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Since most of us spend the majority of our time indoors, it makes sense to have an indoor environment that's healthy and comfortable.While your home may have unique needs, the best way to insure your comfort and health is to have your heating and cooling system provide the right balance of heating, air conditioning, air cleaning and humidification. No other single system plays a larger part in how much you enjoy your time at home ... or in how much you pay out to utility companies each month.
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Maintenence:
Q: Why should I have my air conditioner checked in the spring and my furnace checked in the fall?
They should be checked, and cleaned, to be sure they are operating at their top efficiency, are operating properly and to be sure they are operating safely.
Q: When should I repair older equipment and when do I need to replace it?
When you're frustrated with an equipment breakdown, it can be tempting to find the least expensive "quick fix" to get on with your life in relative comfort. That "quick fix" may be the least expensive now, but it may not give you the most value — or cost you the least — in the long run.
Paying for repairs to an old or inefficient system often simply prolongs the inevitable. It's almost like putting a bandage on a serious injury. An older system that breaks down once is likely to break down again ... and again. That means more emergency service calls or, worse yet, the risk of damage to your home or to other components of your heating and cooling system.
There's also an ongoing cost factor to consider. Restoring your old system will only bring it back to its current level of energy efficiency. After you've recovered from the repair bills and the frustration of system breakdowns, you still wont save on your energy bills. Even six-year-old heat pumps and air conditioners are considered grossly inefficient by today's energy efficiency standards. So are most furnaces built before 1980. So you could save up to 60% on your energy bills with new high-efficiency equipment. That's why installing a new heating and cooling system can actually pay for itself in energy savings within a relatively short time.
Looking at the Big Picture: When one component of your system breaks down unexpectedly, its easy to just focus on repairing or replacing that component. But each part of your system works with the others to boost efficiency and reliability, so it helps to keep the big picture in mind.
Q: Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time, or can they be installed separately?
If they are installed at the same time, the coil cabinet (part of the air conditioner and sits on top of the furnace) will match the furnace in color & style. Also it may be more convenient to replace them at the same time, but they will operate OK whether they are installed at the same time or not.
Buying A Furnace:
Q: What should I look for in a new furnace?
The three most important factors to evaluate when you're considering purchasing a new furnace are: (1) quality; (2) efficiency; and (3) comfort Quality: When you buy a new car, the quality of it helps determine how well it will perform and for how long. A furnace is really no different. Purchasing a brand name that has a reputation for quality and reliability can save you headaches and extra expense down the road. New Carrier furnaces, for example, undergo a rigorous series of quality tests and checks during production, with many of the tests being performed on every unit — not just on random samples. Plus, we back every furnace in writing, with a 20-year or more limited warranty on the heat exchanger (the heart of the furnace) and a one-year limited warranty on the entire unit.
Efficiency: A furnaces efficiency rating, or AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency), tells you how efficiently the furnace uses fuel (gas or oil). In general, the higher the efficiency, the less fuel the furnace will use to heat your home.
Comfort: Some mid- and high-efficiency furnaces offer additional features that provide greater comfort (as well as additional energy savings). Two-speed furnaces can run on low speed up to 90% of the time, so they operate more quietly and run for longer periods of time than single-speed furnaces. Longer operating periods translate into fewer on/off cycles, fewer drafts and much smaller temperature swings -- only one or two degrees instead of the four-degree swings common with single-speed furnaces. Plus, better air circulation helps prevent air "stratification" warm air rising to the ceiling and cold air settling on the floor. In short, you get consistent, even heat throughout your home.Variable-capacity furnaces provide the ultimate combination of comfort, efficiency and quiet performance. In addition to the benefits of two-speed furnaces, they offer "smart" motors than can monitor your home's comfort needs and automatically adjust the volume and speed of air to provide the most efficient heating or cooling. They offer added electrical efficiency as well: the "smart" fan motors on Carrier's variable-capacity furnaces use less electricity than a 100-watt light bulb. They operate so efficiently that they can actually increase the efficiency rating of your central air conditioning system and offer you added energy savings when you use continuous fan operation in any season.
Q: What should I look for in a new heat pump or air conditioner?
While heat pumps and air conditioners require the use of some different components in your heating and cooling system, the three most important factors you should evaluate are essentially the same: quality, efficiency, and comfort features.
Quality: New Carrier air conditioners and split systems, for example, undergo 34 quality tests and checks during production, with more than 20 of these being performed on every unit not just on random samples.
