R.S. Boyers (540) 949-7639 |
|
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Will my new heating and cooling equipment qualify for a federal tax credit? HVAC equipment may qualify for a federal tax credit if certain criteria are met. For conventional HVAC systems, the systems must be purchased in the 2009-2010 calendar years and are for existing home replacement or new installs. Tax credit does not apply to new construction applications. The tax credit is for 30% of installed project cost with a cap of $1,500. Energy efficiency requirements are listed below: A) Air-to-air heat pumps: Must meet or exceed 15.0 SEER/12.5 EER/8.5 HSPF There is also an allowance for gas/oil furnaces with variable speed blowers that use no more than 2% of the energy used by the furnace even if the AFUE ratings may not qualify - known as "advanced main air circulating fan." The exact way this credit is calculated is still unclear, however. For geothermal HVAC systems, the systems must be purchased in the 2009-2016 calendar years and are applicable for existing homes as well as new construction applications. The tax credit is for 30% of installed cost with no cap.
For more information on tax credits, visit www.energystar.gov/taxcredits How is my heating and cooling system sized? Each home and business will have different indoor comfort needs. A Manual J heating and cooling load analysis will need to be done on the structure to determine the heating and cooling requirements. The Manual J takes into account the local weather data, occupancy load, orientation of building, insulation levels, window and door placement, among other things to determine the size system needed for each individual situation. What are the different types of heating systems? Heating systems come in all sizes, types, and fuels. In residential systems there are basically two different distribution systems, forced air and radiation. These systems can be fueled by one or more of oil, electricity, natural gas, propane, solar, or wood. For most purposes you can categorize home heating systems into two broad categories, furnaces and boilers. Generally speaking, furnaces (this also includes heat pump systems) heat air and use a system of fans and ductwork to move air throughout a home. Boilers heat water and use a circulator pump and piping to move heated water throughout radiators or radiant tubing in a home. What are the different types of cooling systems? Residential cooling systems are generally forced air ducted systems, ductless split systems, through-the-wall air conditioners (PTAC's), or window air conditioners. Most homes have forced air ducted systems. These are generally air source or ground source air conditioners and/or heat pump systems which utilize ductwork to disperse the air throughout a home. Ductless split units, PTAC's, or window units are generally used for individual room applications where duct work is difficult or impossible to install. These units can also be used as supplemental air conditioning systems. Is annual maintenance on my HVAC system necessary? Annual maintenance inspections can often spot small problems before they become large and lead to expensive repairs or dangerous operating conditions. Annual maintenance inspections and service will keep your HVAC system operating at peak efficiency which will help you save money in operating cost. An annual service agreement plan with us will also give you a discount on parts and labor for any potential repairs or replacements that you may incur over the life of your home's heating system. How often should I have my HVAC system serviced? You should have your heating or cooling system serviced yearly. The best time is before the beginning of the heating and cooling season. Yearly service helps avoid costly breakdowns when you need the system most. It also helps extend the life of the system and keep it running efficiently. What is the average life expectancy of HVAC equipment? Life expectancy is one of those things that will vary widely from location to location based on usage, installation procedures, and type of system for example. Air source heat pumps can be expected to achieve 12-18 years while A/C units may last 15-20 years. Ground source heat pumps should achieve an 18-25 year life. Gas and oil furnaces will likely have life expectancies of 15-25 years. Boilers may range from 15 years to well over 30 plus years. The area the units are installed (basements, craw space, attic, etc) will play a factor as well as the demand and usage placed on the equipment. The most important aspect to "long life" is the quality of the initial installation of the equipment. How often should I change my filter on my forced air system? Your home's air filters should be checked monthly. The type of filter you are using, as well as the indoor environment, will determine how frequently the filter needs to be changed. A 1" disposable filter will likely need to be changed monthly or bi-monthly. An electronic air cleaner should be cleaned monthly. A 4" media filter or air purifier filter will likely need to be replaced once or twice a year (note that pre-filters on air purifiers and electronic air cleaners may need to be cleaned more than once or twice a year). Should I cover my outdoor unit in the winter time? It certainly is fine to cover the A/C unit in the winter time when the A/C unit will not be operating for long periods of time. This may make a sense especially in areas with lots of ice or snow build-up. Make sure you purchase an approved cover for your A/C unit so that condensation can drain properly and remove it before the spring cooling season begins. A/C units are designed to withstand the outdoor elements though. Covering your outdoor A/C unit is not a requirement and is not absolutely necessary. DO NOT COVER HEAT PUMP UNITS AT ALL! Why is the SEER rating on the Energy Guide on the outdoor unit different that what was quoted in the proposal? Each split system cooling unit (and heat pump) has a nominal SEER rating. This rating can be increased with an upgrade of the indoor fan coil or furnace and evaporator coil. The SEER rating of a system is derived based on the combination of equipment installed in the home. The outdoor equipment (A/C or heat pump), as well as the indoor equipment (fan coil or furnace and