Frequently asked questions

HVAC—heating, ventilation, and air conditioning—is a system that provides different types of heating and cooling services to residential and commercial buildings. Its function is to provide thermal comfort, humidity control, and acceptable indoor air quality.

ENERGY STAR is a program that was created by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help businesses and individuals make energy-efficient purchases.

This program places the ENERGY STAR label, a small blue and white logo, on items that meet superior energy efficiency standards. This label provides an easy way for consumers to identify quality, high-efficiency products.

BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. This unit of measure is used to measure cooling or heating capacity; 1 BTU is the amount of heat required to raise (or lower) the temperature of 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. There are 12,000 BTUs in 1 Ton of Cooling.

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It measures air conditioning and heat pump cooling efficiency, which is calculated by the cooling output for a typical cooling season divided by the total electric energy input during the same time frame. A higher SEER rating means greater energy efficiency.

Most systems have a lifetime of 10 to 15 years, with gas furnaces lasting 20–25 years. As your equipment gets older, its efficiency can decrease dramatically. You may notice that it gets noisier and needs repairs more often. If you live near bodies of water or the ocean, your system's life expectancy may be drastically shortened due to the harsh environment. If your system is over 10 years old, you should have your system checked for maintenance or replacement.

An air handler is usually a large metal box containing a blower, heating or cooling elements, filter racks or chambers, sound attenuators, and dampers. Air handlers usually connect to a ductwork ventilation system that distributes the conditioned air through the building and returns it to the AHU.

In some instances, with a ductless mini- or multi-split, the air handler may NOT require a duct system at all—hence the name "ductless."

It is a temperature-sensitive device that controls and regulates temperature in a space for systems like a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump.

There are several basic types: Manual, Digital Non-Programmable, Digital Programmable, Remote Access, and Touchscreen.

The majority of home and smaller commercial air conditioning systems circulate a compressed gas refrigerant in a closed "split" system to cool and condition inside air. The refrigerant has to be re-cooled and condensed, and outside air is the medium most often used to accomplish this. The term "split" simply means that components are divided into inside and outside portions as opposed to being located together in a "package" unit.

The refrigerants, widely recognized by the trademark "freon" (a registered trademark of the DuPont company for refrigerants), help cool and dehumidify the inside air. In a "forced air" system, an internal blower circulates the conditioned air through ducts to the rooms where the cooler air is needed. An outside fan pulls air across the external parts of the system to cool and condense the refrigerant.

Air conditioning is a matured technology, so most of the popular brands work well. Many of them use parts made by the same manufacturers. So, the main considerations are the price, warranty, attractiveness, noise, etc. Some manufacturers offer anywhere from a 10–12 year warranty on all parts, while others offer only 1 year.

Whatever you decide, the most important consideration is the contractor you use. For your protection, make sure you use a licensed contractor for your installation. A licensed contractor using best refrigerant practices and procedures can save you time and money. You may buy the best system in the world, but if it is not properly installed, you will actually be buying nothing but a big headache for years to come.

The benefits of air conditioning are to give a comfortable environment at work or at home throughout the seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

An air conditioning unit can have two functions—heating/cooling and humidity control. With an auto changeover switch on most new units, you set the temperature and the unit will cool or heat as required automatically.

Fuses and circuit breakers should not blow or trip. Check the breaker in your electrical service panel to identify which areas in your home/office the tripped breaker supplies service to. Check to see if the breaker feels warm to the touch. (NEVER touch wires or wire connections in your service panel. High voltage is present.) Breakers should not be warm or hot to the touch. If the breaker is warm/hot to the touch, this could indicate a weak breaker — contact a licensed electrician.

Should the breaker feel okay to the touch, you could try to reset the breaker or replace the fuse. If the breaker or fuse trips/blows again, contact a licensed AC contractor like ourselves to diagnose the problem safely and correctly. There could be an issue with a loose electrical wire, the unit could have shorted to ground, or the compressor could have failed. Electricity is nothing to play with — ALWAYS use a licensed electrician or AC contractor as indicated.

First, disconnect any additional devices that may have caused the breaker to overload and trip. Breakers are mechanical devices and must be turned all the way off before turning back on. This may require several attempts. If this fails to reset the breaker, or the breaker feels "sloppy" when resetting, there may be a more serious problem — call a licensed electrician.

Yes. This is a common occurrence when large motor/compressor loads start. These devices cause a minor momentary voltage drop, demonstrating itself as blinking in your lights. This has no negative effect on the electrical equipment within your house.

This could mean one of two things:

1. An intermittent chirp is probably an indication of a defective smoke detector.
2. A consistent chirp is probably an indication of a low battery condition, and the smoke detector requires a new battery.

When you schedule your regular maintenance visit with a qualified heating technician, they will test your system to make sure it is running at optimal levels. But there are some ways you can determine whether or not your system is working efficiently on your own. Abnormally high heating bills are one of the indicators that your system is running at low efficiency levels, but keep in mind that how well your home is insulated and sealed, and whether your filters are clean, will also play a role in heating costs.

