Residential
Frequently Asked Questions
1.
Why should I purchase a new heating or air conditioning
system?
2. How can I find the system that’s right for me?
3. How do I determine the size, or capacity, of my HVAC
system?
4. What goes into installing a new system?
5. What happens when I replace my old system?
6. How long will my system last?
7. Do I need to change my indoor coil?
8. Where can I locate my air handler or furnace system?
9. What is a heat pump?
10. What can I do to control the humidity levels in my home?
11. What can I do before calling someone to service my
system?
12. What is AFUE?
13. What is HSPF?
14. What is Freon R-22?
15. What is R-410A?
16. What is ENERGY STAR?
17. What is SEER?
18. Why is higher SEER the right thing to do?
19. What is covered by the American Standard Extended
Warranty?
20. What is not covered by the American Standard Extended
Warranty?
21. Can I afford the American Standard Extended Warranty?
22. What happens if I sell my home?
23. How do I do it?
1. Why should I purchase a new heating or air conditioning
system?
At I.C.E. Heating & Cooling, LLC, we realize that purchasing a heating or
air conditioning system is no small
matter. However, if your existing system is old, in need of repair or
simply inefficient, purchasing a new unit, one which can be as much as 60%
more efficient than a system purchased just 10 years ago, can turn into a
long term benefit. Rather than continuing to pay for ongoing maintenance
and costly monthly bills, invest in a new system today that will save you
money for years to come.
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2. How can I find the system that’s right for me?
There are many heating and air conditioning systems to choose from today.
By contacting I.C.E. Heating & Cooling, LLC, you have access to a vast
degree of heating and air conditioning knowledge and experience to help
you decide on the system that best fits your specific needs. The size and
age of your home, as well as the number of rooms, climate, local and
regional utility costs, degree days and utility incentive rebate programs
are all factors that will affect the functionality and, therefore,
selection of your system. I.C.E. Heating & Cooling, LLC utilizes the
latest technology, considers all these factors and, most importantly, your
input while assisting you in choosing the best system for your home.
Consumers seeking to replace an existing system often choose a new unit
with equal or higher efficiency ratings as compared to their previous
system. Replacing a unit that is greater than 10 to 15 years old may
reduce natural gas or electricity costs from 30 to 50%. Contacting I.C.E.
Heating & Cooling, LLC can help you to define your initial cost, warranty
protection, service options, maintenance options and operating cost. Once
you have chosen a system it is important to remember that proper
installation is a major factor in maximizing its operating efficiency and
your comfort level.
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3. How do I determine the size, or capacity, of my HVAC
system?
Factors affecting the size of your new system include the climate in your
region, humidity levels, the number of windows in your dwelling, total
square footage of your home, the direction your home faces, the number of
heat producing appliances in your home, the type of insulation you have
and the number of people that live in your residence. I.C.E. Heating &
Cooling, LLC can perform the proper calculations to determine the right
size heating or cooling unit for your home and lifestyle.
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4. What goes into installing a new system?
If you install a new system, most of the items from the “What happens when
I replace my old system?” will need to be installed as well. Beyond
equipment, the most important component installed with a new system is the
ductwork. Ductwork is composed of two parts, supply and return. Supply
duct is attached to the outflow of the new system, delivering air to each
zone in a home. The amount of air reaching each zone is determined by the
size of supply ductwork connecting it to your system. Your dealer will
help you determine the size of all the supply ductwork in your home. The
second part of the ductwork, the return duct, attaches to the inlet of the
new system and draws air out of the spaces to be heated or cooled.
Attached to the return duct is the filter. The filter should be placed as
near to the furnace or air handler as possible. Ductwork can be either
fiberglass or metal and must be properly sized in order to evenly
distribute the proper amount of air to each room.
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5. What happens when I replace my old system?
To install the most efficient HVAC system in your household, a detailed
inspection should first be performed by your installation contractor. The
inspection by your contractor should include, as a minimum, the inspection
of your home’s ductwork, insulation, refrigerant piping, electrical
service, wiring, thermostat, condensate piping, flue piping, flue
terminations, slabs, filter, driers, registers, grills, drain pans and
evaporator coil.
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6. How long will my system last?
Maintenance and service play a key role in the lifecycle of a heating or
air conditioning system. If all recommended maintenance and service
actions are taken, it is believed that an air conditioner should last
12-15 years and a gas furnace should last from 20 to 25 years.
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7. Do I need to change my indoor coil?
It is generally a good idea to replace the indoor coil if you are also
replacing your air conditioner or heat pump. There is a correlation
between the efficiency of your heating or cooling system and the
performance of the indoor coil. So when you change the outdoor side of the
system, you should also change the interior side of the system as well in
order to maximize the efficiency and savings potential of the total
system.
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8. Where can I locate my air handler or furnace system?
The system can actually be located in several different places. A system
with up-flow application might be located in the basement, while a system
with a horizontal application may be found in your attic. A
self-contained, or single package unit, could be located outside on a slab
or on the roof. Your garage could house an up-flow, down-flow or
horizontal application system.
