Selecting a new furnace or air conditioner can quickly get confusing. This is true of even the most experienced Modesto, CA homeowners. Nevertheless, understanding how to upgrade or maintain your heating and cooling system is vital for maximizing indoor comfort and lowering home energy expenses. Familiarizing yourself with which key points to ask your trusted HVAC technician can go a long way in helping you achieve your HVAC goals.
1. How Frequently Should I Schedule HVAC Maintenance?
Most experts suggest scheduling a professional inspection every year to keep your system running efficiently and avoid costly repairs. Staying on top of your annual tune-ups is among the most effective strategies for prolonging your HVAC’s useful life expectancy.
Regular check-ups have also been shown to reduce home energy bills by as much as 15%. Also, these yearly inspections are often required to keep your system’s warranty valid.
2. What Are the Signs That Indicate Issues?
Identifying HVAC issues early on can spare you several headaches, not to mention unnecessary strain on your household budget. As you monitor your system, keep an ear out for unusual noises and look for other problems like inconsistent airflow or frequent cycling. These indicators typically require the assistance of an HVAC professional.
If you notice these issues, we encourage you to call us and schedule a professional diagnostic check. Figuring out the precise issue before it worsens can help save you from replacing the unit early or an uncomfortable disruption as you wait for repairs.
3. How Can I Improve My Indoor Air Quality?
Opting for HVAC equipment that supports filters with a high minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) can substantially improve your indoor air quality. The higher the MERV rating of a specified filter, the greater its capacity to eliminate harmful airborne particles such as pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and dust. However, a MERV-rated filter that is rated too high for your system can restrict airflow. It’s best to ask a professional what type of filter is optimal for your specific equipment. Whole-house air purifiers and UV light systems are other methods of improving indoor air quality.
Humidifiers allow you to achieve optimal humidity control in your home. A whole-house unit is much more convenient than a portable model. Simple measures like ensuring adequate ventilation can also dramatically improve your air quality.
4. What Size HVAC System Do I Need?
Selecting an HVAC unit that is too big for your home is a common mistake that will leave the system prone to excessive cycling. This can waste a lot of energy and cause significant wear and tear on your system.
Undersized HVACs, on the other hand, struggle to maintain the desired indoor air temperatures. This is especially true during peak seasonal weather. Accurately sizing an HVAC system requires detailed load calculations that factor in your total square footage, how well your home is insulated, and the local climate conditions.
5. What Are The Most Energy-Efficient HVAC Solutions?
Selecting a high-efficiency HVAC system offers a reliable approach to reducing utility bills and aligning your property with more sustainable energy practices. As you research new HVAC solutions, look for systems with high season energy efficiency ratios (SEER). This rating will verify that the unit you’re considering has been deemed a high-efficiency product.
Likewise, ENERGY STAR certifications, defined by strict performance standards, similarly indicate that the system you’re looking at is energy efficient. The variable-speed compressors and smart thermostats in new HVACs can also help optimize the system’s performance. Such features give you more control over monitoring and managing your energy use.
6. Is My Current Ductwork System Adequate?
Before consistently clean and comfortable climate-controlled air can be sent to the various rooms in your home, you need to have an optimally performing ductwork system. Poorly insulated and leaky ducts can drive up your HVAC’s energy consumption by as much as 30%.
Faulty ductwork systems prompt your HVAC unit to work harder, exacerbating wear and tear while leaving you with unnecessarily high energy bills. Scheduling a professional ductwork inspection will help you identify areas of your system that need resealing or replacement.
7. How Do I Know If I Need a New HVAC System?
One overlooked aspect of owning an HVAC system is knowing when to replace an older unit. Doing so can significantly reduce energy expenses and safeguard you from unexpected breakdowns interrupting indoor comfort. If your system is over 10 years old and you’ve noticed that it struggles to maintain consistent indoor temperatures or requires frequent repairs, you may want to consider an upgrade.
New equipment helps eliminate hassles. Letting go of an older HVAC system often brings long-term energy savings that offset the costs of the initial investment. It also gives you peace of mind knowing that your system is under warranty and you’re less likely to face expensive emergency repairs.
8. Which Thermostat Settings Provide the Most Energy Savings?
We suggest installing a smart thermostat solution to help you maximize your energy savings. This is among the best approaches for lowering your HVAC’s energy requirements without compromising indoor air quality and comfort.
In general, dialing your thermostat to approximately 78 Fahrenheit in the summer and 68 Fahrenheit in the winter is the most recommended practice. Smart thermostats are easily programable. In many cases, they can be automated to adapt to current climate conditions.
9. How Can I Reduce My HVAC’s Noise Levels
A noisy HVAC system can disrupt sleep and introduce unnecessary noise pollution to your daily indoor activities. Fortunately, there are several ways to mitigate and resolve this issue. You can start by considering when you last scheduled a professional maintenance inspection. A simple check on your system can often help identify loose parts and other worn-out components. These inspections can substantially decrease your system’s noise levels.
In addition to this, newer HVAC units are typically quieter. Upgrading to a newer system will likely eliminate noise issues if you cannot resolve them with maintenance or repairs. Insulating your ducts or adding noise barriers to them offers another way to eliminate unwanted sounds from your HVAC.
10. What Are the Financial Benefits of Upgrading My HVAC System?
Switching to a higher-efficiency heating and cooling solution often comes with various financial incentives. Your utility company may offer rebates for installing a more efficient system. Likewise, you could benefit from several federal tax credits, depending on the type of energy-efficient upgrades you make. In California, upgrading to high-efficiency heat pumps can yield a tax credit of up to $2000. The state offers another rebate of $1000 for up to two HVAC systems per household.
Seek Professional HVAC Advice
Our experienced technicians at Loves Air offer premium maintenance and repair services to help ensure a lasting, optimally performing HVAC system that is correctly sized for your home. In addition to our heating and cooling solutions, we provide solar installations, duct sealing, and water heater services to homeowners in Modesto.
For more on how our specialists can help you find the best HVAC solutions for your home, contact us at Loves Air today!