Efficiency: Cooling efficiency for air conditioners and heat pumps is indicated by a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating, which tells you how efficiently the unit uses electricity. Heat pumps also have heating efficiency ratings, indicated as an HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor). In general, the higher the SEER or HSPF rating, the less electricity the unit will use to cool (or heat) your home. Air conditioners and heat pumps manufactured today have SEER ratings that range from 10.0 to about 17. Heat pumps are available with HSPF ratings from about 6.8 to 10.0. Usually, the higher the efficiency, the more expensive the unit. If you live in a warm and/or humid climate, you will probably see the higher cost of a high-efficiency air conditioner or heat pump paid back (through lower utility bills) in a few short years. One other point to keep in mind is that your heat pump or air conditioner is a "split system," which means that there is an outdoor unit (condenser) and an indoor unit (coil). If you're replacing an existing system, both units should be replaced to make sure your new condensing unit gives you optimal performance, efficiency and comfort. Note: Air-source heat pumps — the type most commonly used in homes — are typically installed with additional back-up heating (usually electric resistance strip heating) for days when the outdoor temperature drops below 30 and the heat pump cannot extract enough heat from the outside air to heat the home. SEER and HSPF ratings do not refer to the efficiency of electrical resistance backup heat, which is calculated differently.
Comfort: Some air conditioners and heat pumps offer additional features that provide greater comfort (as well as additional energy savings). Two-speed units can run on low speed (using 50% of the energy) up to 80% of the time, so they operate more quietly and run for longer periods of time than single-speed models. Longer operating periods translate into fewer on/off cycles, fewer drafts and much smaller temperature swings -- only two or three degrees instead of the four-degree swings common with single-speed units. Plus, better air circulation helps prevent air "stratification" — warm air rising to the ceiling and cold air settling on the floor. In short, you get consistent even cooling throughout your home. If you purchase a multi-speed or variable-capacity furnace or fan coil with your unit, you will enhance both the comfort and the efficiency of your air conditioning or heat pump system even further.
Q: Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time, or can they be installed separately?
If they are installed at the same time, the coil cabinet (part of the air conditioner and sits on top of the furnace) will match the furnace in color & style. Also it may be more convenient to replace them at the same time, but they will operate OK whether they are installed at the same time or not.
Q: It's summer and I need a new air conditioner. Should I install a new furnace too?
Not necessarily, however the blower in the furnace moves the air for air conditioning as well as heating. Usually the new furnaces have stronger blowers and can move more air that can help cool your entire house better. If your furnace is getting old, you should have the heat exchanger checked for "cracks". If it is "cracked" you should have the furnace or heat exchanger replaced before winter.
Q: It's winter and I need a new furnace and air conditioner. Should I wait until spring to buy a new air conditioner?
If you think you are going to install an air conditioner in a few months you probably want to have it installed with the furnace. Generally the cost will be lower to have an air conditioner installed in the winter.
Q: My home has a forced air furnace but no air conditioner. Can I add central air?
Yes. Air conditioners require more airflow than furnaces and it may be necessary to add more duct work. Your electrical service may need to be upgraded. All temp can determine all of the costs required to add central air. Please call and make an appointment.
Q: What is a "cracked" furnace? How serious is this?
The part that transfers heat from the gas flame to the air in the house is called a "heat exchanger". If the heat exchanger has a crack or rust hole in it, the fumes (especially carbon monoxide) enter the air that comes out of the registers. Heat exchangers can be replaced, however if they are out of warranty, it is usually not much more to install a new higher efficiency furnace. If your furnace is over 5 years old, a licensed serviceman should inspect it every fall before the heating season begins. It should be checked any other time the furnace is not operating properly, for example if the pilot blows out.
Q: Won't my carbon monoxide detector tell me when I need a new furnace?
Every home should have a carbon monoxide detector, but the fact that it is not going off doesn't mean everything is safe. Even small amounts of carbon monoxide have an accumulative effect and detectors have a minimum threshold before they sound their alarm. If your alarm does go off, call All Temp and have a serviceman check your furnace immediately.
Q: Some rooms in our house don't get enough heat (or cooling). Can this be fixed?
Sometimes running the blower continuously will solve this problem. Usually the new furnace will have better airflow that will help, and there is usually a way to install an additional register in the area to obtain more airflow.
Q: How long does it take to install a new furnace or air conditioner?
Generally allow one day for replacing a furnace and one day for replacing an air conditioner. Occasionally an additional day is required, especially if you are having an air cleaner or humidifier installed.
Q: What brand of equipment is best?
There are several excellent brands available as well as several "cheaper" brands. All Temp could choose any brand to sell and install, however we have chosen Carrier products because of their quality, reputation, and availability of parts. Even more important than the equipment, is the quality of the installation and the reputation of the dealer behind the installation.
Q: Is it OK to install a different brand of furnace (or air conditioner) to work with my existing air conditioner (or furnace)?
Yes, this is fine. It is important that the furnace has the proper size of blower to match the air conditioner, but this can be determined easily.
Q: How many bids should I get before I decide on a new system?
Three bids are generally enough. If All Temp is servicing your current system, or if we have installed equipment for you in the past, you should be comfortable in obtaining a proposal from All Temp. We offer excellent value and service.
Save Money . . . "Call A Pro"
