Why should I purchase a new heating or air conditioning
system?
Answer: efficiency and cost savings.
- At First Call we realize that purchasing a heating or air
conditioning system is no small matter. However, if your existing
system is old, in need of repair or simply inefficient, purchasing
a new unit, one which can be as much as 60% more efficient than a
system purchased just 10 years ago, can offer long-term
benefits.
- Rather than continuing to pay for ongoing maintenance and
costly monthly bills, invest in a new system today that will save
you money for years to come.
How can I find the system that's right for me?
Answer: get the facts from an expert.
- There are many heating and air conditioning systems to choose
from today. Your dealer can draw on a vast degree of heating
and air conditioning knowledge and experience to help you decide on
the system that best fits your specific needs. The size and age of
your home, as well as the number of rooms, climate, local and
regional utility costs, and utility incentive/rebate programs are
all factors that will affect the functionality and, therefore,
selection of your system. First Call utilizing the latest
technology, consider all these factors while assisting you in
choosing the best system for your home.
- Consumers seeking to replace an existing system often choose a
new unit with equal or higher efficiency ratings compared to their
previous system. Replacing a unit that is 10 to 15-years-old may
reduce natural gas or electricity costs by 30 to 50%.
- Contact First Call to help determine initial cost, warranty
protection, service options, maintenance options, operating cost
and proper installation.
How do I determine the size, or capacity, of my HVAC
system?
Answer: schedule a visit from First Call.
- Factors affecting the size of your new system include the
climate in your region, humidity levels, the number of windows in
your dwelling, total square footage of your home, the direction
your home faces, the number of heat-producing appliances in your
home, the type of insulation you have and the number of people that
live in your residence.
- First Call can perform the proper calculations to determine
the appropriate heating or cooling unit for your home and
lifestyle.
What goes into installing a new system?
Answer: it's all about the ductwork.
- 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. Your dealer will help you determine the size of all the
supply ductwork in your home.
- 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 in order to evenly distribute the proper amount of
air to each room.
What happens when I replace my old system?
Answer: start with a detailed inspection.
- To install the most efficient HVAC system in your household, a
detailed inspection should first be performed by your installation
contractor.
- The inspection by your contractor should include, as a minimum,
the inspection of your home's 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.
How long will my system last?
Answer: proper maintenance is key.
- Maintenance and service play a key role in the lifecycle of a
heating or air conditioning system. If all recommended maintenance
and service actions are taken, an air conditioner can last 12 to 15
years and a gas furnace 20 to 25 years.
Do I need to change my indoor coil?
- It is generally a good idea to replace the indoor coil if you
are also replacing your air conditioner or heat pump. There is a
correlation between the efficiency of your heating or cooling
system and the performance of the indoor coil and changing out
the current indoor coil for a new one may be critical to optimizing
the performance, the efficiency and the savings potential of your
new system.
Where can I locate my air handler or furnace system?
Answer: you may have options based on your home's design.
- The system can actually be located in several different places.
A system with up-flow application might be located in the basement,
while a system with a horizontal application may be found in your
attic. A self-contained, or single package unit, could be located
outside on a slab or on the roof. Your garage could house an
up-flow, down-flow or horizontal application system.
What is a heat pump?
Answer: air movement from point A to point B.
- A heat pump is a device used for either the heating or cooling
of a space by transferring hot and cold between two
reservoirs.
- A heat pump can act like an air conditioner, transferring heat
from inside to out, or like a heater as it transfers exterior heat
to the interior. A winter day with a temperature of 32º
Fahrenheit still produces enough heat to warm a space when the air
is transferred by heat pump.
What can I do to control the humidity levels in my home?
Answer: it's all about variability.
- Humidity levels can be reduced by using a variable-speed
furnace or air handler as part of your HVAC system.
Variable speed units run longer, at lower speeds, allowing air to
constantly circulate against the cooling coil and remove more
moisture.
- Variable-speed motors also use less electricity than regular
motors, reducing your energy costs.
What can I do before calling someone to service my system?
Answer: HVAC systems are complicated networks of machinery that
should be serviced by a certified professional. However, if your
HVAC system seems to be malfunctioning, you can try a few basic
steps, which may correct your problem, prior to calling a
service professional. If you do not feel comfortable performing any
of these tasks, however, do not hesitate to call an HVAC
contractor.
- Disconnect and reconnect your indoor and outdoor switches.
- Make sure your circuit breakers are in the ON position.
- Make sure your filters are clean.
- Open supply and return vents and make sure they are
unobstructed.
- Check the settings on your thermostat.
- Make sure the system switch is on the appropriate COOL or HEAT
setting.
What is AFUE?
Answer: AFUE is the abbreviation for Annual Fuel Utilization
Efficiency ratio. AFUE is used to rate furnace efficiencies by
dividing the ratio of heat output by heat input. This measurement
describes how well fuel, gas or oil is consumed to produce heat by
a furnace. As the AFUE rate increases, the efficiency of your
furnace also increases, lowering your fuel costs. Furnaces
manufactured in the United States are required to have at least an
80% AFUE.
What is HSPF?
Answer: HSPF is the abbreviation for the Heating Seasonal
Performance Factor, which is a rating of the efficiency level of
the heating operation of a heat pump. The higher the HSPF, the more
efficient the heating performance of a heat pump. New units in the
United States have HSPF ratings from 7.0 to 9.4.
What is R-22?
Answer: R-22 is the common name for hydro-chlorofluorocarbon
(HCFC). R-22 has been used as a refrigerant by HVAC manufacturers
for over 40 years, but studies in the past decade have shown that
HCFCs contain chlorine, an ozone-depleting agent. For this reason,
the United States Clean Air Act has set a target date for January
1, 2010, on which HVAC manufacturers must cease the production of
products that use R-22.
What is R-410A?
Answer: R-410A is the common name for an emerging
hydro-fluorocarbon (HFC) that is being used as a refrigerant in the
HVAC industry. R-410A is more environmentally friendly than R-22
and is being seen as the most likely replacement for R-22 by HVAC
manufacturers. At the beginning of 2010, the use of alternate
refrigerant will be required in HVAC manufacturing.
What is ENERGY STAR?
Answer: 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.
- For more infomation about the Energy Star program, please view
their website at www.energystar.gov.