Heating And Air: Does Your System Need Serviced?
How do you know if you’re heating and air system needs serviced? It is of course a very beneficial practice for you to have your system serviced before the heating season and before the air conditioning season just to make sure everything is in proper working order but a lot of people wait till it stops heating or stops cooling before they do anything to it.
Preventive maintenance is definitely the most cost effective way to keep your heating and air system safe, working properly and in tip top shape for years to come. If you properly maintain your system it will be much more efficient and you will have lower utility costs as a result of it. Each month your system is working properly is another month of energy savings and less operating costs for you to keep your system going.
Although there is some variances in service practices depending on who is called out to your home or business there are a few things that a good service tech will always check. First and foremost the basic things a service tech should check are all the safety issues. I mean let’s face it if you have a safety issue that is not correctly addressed as a total priority then you could be putting you and your families safety and health at risk especially if it is an electrical issue, the flue is leaking or a crack in the heat exchanger of your furnace.
In the heating system the flue needs to be checked to see that it is venting properly and does not have a back draft or leak into the living space. Also need to make sure there is adequate combustion air so the flame has plenty of oxygen. It is extremely important to make sure that there is not a crack in the heat exchanger putting carbon monoxide into your home which can cause illness and even death if not detected in time. You should always maintain a clean filter, the blower motor should be oiled and blower wheel clean to maintain proper airflow from the blower assembly.
In the air conditioning system the evaporator and condenser coils should be clean. It is very important in the cooling cycle to maintain a clean filter for proper airflow and to keep the evaporator from freezing up. Pressures need to be correct to insure a proper refrigerant charge and maximize system efficiency. You also need to make sure you have the correct fuses in the disconnect box.
Both the heating and air systems need all the electrical connections checked to make sure they are secured correctly. A loose connection can cause various damage to the unit, such as burning a wire in two, other components of the system can be damaged from inaccurate amps and voltage going to them through the loose connection and on occasion it can potentially cause a fire.
The best way to know if your system needs serviced is to just have it serviced before each season and prevent any potential problems before they exist. Then you know that you don’t need it serviced and your heating and air system will serve you best and last the longest time possible.
Is Your Heating And Air System Efficient?
Do you know how old your heating and air system is or the efficiency rating for your heating system or the SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) rating of your air conditioning system? Do you keep your system filter changed or cleaned on a regular timely basis? It is recommended for most filters depending on which type you are using to change or clean them on a monthly basis. A dirty filter alone can decrease your systems efficiency and optimal performance which in turn costs you extra money each month on your energy bill, not to mention system breakdown due to being over worked from a lack of regular maintenance.
Do you have your system maintenance done before each season? Did you know that servicing your equipment before the heating season and before the air conditioning season each year will help your system to last considerably longer than if you don’t? Preventive maintenance is far more cost effective than waiting for your system to have a problem before you attend to it.
Lots of home owners embrace the yearly service agreement to keep their heating and air system in tip top condition. This limits the potential for problems during the extreme weather conditions and ultimately saves money. You know how it always seems to go out when it’s either burning hot or freezing cold? The yearly service agreement allows the home owner to have their system serviced twice a year before the season begins, giving them a better rate and less chance of a breakdown during the heating or cooling season.
For many years a 10 SEER cooling system was the minimum standard required by law. There was a considerable cost difference just to upgrade to a 12 SEER system. But many things are changing in the efficiency requirements and now a 13 SEER is the minimum standard requirement. Except for a few cases mainly in the package units, 10 or 12 SEER equipment is no longer being manufactured and the only way you can even buy it is if it’s still stocked in a warehouse somewhere that just hasn’t been sold yet.
The refrigerant used in cooling systems is also changing. R-22 which has been used in residential and commercial cooling systems for years is now being phased out and replaced with 410A. R-22 equipment will no longer be manufactured after this year. R-22 refrigerant will be produced for a short while longer and it will become obsolete just as R-12 has become for automobiles.
There is a formula to figuring the usage cost and energy savings between a 10 SEER and 13 SEER cooling system but the general rule of thumb is said to be approximately 10% per 1 SEER. In other words if you upgrade your cooling system from a 10 SEER to a 13 SEER you should see an energy savings of about 30% per month of usage. Depending on your usage this can be enough savings to pay for a new heating and air system in a relatively short time.
Is Your Heating & Air Thermostat Saving You Money?
Is your Heating & Air Thermostat saving you money? The thermostat is one important aspect of your home that needs careful consideration. What temperature you set it at is really a matter of personal comfort. More and more people are finding that there is a considerable cost savings in using the right thermostat and setting it to maximize their energy usage and comfort level.
For example, during the summer months when it’s hot, is your air conditioning set so low that it feels comfortable enough to wear a long sleeve shirt or pants? Do you reach for a blanket? This is perhaps a sign that you could raise the thermostat a bit and still be comfortable.
In the winter when it’s cold and often times freezing, do you use a fan or run around the house in shorts and a tank top? Just lowering the heat a little bit can save you a noticeable amount of money on your heating and air bill. Although there is no perfect temperature to set it on because we all have different comfort levels it is relatively easy to make some adjustments and save a sizable amount of money each month.
There is a good deal of money that can be saved by just dealing with the heat of the summer or the cold in the winter but there’s not much comfort in that so finding a happy medium can give us both comfort and energy savings at the same time. You don’t have to turn the thermostat off altogether to gain some benefits of extra money in your pocket.
The Right Temperature often times varies according to our personal comfort level preference. The first goal is to find and set your home at the right temperature level for you. Even though there are variables to our individual comfort level some statistics have shown that during the winter, setting the heat at 68 degrees Fahrenheit is the best starting point. In the summer months, 76 degrees Fahrenheit is a good starting point to find your comfort level. Each time you move the thermostat up or down (depending on the season) you can save a decent amount of money for every two degree shift in the temperature.
Therefore, if in the winter months you have your thermostat set at 70 degrees normally and you can still feel comfortable by lowering it to 68 degrees, then you will be able to save some more money on your heating & air usage.
In the summer when it’s hot, if you can keep the air conditioning set at around 76 degrees. You will see a savings in the energy usage. If you can handle moving these temperatures a little more, you will save even more money.
One thing to keep in mind is if you continuously are moving the thermostat up and down, you are not really going to be saving anything. In fact, if you get cold so you raise the air conditioner up, only to become hot again and lower it again, you will be wasting money.
As the air in the home cools down it does not take as much energy to keep it at that level, but if you increase the temperature and the home heats up, the air conditioner needs to work twice as hard to get it back down again. This causes quite a bit of money to be lost as a result. Choose and stay at the right temperature in the home and you can benefit all year long from your heating & air energy savings.