Carbon Monoxide – The Silent Killer

October 12th, 2012 Posted in HVAC Accessories
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Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of leading causes of death by poisoning in the U.S.  This remains true even with the increase of public awareness and the addition of CO detectors into many building codes across the nation.

Carbon monoxide is often referred to as the ‘silent killer’ because there is no odor from the gas and the symptoms can be so gradual and commonplace that individuals don’t realize that there is a problem. Many times people simply fall asleep and don’t wake up. Even when the levels of carbon monoxide are fairly low, they can be making people sick and can be especially detrimental to small children, infants and pregnant women when exposed over a significant period of time.

All of this demonstrates the importance of having carbon monoxide detectors in your home, that they are properly placed and that they are periodically tested to be sure that they are working properly. Just like any piece of equipment, not all CO detectors are created equal. CO detectors can also lose their effectiveness over time; that is the reason for periodic testing. There are also certain recommendations for placement of CO detectors for optimum effectiveness.

Since carbon monoxide gas can develop from a faulty furnace, HVAC contractors are well trained in the installation and testing of CO detectors. These professionals will also be aware of local and state codes regarding their installation. Of course, detection is only one aspect of preventing carbon monoxide poisoning. The other is prevention. Having your HVAC system inspected annually before each heating season is a worthwhile investment in your family’s safety. Provide your family with adequate protection by investing in both the professional installation of CO detectors and an annual inspection of your heating system.

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Choosing a Commercial HVAC Service Company

October 12th, 2012 Posted in Commercial HVAC Service & Repair
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As a commercial property owner, you are responsible for keeping your HVAC system properly heating and cooling your building. When their emergency issues or repairs needed, you need to have a commercial HVAC service and repair contractor on your contact list that you can count on to show up quickly and service your system in timely and professional manner.

Emergency service calls aren’t the only time you need an HVAC contractor. You should also be having your commercial HVAC systems inspected annually to keep your system running efficiently. For both of these types of services, emergency and routine maintenance, it is important to hire an HVAC service company that you can count on.

When interviewing HVAC service companies, request references that include other commercial clients which they service and follow through in calling those references. Ask about 24 hour emergency service. Is it a part of their service program?  How soon can you expect a response to an emergency service call, will it be minutes, hours or days?

Repair and maintenance bills are never fun to receive, but if you know what to expect ahead of time, that can help ease the pain. Be sure to ask about minimum service call charges and what their hourly rates are for routine repairs versus emergency service calls. Some HVAC service companies will provide reduced rates if you have an annual maintenance contract with them. Ask if the contractors you interview have this as an option or would consider a service contract with a lower rate.

Remember to ask for evidence of local and state licenses, as well as proof of liability and workers compensation insurance. Any professional HVAC company will have these items readily available for their clients.

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Selecting an HVAC Contractor for Your New Home

October 12th, 2012 Posted in Choosing an HVAC Contractor
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Building a new home can be an exciting prospect, especially if it is own that has been custom designed to fit your family and your lifestyle. A part of the process of building includes many decisions, from the floor plan to the location to the general contractor to the finishes. If you, as the owner, are also involved in the selection of subcontractors for the project – drywaller, electrician, plumber etc, then there are several considerations to keep in mind when selecting the HVAC contractor to handle the new HVAC installation in your home.

Proper state and local licensing should be the first item on your checklist. Never assume that contractors have current licensing. Ask for those license numbers and check to make sure those licenses are valid. Secondly, ask for detailed written estimates from each of the HVAC contractors bidding on the project. Compare those estimates line by line and note any differences between what one contractor is including compared to the others. Request references from past customers who have used the contractor for the installation of a new HVAC system in their home and contact those references. Ask the past clients if they are satisfied with the system and whether the HVAC contractor has been prompt in addressing any issues that may have come up after the home was complete. In addition to these items, the HVAC contractor you hire should have his insurance provider send you a certificate of insurance which lists their liability and workers compensation coverage.

Finally, ask questions about warranties on the equipment and the contractor’s warranty on their installation. Select the HVAC contractor that has demonstrated themselves as professional and trustworthy.

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Cost Effective Ways To Reduce Your Heating and Cooling Costs

October 12th, 2012 Posted in Reducing HVAC Energy Costs
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Replacing your old heating and cooling system with a modern energy efficient furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump is a great way to reduce your heating  and cooling costs, but if you are not yet ready to spend that much on a new system, there are many lower cost improvements that can help you reduce your energy usage while you save up for that new furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner.  Most of these improvements will carry over to the new system when you have it installed in a few years.

Installing a programmable thermostat that lowers the temperature setting in the winter and raises it in the summer when your family is not at home or is asleep can provide big savings. Having your ducts sealed can also lower your energy bills.  The EPA estimates that about 20% of the heated or cooled air flowing through ducts is lost due to leakage.

