HVAC FAQs
Your Questions Answered
Modern furnaces are developed with a host of innovative features older furnaces don't have. Todays heating systems give you more even heating and are better at regulating airflow. Although the air coming out of your vents may seem cooler than your old furnace, the airflow is much better and more efficient.
Another perk of modern furnaces is their ability to work with other HVAC products as part of a high-efficiency whole home comfort system. When combined with a high-efficiency air conditioner, furnace blowers can more easily accommodate add-on cooling. Other innovations, such as Precise Comfort technology and variable speed motors, will help your furnace work more efficiently and quieter than ever.
There are lots of ways to reduce your energy costs and one of the best ways is to make sure you have an energy-efficient HVAC system. Winters Heating and Cooling offers many highly efficient products that will help decrease the amount of energy you are using and save you money. In addition to looking for products that have the ENERGY STAR® certification, high SEER ratings for air conditioners or AFUE ratings for furnaces, here are some other factors to consider:
- Remember to arrange ongoing maintenance and have an experienced professional take a look at your system to confirm its running efficiently.
- If you have clear areas of your home that you need to heat or cool, you might consider a zoning system. This allows you to target that area and eliminates wasted energy on heating or cooling areas that aren't used.
- Programmable or smart thermostats make it easier to maintain your home comfort while not consuming energy to heat or cool your space if you aren't home. It is an easy way to decrease energy costs and once you set it, you can walk away and be confident its going to take care of your indoor comfort.
There are four things to consider when enhancing your indoor air quality:
- The indoor air quality in your home starts to suffer when the air begins filling up with air pollutants. The biggest concern is eliminating these pollutants. Some to-dos to include on your weekly checklist is vacuuming, washing your linens and ensuring any cleaning products are stored properly.
- Especially in newer homes, the insulation is installed so well that it might be difficult for these pollutants to leave the home. While it helps to keep your home warm or cool, depending on the season, its important to get some fresh air inside.
- Make sure that you have good ventilation and schedule routine maintenance on your system. And while that's important, you can also take your IAQ even further by using air filters, germicidal lights and purification systems to get rid of particles while eliminating chemical vapors.
- Smart or programmable thermostats can assist in controlling humidity levels as well as the temperature. This can help avert germs and other particles from collecting while preserving your home comfort.
At Winters Heating and Cooling, we do recommend replacing both your indoor and outdoor units at the same time because:
- Today, outdoor systems are built to work with their matching indoor system for the most efficiency. When you replace just one of your systems, you may not see the same savings on your energy bills as if you had replaced them together.
- Thanks to technological improvements, newer systems mean increased efficiency. This is also true for HVAC systems. While the advancements focus on higher heating and cooling efficiency, they also include benefits such as better air handling, filtering and noise reduction.
- If your heating and cooling systems are 10+ years old, they need to be replaced. Older models have outdated technology that is likely adding to your energy costs due to poor efficiency. So by replacing your indoor system at the same time as your outdoor equipment, both your systems will provide better energy efficiency that helps you decrease your energy bills and keep your home more comfortable.
A large portion of your monthly energy bills can be attributed to your heating and cooling system. It makes sense, because our home comfort is an important aspect of our day-to-day lives. Luckily, there are high-efficiency solutions from Winters Heating and Cooling that can keep you comfortable while also lowering energy costs. When it's time for you to search for a new HVAC system, there are a couple things to consider. You'll want to look for air conditioners with high SEER ratings and furnaces with high AFUE ratings. These ratings measure efficiency, so the larger the number the better off you'll be when it comes to saving on energy costs. You can also think about these tips:
- Keep your system operating to its best ability by arranging routine maintenance. It helps uphold efficiency and make sure everything is working properly.
- Consider a zoning system if you only have certain rooms that need to be heated or cooled. There is no need to waste energy adjusting the temperature in a room that is never, or rarely used.
- The U.S. Department of Energy indicates that programmable thermostats can save up to 35 percent on heating costs and 25 percent on cooling costs. There are a lot of programmable and smart thermostat options that are easy to use and vary in the type of features-so you can find an answer that you are comfortable with.