evaporator coil), play a vital role in the rating. The Energy Guide rating only lists the nominal SEER rating for each unit. What is zoning? Zoning is when multiple thermostat controls are installed on an HVAC or boiler system for different areas of a house. Zoning will give you more flexibility in temperature control from one area to another in your home and possibly save money in operating costs. Generally, zoning should only be done with 2-stage or modulating equipment used in conjunction with variable speed fans on forced air systems. How can I tell if my furnace's heat exchanger has cracks and what causes these cracks to occur? You likely will not be able to see a crack in the heat exchanger. Most cracks occur in areas that are hidden away from sight. In the normal course of furnace operation, the heat exchanger experiences repeated heating and cooling, which causes a corresponding expansion and contraction of the metal of the heat exchanger. Cracks will tend to form in areas of the heat exchanger that are weak, such as factory welds. More weak spots and holes will form as a result of corrosion. Corrosion of the heat exchanger often signifies problems with exhaust venting. What happens is that water in the exhaust, which contains carbonic acid, cools to quickly and condenses out, draining back down the chimney and onto the heat exchanger where the acid eats away at the metal. Another cause of heat exchanger failure is insufficient air flow through the system. This can be caused from a lack of return air, insufficient air supply ducting, or both. The poor airflow causes the system to overheat and put too high a thermal stress on the heat exchanger. What do I do if refrigerant is leaking out of my air conditioner? Turn your air conditioner off. Call for service immediately. How much clearance do I need around my air conditioner or heat pump? This will depend upon the type and make of the outdoor unit. Generally, the outdoor unit should have 24"-30" of clearance around all sides of the unit and at least 4' of clearance off the top of the unit (assuming the unit is a top-discharge unit). I've noticed ice forming on the refrigerant lines that run to my furnace or air conditioner, what does this mean? Ice forming on the refrigerant line or the coil inside the furnace will usually be caused by a restriction in the air flow across the evaporator coil or a lack of refrigerant in the system. If the problem is an air flow restriction, you can probably correct the problem yourself. If the refrigerant is low, you will need to call a technician for service. Restricted or reduced air flow can be caused by one or a combination of the following: " Air filter is very dirty and needs to be changed or cleaned " Evaporator coil (indoor coil) is plugged with dirt and needs cleaning " Condenser coil (outdoor unit coil) is plugged and needs cleaning " Furnace fan or fan coil motor is not moving enough air. The motor may be burnt out or a fan belt may be broken.If your unit is low on refrigerant it is because there is a leak in the system. The leak must be repaired BEFORE new refrigerant can be added to a system. If it cools down outside during the cooling season, is it ok to turn off my air conditioner? There is no easy answer to this question. A lot of people like to turn off the air conditioner at night, or when it cools off for a day or two. If the outdoor humidity is high, this can be a problem. A central air conditioner's first job is to remove the moisture or humidity from the air in your home. This process can take days. Once the humidity has been removed, it is much easier for your unit to maintain comfortable temperature. If the relative humidity outdoors is higher than the relative humidity indoors, turning off your unit and opening the windows will cause the humidity level to rise again inside the house. When the temperature rises again, your air conditioner will have to work harder to lower the level once again. If the humidity level outdoors is low, and the temperature drops a few degrees, then open the windows for awhile and get some fresh air. What is the best temperature set-point for my air conditioner or heat pump? The quick answer is the temperature at which you feel comfortable. However, we all have different needs and comfort levels. Most people feel comfortable in the winter time between 68-72 degrees. In the summer, 74-78 degrees is common for many. When choosing an indoor set-point temperature, remember that your air conditioner should lower the relative humidity in the house making you feel more comfortable at higher temperatures than one would feel in the winter. The important thing to remember is not to vary the temperature too much. Your air conditioner is constantly struggling to maintain the delicate balance of humidity and temperature. Every time you adjust the temperature, you can potentially upset that balance. Air conditioners generally are sized to maintain a 20 degree temperature difference between indoors and outdoors. It is important to remember that on really hot days the system will likely run for long periods of time and may be unable to maintain any setting below 75 degrees (unless the system is oversized). What is the ideal humidity in my house? The humidity set-point in a house will certainly vary throughout the year. However, ideally the humidity would be between 35%-55% annually. Air conditioning systems will dehumidify naturally but additional dehumidification may likely be needed in basements and crawlspaces. Additional dehumidification would also be needed if a system does not operate frequently or is oversized. Humidifiers can be added to most central HVAC systems to provide additional humidity in the heating season. The most common used humidifiers are fan powered or steam humidifiers. What can I do to improve indoor air quality? Adding high efficiency air cleaners or air purifiers, UV lights, ERV air exchangers, or humidifiers will help improve indoor air quality in your home. Air cleaners, purifiers, and UV lights will help capture and kill indoor contaminants and keep your HVAC system and ducts clean. ERV air exchangers will exhaust stale air out of your house and bring in fresh (and filtered) air into your home. Humidifiers will increase the relative humidity in the house in the heating season.
|