Ceiling fans are also a great way to reduce your energy costs.  In the summer, the fan is set to blow air downward.  The light breeze makes temperatures seem cooler so you can keep the temperature a few degrees warmer.  In the winter, the fan direction is reversed to move warm air from the ceiling down to the living space an keeping the room warmer.

Weather stripping and stopping air leaks from around doors, windows, vents, wires, air conditioner drain pipes, and other openings can reduce loss of conditioned air and eliminate drafts.

Finally, having your system serviced regularly and changing your air filters every month or two will help you system operate at its peak efficiency and reduce breakdowns.

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Is It Time to Replace Your Furnace?

October 11th, 2012 Posted in Furnaces
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The typical property owner doesn’t consider replacing their furnace until after it quits working and they are confronted with the costs related to significant furnace repairs versus installing a brand new furnace. Unfortunately, that scenario leaves the property owner with little time to research their options before making a decision as to what furnace to purchase and which contractor to use for the installation. A preferred scenario is to evaluate your heating system before you reach that point, so you have time to research and compare your options. This also gives you time to prepare for the purchase financially.

Avoiding costly repairs isn’t the only reason to consider replacing your furnace. Upgrading your heating system to a newer, more energy efficient system can provide you with savings on your heating costs as well.

There are several considerations to keep in mind as you contemplate replacement of your existing heating system. First, do you simply want to upgrade to a newer more efficient system of the same type or do you want to change your type of heating system altogether? Just because your home currently uses electrical baseboard heat doesn’t mean that is your only option. Conversely, if you now have a forced air gas furnace, it doesn’t mean that is your only option for replacement. Take the time to consider all of your options, the costs involved in replacement and also the potential energy savings with each of those options.

Being proactive and making a decision about furnace replacement before you ‘have to’ can be one of the wisest decisions a property owner can make. It relieves you of that last minute pressure and allows you the time to make an informed decision and to schedule that replacement at a time that is convenient for you, as well.

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A Programmable Thermostat Makes Energy Saving Simple

October 11th, 2012 Posted in Thermostats
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We often hear energy conservation advice about keeping our thermostat set lower in the cooler months and higher in the warmer months. Just a couple of degrees can make a big difference in the amount of energy consumed by our heating and cooling systems. During our sleeping hours, we can often be quite comfortable at different temperature levels than when we are up moving about; this can warrant another adjustment to our thermostat.

The same is true when we are gone all day at work or going to be absent from the home for an extended period of time. We may not want to turn our heat or air conditioning completely off, but we may want to set it to come on only when the in home air temperature has reached an extreme level.

With a standard thermostat, it can be easy to forget to make these adjustments for changes in activities in the home or to inadvertently turn your heat up a few degrees higher than need be (or the temperature lower than needed for your cooling needs).  That is the beauty of the programmable thermostat.

A programmable thermostat is an HVAC accessory that allows you to set a variety of temperature levels based on these different scenarios. You can program your thermostat to a certain temperature for your regular sleep hours and then have it automatically revert to your daytime temp shortly before you get out of bed in the morning. You can have another setting programmed in that will decrease the energy use while you are away at work and then resume regular settings just before you get home.

A programmable thermostat allows you to continually save energy without have to remember to change the setting. It is all done automatically. An HVAC technician can advise you on the right thermostat for your needs and install the thermostat at a minimal cost.

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Tax Credits For Geothermal Heat Pumps

October 11th, 2012 Posted in Heat Pumps
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If you are considering installing an energy efficient geothermal heat pump in your home but are put off by the cost, don’t forget to factor in the effect of the federal tax credits.  Until December 31, 2016, all Energy Star rated geothermal heat pumps qualify for a 30% tax credit.  The credit is available for installation of a geothermal heat pump in a newly constructed home or replacement of the heating system in an existing home.

The credit applies to the cost of the equipment and also the installation and labor costs and there is no upper limit.  Geothermal heat pumps installed in second homes also qualify for the credit although rental homes are currently excluded.

Geothermal heat pumps are one of the most energy efficient residential heating and cooling systems currently available, but they are significantly more expensive than standard air source heat pumps or other heating systems such as a traditional natural gas furnace.

However, they are so efficient that homeowners can cut their heating and cooling costs at least half depending on where they live and cost of fuel or electricity in their area.  Even with these savings on energy costs, it can take many years for a geothermal heat pump to pay for itself, but the 30% tax credit dramatically shortens the time it will take to recover the expense of a new heat pump.

Remember that a tax credit is a dollar for dollar reduction in your tax bill, so installing a qualified geothermal heat pump at a cost of $15,000 will save you $5,000 in federal tax.  In addition, many states offer tax credits for even greater savings.  With the federal tax credits, a geothermal heat pump can pay for itself in a short time and you can then enjoy year after year of saving money on your energy bill.

