Frequently Asked Questions

     Q: What important factors should my choice about replacing or adding new equipment rely on?
     A: Quality, Efficiency, and Sound Levels.

QUALITY

The quality of HVAC equipment helps determine how well it will perform and for how long. HVAC Equipment is really no different. Purchasing a brand name that has reputation for quality and reliability can save you headaches and extra expense in the long run. New TRANE equipment, for example, undergo a rigorous series of quality tests and checks during production, which many of the tests being performed on every unit - not just random samples.

EFFICIENCY

Furnaces:     The efficiency of a furnace is measures in a rating known as AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). AFUE tells you how efficiently the furnace converts fuel (gas or oil) into heat. An AFUE of 80% means that 80% of the fuel is used to heat your home, while the other 20% basically goes up the chimney. If 1992, the government established a minimum AFUE rating for furnaces installed in homes at 78%. (In contrast, many furnaces manufactured before 1992 had AFUE ratings as low as 60% - so nearly half the fuel was being wasted.) Furnaces with AGUE ratings of 78% to 80% are considered "mid-efficiency"; those with ratings of 90% or higher are known as "high efficiency." The maximum furnace efficiency available is around 96.6%. In general, the higher the efficiency of the furnace, the more it will cost but the less fuel it will use the heat your home.If you have an older furnace (with an AFUE of about 60%), you could save up to 40% on your heating bills by replacing it with a new high-efficiency furnace. So the cost to replace your old, inefficient furnace is paid back through lower utility bills in a few short years.

Air Conditioners:   Cooling efficiency for air conditioners is indicated by a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating, which tell you how efficiently the unit uses electricity. The higher the number the greater the efficiency. The typical SEER rating of units manufactured prior to 1992 is about 6.0. In 1992, the government established the minimum cooling efficiency standard for units installed in homes at 10.0 SEER. High-efficiency units have a SEER of at least 12.0; the maximum available is about 17.0. As with furnaces, higher efficiency is air conditioners usually means higher cost but lower utility bills. If you live in a warm and/or humid climate, you will probably see the higher cost of a high-efficiency air conditioner paid back through lower utility bills in a few short years. There is one other factor that affects the efficiency of your air conditioning system: the indoor coil. (Your air conditioner is a "split system," which means that there is an outdoor unit, or condenser, and an indoor unit, or evaporator coil.) If your condensing unit is not matched with the proper indoor coil, it may not give you the stated SEER ratings and could even develop performance problems. (It's kind of like putting two new times on one side of your car and leaving the old, worn-out ones on the other side. You'd probably be disappointed with both the performance and the miles per gallon you get.) When you're replacing and existing system, make sure you replace both units so your new condensing unit will give you optimal performance, efficiency, and comfort.

SOUND

Air Conditioners:  The sound level of outdoor units is measured in bels (similar to decibels), on a scale from 0 (barely audible) to 13 (the threshold of pain). Most air conditioners operate at 8 to 9 bels; some units' ratings are as low as 6.8. That may not sound like a wide range, but consider this: 9 bels sounds 10 times louder than 8 bels. That means one 9-bel air conditioner is as loud as 10 units rated at 8 bels. So we think that taking time to compare bel ratings is pretty sound advice.

Furnaces:   There isn't a standard sound rating system for furnaces like the bel system for condensing units, so it's difficult to compare models. However, models that have two-speed or variable-speed operation typically also offer lower operating sound levels, because there is less noise from the blower motor and from air turbulence at lower speeds. Nice two-speed and variable-capacity models are normally run on low speed up to 90% of the time, you'll find they're a sound solution when you want to enjoy peace and quite.