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9. What is a heat pump?
A heat pump is a device used for either the heating or cooling of a space
by transferring hot and cold between two reservoirs. A heat pump can act
like an air conditioner, transferring heat from inside to out, or like a
heater as it transfers exterior heat to the interior. A winter day with a
temperature of 32º Fahrenheit still produces enough heat to warm a space
when the air is transferred by heat pump.
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10. What can I do to control the humidity levels in my
home?
Humidity levels can be reduced by operating a variable speed air handling
system in your home. Variable speed units run longer, at lower speeds,
allowing air to constantly circulate against the cooling coil and remove
more moisture. Variable speed motors also use less electricity than
regular motors, reducing your energy costs.
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11. What can I do before calling someone to service my
system?
Professional service calls can be costly, but there are some things you
can do before hiring a professional to inspect your system:
۰
Disconnect your indoor and outdoor switches.
۰
Make
sure your circuit breakers are in the ON position.
۰
Make
sure your filters are clean.
۰
Open
supply and return vents and make sure they are unobstructed.
۰
Double
check both indoor and outdoor disconnect switches.
۰
Check
the settings on your thermostat.
۰
Make
sure the system switch is on the appropriate COOL or HEAT setting.
۰
Have the
FAN switch on for a continuous vent.
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12. What is AFUE?
AFUE is the abbreviation for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratio.
AFUE is used to rate furnace efficiencies by dividing the ratio of heat
output by heat input. This measurement describes how well fuel, gas or oil
is consumed to produce heat by a furnace. As the AFUE rate increases, the
efficiency of your furnace also increases, lowering your fuel costs.
Furnaces manufactured in the United States are required to have at least
an 80% AFUE.
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13. What is HSPF?
HSPF is the abbreviation for the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. This
factor rates the efficient operation of the heating portion of the heat
pump. As the HSPF increases, the unit functions at a more efficient level.
New units in the United States have HSPF ratings from 7.0 to 9.4.
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14. What is Freon R-22?
R-22 is the common name for hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC). R-22 has been
used as a refrigerant by HVAC manufacturers for over 40 years, but studies
in the past decade have shown that HCFCs contain chlorine, an
ozone-depleting agent. For this reason, the United States Clean Air Act
has set a target date for January 1, 2010, on which HVAC manufacturers
must cease the production of products that use R-22.
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15. What is R-410A?
R-410A is the common name for an emerging hydro-fluorocarbon (HFC) that is
being used as a refrigerant in the HVAC industry. R-410A is more
environmentally friendly than R-22 and is being seen as the most likely
replacement for R-22 by HVAC manufacturers. At the beginning of 2010, the
use of alternate refrigerant will be required in HVAC manufacturing.
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16. What is ENERGY STAR?
ENERGY STAR is a program that was created by the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to help businesses and individuals make energy
efficient purchases.
This program places the ENERGY STAR label, a small blue and white logo, on
items that meet superior energy efficiency standards. This label provides
an easy way for consumers to identify quality, high efficiency products.
For more information about the Energy Star program, please view their
website at www.energystar.gov
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17. What is SEER?
SEER stands for Season Energy Efficiency Ratio. This is a rating system
used by the US Government to establish the efficiency level of cooling
equipment. The higher the SEER rating, the less electricity the equipment
uses and the more efficient it is. SEER is determined by dividing the
cooling capacity, measured in BTUh, of a continuously operating air
conditioner by the electric power input, measured in WATTs, of power
consumed. The current standard for equipment in the United States is that
they must function at a minimum of 10 SEER.
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18. Why is higher SEER the right thing to do?
Using higher efficiency units saves you more money on monthly electricity
bills. The same higher efficiency units reduce harmful pollutants in the
environment, and conserving energy is important, especially during an
energy crisis.
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19. What is covered by the American Standard Extended
Warranty?
The warranty provides you with extended coverage for your newly installed
American Standard air conditioning and heating equipment. American
Standard insures that if a repair is needed, an authorized service
technician will respond promptly and make any necessary repairs.
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20. What is not covered by the American Standard Extended
Warranty?
The warranty does not provide for routine maintenance, failure due to
neglect, non-operating components, improper use of air filters, acts of
God or other natural disasters, theft or abuse. Coverage excludes repairs
not performed by American Standard authorized dealers.
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21. Can I afford the American Standard Extended Warranty?
Extended coverage certainly is affordable comfort that averages only
pennies a day. You pay when you sign up and you can include the warranty
coverage in the financing program for your new air conditioning and/or
heating system. It’s perfect for those who do not want the financial
responsibility for unbudgeted system repairs. It provides coverage beyond
the product warranty and the coverage costs a very low price.
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22. What happens if I sell my home?
Your American Standard Extended Warranty is fully transferable to a new
homeowner if your home is sold, thus adding resale value to your home.
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23. How do I do it?
It’s easy. In addition to installing your new American Standard air
conditioning and/or heating system, the paperwork for the plan is simple.
Your authorized technician will talk to you about the plans and the
details of the program. He will even help you complete the paperwork.
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