 

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The Many Advantages Of Geothermal Heat Pumps

October 11th, 2012 Posted in Heat Pumps
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A geothermal heat pump is one of the most energy efficient residential heating and cooling systems available.  Geothermal heat pumps are similar to air source heat pumps, but they rely on the earth as a source of heat in the winter and to dump heat in the summer.   Since the earth’s temperature remains at a relatively constant temperature between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit just a few feet below ground, a geothermal heat pump is more efficient that an air source heat pump that can lose heating efficiency as temperatures drop below freezing.

Although their primary advantage is their high energy efficiency, there are plenty of other reasons to install a geothermal heat pump.  One reason is their durability.  Unlike air source heat pumps and traditional furnaces that have a service life of around 10 years, a geothermal heat pump should provide energy efficient heating and cooling for more than 20 years.

In addition to heating and cooling your home, many models of geothermal heat pumps also provide energy efficient water heating.  Also, geothermal heat pumps do not have a noisy outdoor compressor/condenser unit like a central air conditioner or air source heat pump.  The outdoor heat exchanger is a series of pipes buried underground.

Geothermal heat pumps are quiet indoors too.  The inside unit makes about the same amount of noise as a refrigerator so it is hardly noticeable.  Due to the way geothermal heat pumps operate, the heating and cooling results in more consistent, even temperatures that increases indoor comfort.

The main reason geothermal heat pumps are not more popular is that the cost of the initial installation is significant.  However, the 30% federal tax credit for Energy Star rated geothermal heat pumps helps reduce the out of pocket expense and the energy costs savings should pay for the unit in less than ten years.

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Fall HVAC Energy Saving Tips

October 11th, 2012 Posted in Furnaces
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Fall is a great time to make a few energy efficiency improvements that will reduce your heating costs this winter.  The first thing on the list should be having your furnace or heating system inspected and serviced by your HVAC technician.  They will make sure it is operating safely and efficiently.  Now is a good time to change your air filter too.

If you are still using the standard blue fiberglass filters, take the opportunity to consider upgrading to a pleated filter.  A good pleated filter will improve indoor air quality, but even more importantly it will protect your coils from accumulating dust and debris that can rob your system of efficiency.

While your HVAC technician is at your home it would be a good idea to have your ducts inspected and sealed if necessary.  According to EPA estimates, about 20% of the warm (or cold) air moving through ducts is lost due to leaks and poor connections.  Duct sealing can improve energy efficiency and improve indoor comfort.

Consider adding a few more inches of insulation in your attic or under your floors.  There is a limit to the amount insulation that is cost effective.  Your HVAC professional can inspect your home and help you decide if you need additional insulation, but in general if the joists in your attic are covered with a lay of insulation, you probably have enough.

Finally, seal leaks around windows, doors, exhaust fans, drains, and other fixtures that penetrate the walls.  Air leaks not only waste energy, but they reduce indoor comfort levels by creating drafts and uneven heating.

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Internet Reviews of HVAC Contractors

October 3rd, 2012 Posted in Choosing an HVAC Contractor
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Finding a good HVAC contractor for furnace repairs, installation of a new air conditioner, or any other heating and air conditioning need can be a challenge.  Unless you can get a referral from a family member, co-worker or friend, it’s hard to tell a good HVAC contractor from a bad one.  Randomly choosing one from the phone book or the internet is a hit-or-miss proposition.

Many people depend on reviews of HVAC contractors that they find on the internet to help them choose a good contractor.  These reviews can be helpful, but be cautious when using them and read the reviews with a critical eye.  Think about whether this person may have some agenda in mind other than posting an unbiased review.

Remember, anyone can post reviews in most online sites.  That means that those really enthusiastic reviews could have been posted by happy customers, or they could have been posted by the contractor themselves, their friends, family, neighbors, and so on.  In addition, if there are a series of positive reviews posted at about the same time, you should be suspicious.  It is easy to hire people to post positive reviews.  Several long, positive reviews written within a few days of each other could indicate that these reviews were “bought and paid for.’

At the same time, be careful about negative reviews.  Again, these could have been written by someone out to harm the HVAC contractor’s reputation.  It could be a dishonest competitor, an angry employee, or due to a failed personal relationship.

When reading reviews posted on the internet, look for reviews that sound like they were written by a real customer.  From these reviews, you can generally get a consensus about whether the HVAC contractor treats their customers right.  When you find a contractor with positive reviews, be sure to confirm that they have been in business for at least a few years, have a permanent business address and telephone number, and that they are licensed and insured.  Reading internet reviews with a critical eye can help you find a reliable HVAC contractor.

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