HVAC Information you may not know about

If you are thinking of building a new home or place of business, you may overlook a hidden feature such as your heating and cooling system.  Here things to watch out for:

• Sometimes your builder may select the lowest bid to increase his/her profit.
• Also some may select a top-of-the-line outside unit for your house, and then the contractor will put a bottom-of-the-line coil on the inside unit.
• When you are shown the plans, make sure to ask your builder what kind of system is being put in your new house.
• The money that your builder is saving may come out of your pocket in the future in the form of higher energy bills and repair or even replacement.

Potential Problems caused by a Poorly Installed System

• Outside unit very loud
• Mismatched or improperly sized equipment
• Ductwork installed improperly which can lead to very noisy airflow
• Ductwork which was installed improperly, may come loose resulting in heating and cooling your attic
• Undersized air returns which can lower your system’s efficiency and put undo stress on your system
• Improper installation of drains that leak in your ceilings and walls
• Registers that are non-adjustable or are the wrong size which could give you insufficient air flowing to your individual rooms

Selecting your Contractor

When you are building your home or having one built, you may have some say of who installs the system that is about to go into your house. Make sure that the person installing your system is state licensed and fully insured. You may have a friend or relative who knows how to install a heating/cooling system, but if they are not licensed properly, the manufacturer may not honor the warranty on your equipment.

Things you need to know about your contractor

Before ordering your equipment your contractor should perform a load calculation on your home and present you with the information.

Equipment must be sized according to the load. An under-sized system could lead to a very high electric bill and a short life-span for your overworked equipment.

Your duct size is also very important