You can also tell by how warm your house stays throughout the winter. If some rooms are colder than others, or if you find that you are turning up the thermostat more often, your heating system may not be running very efficiently. Check your thermostat setting. Is your heating system achieving the desired temperature setting you are requesting on the thermostat? If not, call one of our HVAC professionals to inspect and test your heater.

There are five main questions that need to be considered when deciding to either replace or repair your heating and cooling system:

• How old is your system? If your system is more than ten years old, it may be wiser to invest in new, higher efficiency equipment, which could cut your energy costs by up to 40%.
• What is the efficiency level of your current system? What was the efficiency when the system was new? Unfortunately, replacing parts of your old system will not improve the efficiency. If the energy savings of using a higher efficiency system will cover all or part of the cost of investing in new equipment, you should seriously consider replacement of the old system.
• What is the overall condition of your system? If your system is in solid condition, it could be wiser to simply repair it. But if your system breaks down often, you should consider replacing it. Consider the 50% Rule.

The 50% Rule: If the cost of repair vs. replacement of your system is less than half of its value and you haven't been suffering the financial burden of frequent service calls to keep your system up and running, repair may be easier on your checkbook. Ask your technician to calculate the efficiency and energy usage of your system to help make a determination.

Putting a new system in a home that has not had central air and heat before will require the installation of ductwork, insulation, refrigerant piping, electrical service, wiring, thermostat, condensate piping, flue piping, flue terminations, chimney liner, slabs, filter, driers, registers, grills, drain pans, and evaporator coil. Beyond equipment, the most important component installed with a new system, however, is the ductwork.

Ductwork is composed of two parts: supply and return. Supply duct is attached to the outflow of the new system, delivering air to each zone in a home. The amount of air reaching each zone is determined by the size of supply ductwork connecting it to your system. The second part of the ductwork, the return duct, attaches to the inlet of the new system and draws air out of the spaces to be heated or cooled. Attached to the return duct is the filter. The filter should be placed as near to the furnace or air handler as possible. Ductwork can be either fiberglass or metal and must be properly sized to evenly distribute the proper amount of air to each room.

Furnaces are rated by the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratio, which is the percent of heat produced for every dollar of fuel consumed, or how efficiently a furnace converts gas into heating energy. Its AFUE rating is measured as a percentage.

Like the miles-per-gallon rating on your automobile, the higher the AFUE rating, the lower your fuel costs. An AFUE of 90% means that 90% of the energy in the fuel becomes heat for the home, and the other 10% escapes up the chimney and elsewhere. All furnaces manufactured today must meet at least 80% AFUE in the south and 90% AFUE in the North. If your furnace is 10–15 years old, it very well may fall below the current furnace minimum and waste energy—costing you money.

When shopping for high-efficiency furnaces and boilers, look for the ENERGY STAR® label. If you live in a cold climate, it usually makes sense to invest in the highest-efficiency system.

Two-stage heating means the furnace has two levels of heat output: high for cold winter days and low for milder days. Since the low setting is adequate to meet household heating demands 80% of the time, a two-stage unit runs for longer periods and provides more even heat distribution.

There are a few obvious signals that let you know when it's time to upgrade your heating system. Frequent repairs, recent spikes in utility bills, and inconsistent temperatures in the home are a few warning signs that it's time for a new heater. But if you've had the same heating system for twenty years or more, it would be a good idea to talk to an HVAC contractor about having it inspected to determine if it's time for a heater replacement. Even if your old heater has worked without problems for years, a professional heating technician is trained to detect any possible operation or safety issues that are a direct indication that the system needs to be replaced.

Hiring an HVAC contractor for professional advice is the best approach when you are in the market for a new heating system. Different types of heaters work better in some climates than others. Also, you need to consider the available utility services in your area. Not all areas offer natural gas or propane. Likewise, not all homes have sufficient electrical requirements to change from a heat pump to electric heat. Upon completion of a series of quick questions and a survey of your home or business, our Comfort Consultant can assist you in choosing a system that meets your heating needs.

Furnace technology has advanced significantly in recent years. Modern furnaces are designed to provide more even and efficient heating than past furnaces, which can impact how your system operates, sounds, and what you notice about your system.

To better regulate temperatures and airflow, modern furnaces move more air over the heat exchanger than older furnaces. The air that comes out of your furnace registers may not seem as warm as the air from your old furnace, but overall airflow is improved. Better airflow means higher comfort.

Also, new furnaces are designed to integrate with high-efficiency air conditioners, so furnace blowers are more powerful to accommodate add-on cooling.

A Heat Pump is an all-in-one heating and air conditioning system that works year-round to keep you comfortable.

During warmer months, a heat pump works as a normal air conditioner. It extracts heat from inside the home and transfers it to the outdoor air. In colder weather, however, the process reverses—the unit collects heat from the outdoor air and transfers it inside your home.

