Three Most Common Heating Systems Needing Service in Winter

Furnace, Boiler, Heat Pump? Whatever your Heating or Cooling System, you need to keep them up to par in the winter time.

by Rhydon Atzenhoffer
December 23, 2010

So when is the last time you got your heating and cooling system check out or inspected? For most people they would answer, "well the last time it stopped working." However, this is the worst thing to hear. For many people their systems go down when they need them the most simply because of failure to have routine maintenance or check ups done twice a year.

For the best performance of any heating or cooling system it is important to have both a spring or winter checkup. For the purpose of this article I am focusing on tune-ups in the winter. The winter tune up is extremely important, more so than the spring because many people will go without air at times, but nearly no person will ever go without heat.

First we will discuss the three most common systems and discuss what is important for the three during winter tune-ups. The three most common are listed below.

1. Heat Pump Systems.
2. Furnace and Air Conditioning Systems.
3. Boiler Radiant Heat Systems.

The first listed is a Heat Pump System. This consists of an indoor blower assembly and coil, and an outdoor condensing coil and fan with a compressor. These coils need to be cleaned regularly during the year. Most importantly to keep the amount of cleaning necessary down change yours filters. The tune up assures that your system has the proper amount of refrigerant to have the most efficient operating performance. Also know the refrigerant that your system uses. If your system is older it will most likely use R-22, if it has been installed in the last 1-3 years it will most likely be R-410a. Both are good refrigerants but R-410a does not operate as well in extreme cold as R-22. Once below7-10 degrees Fahrenheit R-410a can start to loose its luster as far as giving you the heat you want. Because of that is one of the many reasons people opt for the second option.

Second on the list is the Furnace and Air Conditioning combination which might be the most popular across the United States. This system relies on an Indoor Coil that is on top of a Furnace and Blower Assembly, and Attached to an outside Condenser. The difference here is that a straight AC system does not have a reversing valve for the heating cycle like a Heat Pump. Instead it relies on the Furnace to pick up all of the heating. These systems will have either R-22 or R-410a for the cooling system, but instead of worrying about extreme cold lowering performance they have the Furnace which either runs on Fuel Oil, LP (Propane), or Natural Gas. Furnaces offer much more heating, and work into extreme temperatures and depending on your physical location or climate most likely offer a better solution.The only draw back can be that furnaces have a very dry heat, and you may want to seek Air Quality Specialization in order to maintain the best air quality and living environment atmosphere as possible.

The final of the three listed is a Boiler powered Radiant Heating System. This most likely is primarily for heating. A separate Air Conditioning or Heat Pump system may be existent with the radiant system acting the the stead of a furnace. Radiant heat is based with a hot water boiler system powered by Fuel Oil, LP (Propane), or Natural Gas just like a furnace. However, the system will be piped throughout the home with baseboard radiators. These radiators contain special copper piping with hundreds of aluminum fins on them to assist in the conduction and release of heat into the room from the hot water flowing through the pipes. Another great aspect of having a boiler system to heat your home is also that it can be combined with your plumbing to heat your hot water as well limiting the financial burden of additional large hot water heaters.

It is important that these systems be maintained over time to ensure the operate properly and keep you comfortable. For more information you can click the links inside of the article or visit our company services page on our website to view and request information on Heat Pumps, Furnaces, and Radiant Heating Systems. We also offer Biomass, Solar and Waste Oil fired systems to assist in our nation going green. Please have a wonderful holiday season and remember to ENJOY YOUR LIFE. Click Here for Consultations.

Heating and Air Conditioning System Changeouts

Equipment Change Outs can be one of the best ways to lower energy costs. Like any machine your Air Conditioner or Heat Pump will eventually wear out. As the machine ages and its mechanical parts wear it becomes gradually more inefficient. The average Air Conditioner or Heat Pump can loose up to 2% efficiency per year which will add up over time. After a 10 year period what was once a high efficiency 10 SEER Air Conditioner or Heat Pump will more than likely have been reduced to the efficiency of a 8 or 6 Seer taking a huge bite out of your wallet due to increased energy costs.

The SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is most easily comparable to the miles per gallon on an automobile. The higher the SEER the lower the cooling and heating costs due to the lowered amount of electricity that is being consumed by the system. Your one time great 10 SEER system that was installed new over 10 to 15 years ago could now be operating below a 8 SEER level drastically increasing your energy bills.

By replacing your old equipment with new 13 SEER equipment (the current Industry Standard) you could reduce your cooling costs by up to 35% or higher. 14 SEER equipment can reduce costs up to 40% and 15 SEER equipment can reduce your costs up to 45% nearly cutting you energy bill in half. These percentages will vary depending on the way you use your system.

One thing that must be understood is how SEER is determined. It is calculated in a laboratory with a matched Evaporator Coil, meaning that if your old Evaporator Coils are not replaced, no one could possibly tell you what SEER your unit will be because it has never been tested with the old coil. In fact it is highly recommended that when the Condenser or Heat Pump is replaced, that the Coils should be replaced at the same time. This is recommended because the older coils are more restrictive and could possibly cause higher operating pressures making the Compressor work harder, using more electricity, and shortening the Compressor's life.

By replacing your current system with High Efficiency Heating/Cooling equipment and our experience in duct sealing to control the dust in your home, we feel that the benefit will be a total controlled environment for you and your family, along with reduced Heating/Cooling costs. So please call 828-488-6977 today for your free in-home estimate.

Also when changing out your old equipment remember how important Maintenance is for your new equipment to ensure that your SEER ratings stay as high as possible for as long as possible. We can help in that regard with our new Preventive Maintenance Contracts, available at any time.

Happy Earth Day From H.E.L.P. A/C

For an Earth Day Message H.E.L.P. A/C thought we would mention briefly some of the products we offer to help all of you that want to go green.

ICOR International offers NU22B which is a drop-in and replacement gas for R-22 that is CFC free. It is also a totally environmentally and green friendly gas refrigerant.

NuTone now offers its newest line of IQ-Drive eco-Logic 24.5 SEER heatpumps, and A/C systems that are the most cost effective and energy efficient in there line and in their HVAC class.

We also are working with and installing Bio-Mass Boiler systems to heat and cool your house. Through using wood chips and wood waste you can reduce your energy consumption, and carbon foot print by up to 50%.

Thanks everyone and have a Happy Earth Day,

Rhydon