can also cause your mechanical equipment (furnace, air conditioner, etc.) to fail prematurely.
It is easy to see that poor airflow can be a costly problem if not accounted for and may never be known about until it is too late. The only way to solve the problems is to have an air diagnostic test performed on your ductwork system.