What You Should Know
A properly running heating and cooling system is “out of sight and out of mind.” Because you don’t have to think about it daily, when it’s time to repair or replace your home’s comfort system, you may feel overwhelmed by the options available.

Types of Systems
There are two basic types of residential heating and cooling system designs used in our area.

• Split System — Consists of outdoor and indoor sections connected by copper refrigerant lines. The outdoor section is usually on the side or rear of the home and contains the condenser coil, compressor and related components. The indoor section is usually in the basement, garage, attic, a closet or crawlspace, and houses the evaporator coil, blower motor and other components. The indoor section may be paired with a gas furnace.
• Package System — A self-contained system with all heating and cooling components “packaged” in one piece of equipment outside the house.

The design of your home will usually lead to a recommendation of one type of system over the other.

Efficiency
All heating and cooling systems have efficiency ratings defined and measured by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) or the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The ratings are:

• SEER — Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) measures how much energy is used to cool the air and provides consumers a standard way to compare different systems. The higher the SEER number, the higher the efficiency. Since 2006, the minimum SEER rating is 13. Our product line meets the minimum and can go as high as 23 with an air-to-air system.
• EER — Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) is taken at a specific time under specific conditions. It applies to both air conditioners and heat pumps.
• HSPF — Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) indicates the efficiency of the heating cycle of a heat pump. The higher the HSPF rating, the more efficient the heat pump.
• AFUE — Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) is a percentage measure of the efficiency of a furnace. It accounts for cyclic on/off operation and seasonal variations. A furnace rated as 90% converts 90% of its fuel into heat with the remaining 10% released into the flue. The minimum AFUE furnace is 80%, and our most efficient is a 95% two-stage furnace.

To qualify for the 2009/2010 Energy Tax Credits a heat pump must meet minimum standards for both SEER and HSPF.

Ductwork
Duct design and installation are critical elements to a home’s comfort. Sometimes, systems are replaced without considering existing ductwork, which may not have been professionally designed when installed. Though capable of lasting 20 or more years, even properly installed and maintained ductwork can be degraded by time, heat and humidity.

Properly designed and installed ductwork systems can help:

• Reduce utility bills
• Increase your home’s comfort
• Make you eligible for a utility company rebate (check with your utility provider)
• Improve indoor air quality

We design duct systems to ensure the right amount of pressure is delivered through the system to balance air temperatures and avoid siphoning off conditioned air to one room that should be directed to another part of the house. We can custom fabricate sheet metal or fibrous ductboard ductwork for any job.

Whether or not we are installing a new comfort system, we can perform a ductwork inspection and make recommendations for improvement.

Designing and Sizing a System
Correct size of a residential heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system is important. A system that is too small may lead to warmer or cooler home temperatures than you and your family prefer. One that is too large could lead to humidity or moisture control problems in the home.

The size of a home’s cooling system is based on tons of air conditioning. Some contractors match the capacity of a new system to that of the existing system instead of completing a professional analysis of the home. We perform the Manual J^® residential load calculation on every system we install.

Manual J^® is the standard for building codes around the country and relies on measurements and consideration of the home’s features. To design your system, our Comfort Consultant will measure your home and analyze factors including:

• Geographic location
• Construction details
• Window area and type
• Orientation to the sun
• Insulation values

A computerized analysis indicates how much heating and/or cooling is required by the home and allows us to properly evaluate or design your duct system. When the new system installation is complete, you will receive a copy of the Manual J^® load calculation for your records.

Indoor Air Quality
You can’t control what goes on outside, but it makes sense that you’d want the air in your home to be as clean as possible. That’s why we recommend our “Breathe Easy System” including advanced filtration and ultraviolet light treatment of your comfort system with every system we install.

Our Breathe Easy System features a high-performance return grille media air filter designed to fit in the same space as a standard 1″ return grille. It provides filtration up to 15 times more effective than a standard 1″ fiberglass furnace filter* and traps:

• Dust
• Pet dander
• Pollen
• Mold spores
• Bacteria
• Other allergens

Depending upon your home, this filter can last for up to one year without replacement.

The UV Air Treatment System uses short wave lights similar to those used in hospitals, laboratories and commercial kitchens to improve your home’s air quality. The long-lasting, easy to replace lamps are easy to add to your existing heating and cooling system. The lamps can:

• Eliminate mold spores in the air
• Kill up to 87% of certain live, airborne bacteria** in the air passing through your heating/cooling system
• Keep your system clean and efficient

We recommend replacing the bulb annually for the best results. There are many other indoor air quality products that could be right for your home. For more information about these products please call us at 931-645-2859, or send us a message.

*Relative performance rating based on initial fractional testing of new filter against 0.3 micron to 0.4 micron air particles when tested in accordance with ASHRAE standard 52.2.

**Test performed shows a single-pass kill rate of serratia marcescens bacteria in a clean metal 12″x25″ duct at an airflow of 2000 cfm using new lamps.