Serving Taney & Stone County

SEER Ratings - You will be introduced to a rating called SEER when evaluating air conditioning units and heat pumps. The acronym SEER stands for "Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio". Systems start at 13 in some instances, with 14 being the standard starting point for budget systems. The higher the SEER, the less electricity it takes to cool your home.  With Heat Pumps, the heating side also has an efficiency rating called HSPF, standing for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. These rating are generally commensurate with the SEER rating. In other words, the higher the SEER, the higher the HSPF. It is advised to utilize the SEER as the overall efficiency factor to keep things simple.
 

SEER & SEER2 - The SEER rating is being phased out for a more precise measurement of efficiency. The new SEER2 will be the standard and will generally start with 14.2 SEER2 systems and go up from there. By 2025, the old rated SEER equipment will no longer be available.
 

REFRIGERANT CHANGES FOR 2025: Our industry has been mandated to reduce greenhouse emissions once again. In 2025, the industry will be transitioning away from the R-410a refrigerant. There are two types of refrigerant being utilized. Daiken, Goodman & Amana will be using R32, while the rest of the industry will be using R-454b. This change has not come without lots of challenges. From equipment shortages to service re-tooling mandates, once again our industry has been dosed with another array of challenges. 
 

Every manufacturer has different levels of quality offerings within their equipment lines, and usually are structured as follows:

• Entry - Budget - New Construction Level​ (Seer Levels usually start at 14.2 and go up to 15.2+)

• Mid Level - Higher quality, quieter and with longer warranties (SEER2 Levels usually start at 15.2 and can go up to 17.2)

• Mid Level Two Stage - System lessens the Btu output and electrical consumption to match internal loads. This is kind of like having a V-8 engine that turns into a V-6 when on level ground.

• Variable Stage via multiple step staging - load matching systems. Very efficient with increases in comfort levels.

• Variable Speed via full inverter modulating compressor. Extremely efficient with increased in comfort levels. (These systems are also very common with Ductless system manufacturers).

Your representative will discuss the benefits of all of our offerings. For rental homes and budgetary constraints, the entry level systems are generally selected. A good choice for most homeowners are the mid-level offerings that offer longer warranties, quieter and higher quality units. Long term homeowners will also want to consider the variable speed compressor systems for the increased comfort, and the energy efficiency savings are remarkable, and truly worth the higher costs. 

There can be many different combinations of equipment with split systems. You will have the opportunity to consider just a heat pump or a dual fuel system, using the heat pump as primary source of heat, with a gas furnace taking control in the really cold weather. You can also choose a Variable Speed blower and humidity sensing controls, for a super dehumidification enhancement for your AC.

You may want to opt for just an Air Conditioner with a gas furnace.  Let your representative know your concerns.

Tons - Your AC & Heat Pump systems are sized in tons. There are 12,000 Btu's per ton. So a 3 ton system has a nominal Btu output of 36,000 Btu's. 

Btu - This is the acronym for British Thermal Unit. In heating, one Btu has the heat output similar to a lit match. This is used to measure furnaces, Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps output capacity. 

​

There are several types of systems that generally fall into the following categories:
​

• Heat Pump Split Systems - Components include the Condensing Unit (outdoor unit), Air Handler (indoor unit)​ and are connected using refrigerant lines. A heat pump is a reverse cycle Air Conditioner. In cooling, heat is extracted from the indoors via the evaporator indoor coil, and rejected by the outdoor coil. In winter, the heat is extracted from the cold outdoor air, concentrated and moved into the indoor coil where the heat is transferred into your home. In the wintertime, the heat pump outdoor unit will freeze up under certain conditions and the unit automatically defrosts the coil. As temperatures drop and during defrost, your supplemental electric heater comes on the assist the heat pump
   

• Air Conditioning Split Systems - Components generally include the Condesning Unit (outdoor unit) and an evaporator coil that sits on top of a gas furnace. An air handler can also be used with electric heat as the main heating source. These components are connected using refrigerant lines.
   

• Package Units - All components are included in one outdoor unit with the system having electric air conditioning and either gas heat or a Heat Pump. 
   

• Ductless Split Systems - These systems are generally designed to operate without any ductwork, and are wall or ceiling mounted. 

NOTE: Just because a certain type & size of system that is currently installed, does not mean the system is sized properly, nor the design chosen, will be the best path forward at present. This may or may not be the case. There are many factors to consider. We will assist you with a thorough design review to assure that your replacement is moving in the best direction for future considerations. 

​

The size of your AC or Heat Pump is critical to your comfort. Over-sizing will cool the home down too fast and not allow enough running time to remove humidity. One of the big advantages to the two-speed and variable speed compressor systems, is their ability to lessen their Btu output during lower load conditions, and thereby in​crease the running time, and lower electrical usage. Since single speed standard units are sized for worst case conditions, you can see how the variable speed and two-speed systems have significant advantages.

