Are air conditioners and heat pumps efficiency rated? |
| Yes. Central systems are rated by the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). Many older systems now in use have SEERs of 6 or below
By 1994, the average SEER for all units shipped by manufacturers in the U.S. improved to 10.61 for central air conditioners and 10.94 for central heat pumps. The higher the rating, the more efficient the system |
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Can homeowners repair their own air conditioners? |
| In most cases, definitely not. Cooling systems today are more complicated to service and usually require expert attention in order to comply with federal regulations, such as the Clean Air Act which prohibits releasing refrigerants into the atmosphere. An EPA-certified air conditioning contractor or service technician should be called at the first sign of trouble |
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How can I get a high efficiency system that will have minimum operational costs? |
| Manufacturers publish equipment efficiency ratings which are available to your contractor. ARI also publishes directories indicating various energy efficiency ratings of specific equipment. It is important that a contractor install a unit that has just the right capacity to cool your home. Units with excess capacity will cycle on and off and work less efficiently, thus increasing your operating costs. |
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How does an air conditioner work? |
| An air conditioner transfers heat-from the inside of a building, where it is not wanted, to the outside. Refrigerant in the system absorbs the excess heat and is pumped through a closed system of piping to an outside coil. A fan blows outside air over the hot coil, transferring heat from the refrigerant to the outdoor air. Because the heat is removed from the indoor air, the indoor area is cooled |
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How does Trane CleanEffects stack up against other air cleaners? |
| TRANE CleanEffects utilizes patented breakthrough air cleaning technology to remove up to an astounding 99.98% of airborne allergens from the air that passes through the filter, making it 8 times more effective than even the best HEPA filters and 100 times more effective than a standard 1" filter |
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How easy is it to install central air conditioning in an older home? |
| Often it is fairly simple, particularly if the older home has existing duct work or plenty of room for adding duct work. Homes without air conditioning ducts can consider non-ducted systems which also provide the advantage of cooling only selected areas very effectively. An important consideration is how well the older home is sealed and insulated |
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I'm not sure what kind of furnace I have, will you still service it? |
| Of course, we service all brands and fuel sources. Natural gas, Propane, Oil, and Eletric. Trane, Heil, Carrier, Reem, York, Goodman, Williamson, Weil-Mclain, Dunkirk, and many, many more! |
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If I buy a new system, what is the best kind of control unit? |
| If you want flexibility to program your temperature changes, a computerized thermostat will probably be best. Manually-perated control systems allow you to select a temperature setting which your unit will maintain. |
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If my air conditioner is no longer cooling properly, what is the most likely problem? |
| It could be as simple as replacing a fuse, resetting a circuit breaker or checking to see if the thermostat is set properly. If an electrical problem isn't the cause, the refrigerant may be low if the system still runs but does not cool properly. This can be corrected by having an EPA-certified technician find and repair the leak, and add the necessary refrigerant. Most likely, if the problem involves any major part, such as the compressor, you would hear strange noises similar to those of any mechanical equipment not running correctly, or the unit might not run at all. |
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Is central air conditioning better than window units? |
| This depends largely on individual circumstances-- for example, how large is the area to be air conditioned, how large is the family, what temperatures are required, how well the house is insulated, where the house is located, etc. Central systems require internal ducting; window units take up valuable window space. In many cases, if more than three large rooms need air conditioning, it is best to consider central air conditioning. Your contractor can advise you |
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What is a hybrid system? |
| Technicaly a hybrid system is a system that can use more than one power source. In our case it is a backup heating unit (Gas, LP, or Oil furnace) with another high efficient heating/cooling system. This would be a high tech Heat Pump. This heat pump can act as an air conditioner in the summer to keep you cool. In the winter the Heap Pump can work in "reverse" taking the free heat from the outside and concentrating it to heat your house. The only cost to get this heat is a little eletric to run the compressor (outside unit) and your blower moter. With the new efficiencies avalable it can be cheaper to heat your house in temperatures down to 10 degrees than with a high efficient furnace. Add a backup furnace with a DC motor for even lower costs! |
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What is the Aprilaire 5000? |
| The Aprilaire 5000 is a eletronic/media combo filter. Through patented technology, particles entering the air cleaner pass through a control electrode, which focuses and intensifies an electrical field generated by ionizing wires. The particles are charged in the electrical field and then collected on grounded micro-fiber media. There is no monthly cleaning of collector plates like with other types of electronic air cleaners, in fact, the Model 5000’s media needs to be changed only once a year |
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What is the average life of a central air conditioning system? |
| It can vary, depending on how much the system is used and how regularly it is checked or serviced. Generally, the average life of cooling units built in the 1970s and 1980s is about 15 years, but individual units may vary and last much longer, depending on use and how well they are maintained. Heat pumps have about the same life-span-- an ARI survey showed average heat pump life to be about 14 years when recommended maintenance procedures were followed. Newer units are expected to last even longer. |
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What is the best type of system to meet all indoor comfort needs? |
| The best system depends on many variables, including family size, house location and design, and utility cost and availability. The optimum indoor comfort system might include high efficiency central air conditioning and heating, a high-efficiency air cleaner, and a central humidifier. |
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When do I know it's time to replace my system? |
| When the system starts giving you more problems than seem cost-ffective to fix, particularly when major components such as the compressor start making unusual noises or otherwise indicating need for a service call. When faced with major repairs, consult several contractors for their recommendations. Replacing a compressor is somewhat less expensive than replacing the entire unit, but new units may give you greater efficiency and lower operating costs in the long run. |
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