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Replacing both your heating and air conditioning systems at the same time — even if one is still working — can save energy and money over the long-term.
Of course, it is best to learn about the features of new technologies and to get good, expert advice about the best selection for your home. There are advantages to replacing the indoor and outdoor units (whether furnace and A/C or air handler and heat pump) together for maximum benefit to your home and your wallet.
When it is time to replace your heating and/or cooling systems, some property owners are tempted to install only the system that is giving them the most trouble. As you prepare for a substantial expense, it is easy to think that you might wait and replace the other system later.
A complete new system can equal one comfortable home. Here are some of the advantages of installing both components of the system at the same time:
The average life expectancy depends on several things like regular system maintenance, major component failures, routine air filter replacement, and persistent refrigerant leaks—just to name a few things that can limit the life of any system. On average, an outdoor unit’s life expectancy is 13-15 years, while some could last 20+ years, but that is highly unusual. There are regulatory issues that can affect your decision as well. For instance, in 2006 the government required a change in refrigerant for all outdoor units. When this occurred and one component of the system needed to be replaced because of a failure, both components had to be replaced because they had to match refrigerants. You could not put a new R410A outdoor unit on an old R22 indoor unit. In most cases it is best to replace the entire system rather than one component of the system.
There are many factors to consider when selecting a company to service or replace your system. Obvious things to consider are a company’s reputation, reviews, and references. It is hard to beat the reference of a trusted friend or family member, but that is not always available. Reputation is another, but again, where do you find this information? Reviews are another way, but you should be cautious about reviews too; reviews are subjective and should be used carefully. There are actually companies out there that you can hire to “pump up” your review stars. They hire people that just do reviews, that’s their job. How can this help a homeowner choose objectively? Honest review patterns will show both positive and negative reviews. Obviously, you want the majority of reviews to be positive, however negative reviews can be helpful as well. Contractors and their employees are not perfect and make mistakes. How they respond to mistakes and complaints is important and should be considered.
Other things to look for are years of experience, industry certifications like NATE (North American Technician Excellence), testimonials, professionalism, and giving back to the community. All these things help define a company and its culture. At Bower Heating & Air Conditioning the owner and general manager combine for over 75 years of experience in the industry. We are a NATE Testing Organization and with 30 employees we are one of the largest HVAC contractors in the region. The brand of equipment you decide to install is secondary to the company you choose to install it. The best company can install a mediocre brand and give you a nice system. A mediocre company can install the best brand and give you a mediocre system. At Bower we believe you get one of the best companies installing the best brands for a great system install. We believe giving back to our community is important as well and one of the ways we do this is by donating over $35,000 in materials and time to Habitat for Humanity over the past several years.
The air quality in your home plays a factor in everything from your comfort to your well being.
We have the products you need to keep your home's air fresh and healthy.
With increased ionized hydro-peroxide output and the enhanced catalyst with zinc, this technology is capable of purifying every cubic inch of air that the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system reaches
Kill mold and bacteria as air passes through the coils of the HVAC system.
MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value and is a rating from 1-16 of how effective an air filter is at trapping tiny particles. The higher the number, the better the filter.
Similar to bypass humidifiers, power humidifiers use an electric fan to force air through the water panel in order to produce more humidity in the home.
These devices remove excess moisture from the air in order to maintain a healthy humidity level in the home.
Mechanical devices that continuously move air through a building at a low flow rate.
As air passes through your HVAC system, a prefilter traps larger particles, like dust and pet dander, while an electrically charged filter traps smaller particles, like bacteria and mold.
HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air and is a mechanical air filter that forces air through a fine mesh, trapping harmful particles, such as pollen, pet dander, tobacco smoke, and dust mites.
Warm air from the furnace is passed through a tray of water to add moisture to the air in the home.
Like bypass and power humidifiers, these units add moisture to the air in the home, but they do it by converting water into steam in a reservoir. The steam is then dispersed slowly into the home by the furnace.
These devices use the energy in the exhausted air of the home to treat the incoming outdoor air.