Having a variable speed system is like a cruise control in your car. It becomes the size it needs to be depending on the demand on the system. The two speed systems can be compared to having an 8 cylinder engine that gets you up the hills with ease, and when you are on flat land cruising along, it automatically becomes a 4 cylinder engine. With these systems, to assure optimal efficiency, we do not want to oversize them. A proper home load calculation will determine what size is best.

Your representative may suspect an undersized or over-sized system, and choose to perform a Manual "J" Load Calculation. The ACCA version of this is an extremely comprehensive program and will be extremely accurate when the correct input information is applied. This calculation can be done on the house as a whole, or by using the room to room method. This room to room method is utilized when duct design is being performed. 
 

Some common misguided ideas and installation issues we run into and feel should be avoided, are as follows:
 

Using one system for a two story home - Heat rises and cold air falls. One system, one thermostat and two stories. What could go wrong? This design wins the award for the most complaints. Some single system, multiple stories applications utilize a damper system to attempt to control the varying temperature issues. Although this arrangement certainly can help, and is less expensive than installing a second system, there are certain problems that are created when utilizing  a damper system. We choose to avoid the use of dampers and fancy controls as there is no better method for perfect comfort than a properly applied, designed and installed system. 

Humidity control for lower levels is the most important issue to deal with in these situations. Having a dedicated system that is properly sized will save a tremendous amount of energy, and vastly improve your comfort. 

Should your home have only one system on two stories, we can offer a direct replacement, or remedy the comfort issues with a new design. The remedy may be more affordable than your think. There's no time like the present!
 

Mismatched split systems - Certain non AHRI rated efficiency matches of equipment can work just fine, and the brand of equipment usually makes no difference. An X-brand furnace can adapt just fine to a Y-brand AC.​ Adapting an existing furnace to a new AC needs to be professionally reviewed to assure the blower in the furnace is adequate for the new AC and duct system, and the proper fan speed can be selected. Most problems occur when replacing an outdoor unit on an older evaporator coil attached to the furnace. It is generally not recommended to replace an outdoor condensing unit without replacing the evaporator coil. The size of the refrigerant lines is also important for proper operation.  And to add another layer on all of this, is the change of refrigerant gas from the old R-410a to the new R-454b. If the gas of the old evaporator was R-410a, and the new system R-454b, it will now be time to replace the evaporator coil and it is mandatory, given the new safety controls.
 

Ductwork Issues - There is more abuse with ducting than any other area in this industry. Proper matched ducting for your system is as important as the system's efficiency. A thorough duct inspection, static pressure testing, and a written report will be part of our  proposal.

One common problem is the restriction of return air due to panning the return in the floor joist. Each section panned with a 2x6 floor joist spaced 16" on center only allows about 270 cfm (cubic feet per minute) of air flow. With a 3 ton system we need 1200 cfm, so it would take at least five floor joist to allow proper air flow. We typically find only two joist spaces utilized. This type of duct restriction is simply unacceptable and must be remedied with the work, in replacing your system. Your duct inspection report will cover any needed improvements and any contamination level found within the ducting.

We will also perform a static pressure reading on your ductwork to assure it's overall sizing is sufficient for the new higher energy efficient blowers. Any hot or cold rooms in the home should be discussed with our representative during our survey. 

 

Electrical Power Wiring - Part of our inspection will cover the power wiring to your system. We sometimes find improper wire size, circuit breaker or other code violations that need to be remedied. We will include any necessary improvements in our proposal. 
 

De-humidification - As our summers can be quite brutal with high humidity levels, addressing your new system to be as efficient at dehumidifying is a high priority to us. As mentioned before, with the consideration of a new two speed, or variable speed compressor systems that allows for longer running time is a key tool in achieving dry, crisp cool air. With the addition to any system of a Variable Speed blower & special controls, a vast improvement with humidity control can be mastered.  With all of our installations, including the single speed systems, we maximize the units ability to dehumidify with certain adjustments within the system, that make a huge difference in your comfort. 

Customers that have a basement, we advise a separate cooling system if possible, with the addition of a dehumidifier. Our offerings for dehumidifiers, are high quality and high capacity systems, not the upright plug in big box store units. Do not waste your money on one of these units. High quality Dehumidifiers will go along way with keeping the whole house a dryer and more comfortable environment. 
 

Humidifier - Steam humidifiers are the absolute best system for keeping your house from becoming too dry in the wintertime. Avoid bypass systems. Another option would be the fan powered evaporative type humidifiers.