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In recent years it has been increasingly evident that overall HVAC energy efficiency is closely related to the homes indoor air quality and ductwork system. Connecting a brand new top of the line high efficiency furnace and air conditioner to an old, poorly designed, and leaking duct system is a waste of money. Experience shows that the homeowner will typically save a small amount on their monthly utility bills but no where near what they could have saved.
Unfortunately many consumers, as well as contractors don’t understand this relationship. There are too many cases where a homeowner is talked into a quick fix of replacing old equipment while not addressing equally negative problems with how the air is distributed throughout the home. The old adage of “ the low price doesn’t mean the best job” (with it’s many corollaries) too often comes true with long term effects.
When a homeowner realizes that the decision to upgrade their old heating and air conditioning is a 15-20 year decision it makes more sense to get it done right. It’s not like a car that you can purchase and trade in every few years. When it comes to the comfort of your home you don’t have to “settle”, you can have the best today!
The importance of proper sizing for the new A/C and Furnace is key when it comes to comfort. An oversized system will cost more to operate, will not properly dehumidify, create hot & cold spots and lead to short cycling and early equipment failure. The best way to accomplish this today is to have a qualified contractor perform a room to room “manual J heat load calculation”. Any contractor who does not do this is merely guessing on size and using old “rules of thumb” or by going by the size of the old system. Another line we have heard often is “We’ve done a bunch of houses in this neighborhood so we know what size you need”. Don’t fall for that one either. You may have the same square footage as your neighbor, but how about past window replacements, siding, insulation or even the direction your home faces. These as well as many more factors are calculated when a home is sized properly. Furthermore, without a room to room “manual J” you will have difficulty getting the rebates offered by the utility company. Again, the companies who don’t do a room by room evaluation can probably “fudge” the numbers, but who wants that? Make sure you are provided this info as part of the package so you will have a record.
Another important factor in your heating and cooling system is regular maintenance. Today’s’ high efficiency systems are not like the equipment of old where you could neglect your equipment a little longer without as much impact. For instance, proper cleaning of your outside coil is vital to keep your efficiency as high as it should be. Monitoring refrigerant levels and temperatures of the equipment informs us how well the entire system is operating.
“Stay tuned for more up to date information right here at CranburyComfort.com”