Even when the air outside feels extremely cold, the air still contains some heat. The heat pump pulls the heat from this cold outdoor air and sends it inside to warm your home. When there's not enough heat in the outside air to meet the demand of the thermostat setting, an electric heater supplements the outdoor air to warm the home. Extremely efficient, this process produces two to three times more heat than the energy it uses.

A ductless mini split system is composed of an indoor air handler/evaporator (fan coil), an outdoor condensing unit, and an approximate 2.5–3″ conduit that accommodates the power (wiring), refrigerant line sets, and a PVC condensate line (drain). Many styles of air handler/evaporator (fan coil) are readily available depending upon your project's needs. Ductless units can be either 1:1 Single mini-split systems or Multi-split systems that can heat/cool multiple rooms.

Ductless split systems can replace a traditional central ducted system or be used in addition to a central ducted system. It works in much the same way as a traditional air conditioner or heat pump, using an outdoor condensing unit, indoor air handler/evaporator (fan coil) with an outdoor condenser, attached to refrigerant line sets and a condensate drain line.

The condenser is installed outside the home or business, typically on a code-approved surface. The conduit is then run from the outdoor unit to the individual room within the structure that you choose—even an attic or garage. Depending upon the system design, wall-mounted interior units, ceiling-mounted units, recessed fan coils, or floor-mounted air handlers are installed and secured in the appropriately desired spaces to control cooling, heating, and humidity as needed and designed.

Units can be placed in any rooms you like, and because each unit is individual, you control the specific temperature in that room instead of needing to set one thermostat for the entire house. As a result, you save money by cooling or heating only the space you are using. One of its greatest advantages is TRUE ZONING!

Installation of a ductless mini split air conditioner is more complicated than a window unit but far less complicated than installing a central air conditioner. But don't let that fool you. Ductless systems are very sensitive pieces of equipment and are quite unforgiving when mistakes are made. Small mistakes lead to HUGE problems with ductless systems. It is always best to have any AC system installed by licensed, trained professionals. Homeowner installations and using unlicensed individuals most often will void the manufacturer warranty on your new investment. Call us for a certified installation with one of our manufacturer-trained technicians.

In general, the sound generated by a ductless air handler (sometimes referred to as a head) is equivalent to whispering in a library (between 21 and 30 decibels). The sound from an outdoor unit is more like normal conversation (60 decibels) but is less than a conventional air conditioning condenser.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to air quality within and around buildings, especially as it relates to occupant health and comfort.

An anti-fungus filter is used—this catches allergy-causing mites, smoke particles, and odors, making your environment's air cleaner and healthier.

Both remove harmful elements from air, but UV Air Purifiers focus on airborne germs, bacteria, and mold, while filtration captures particulates like dust and pollen.

Depending on the style/brand, ozone may or may not be part of the UV light's function. Consult our factory-trained technicians for guidance on the right unit for your home.

Replace the bulb once per year or once every two years (model-dependent).

MERV is an acronym for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. It is a filter comparison system by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

It measures a filter's ability to capture and hold particles (dust mites, pet dander, allergens). Higher MERV = more particles captured.

Matching the right MERV rating improves air quality and extends furnace/AC life.

Your filter collects dust, dirt, and microbes to protect your system and clean your air. When furnaces recirculate air, filters keep the coils and internals clean and prevent airborne debris from cycling back into your rooms.

Life depends on environment and filter type. Factors include: number of occupants, pets in the house, smokers in the home, allergies or asthma of occupants, general air quality of the surrounding area, whether the filter is disposable or washable, and the type of filter selected.

Fiberglass: up to 30 days. Pleated: up to 90 days. Washable: wash every 30 days; lasts up to 5 years. Mini-pleated / media / HEPA: 6 months to 1 year, depending on model.

Locate the filter near the blower unit (base of furnace, ceiling or wall return duct). Remove the grill/cover. Dispose of the old filter. Note the arrow indicating airflow direction on the new filter and install with the arrow pointing toward the blower.

Generally, you can buy your filter from any source. Check with a filter vendor or the documentation that came with your unit to confirm the correct size and MERV range for your equipment.

Filter efficiency refers to the percentage of airborne particles the filter removes. This is different from the fuel efficiency of the furnace itself — a high-efficiency furnace does not require a high-efficiency filter, though pairing them can improve indoor air quality.

It's recommended that you schedule a maintenance service visit once a year with a licensed HVAC technician. This will provide peace of mind that your equipment is running safely and efficiently.

Just like a car needs oil changes and tire checks, your HVAC system requires periodic maintenance by a qualified technician to catch small issues before they become expensive breakdowns and to keep the system running at its designed efficiency.

The warranty covers parts only. For details, refer to your unit's warranty sheet. Your dealer may offer a labor warranty separately — ask us for details on the equipment you install with Unlimited.