Many companies claim that they will save you lots of $$$ on your utility bills.  FACT:  Installed correctly, a new unit will save you around 20% on your heating/cooling costs NOT your overall uitility bills.

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM

Duct Leakage

 As much as 1/3 of your home's expensive conditioned air may be leaking into the attic or other unwanted areas through cracks or poorly fitting duct connections.  In addition, to increasing utility bills, indoor air may be contaminated with pollen, exhaust fumes, or other hazards.  A properly sealed system should have leakage of 5% or less.

Equipment Age & Maintenance

 The average system becomes 1-3% less efficient every year depending upon how it is maintained.  Example:

 

System Age:  10 years

Original SEER Rating: 10

Maintenance: Seldom serviced

Efficiency Rating:  74%

 

See Our Energy Calculator!

HVAC Energy Efficiency Calculator
HVAC Efficiency Calculator.xls
Microsoft Excel sheet [55.0 KB]

Equipment Size

 When it comes to heating and cooling, BIGGER is not alwasy BETTER!  An oversized unit will short cycle causing a unit to fall short of its designed efficiency. 

 

A properly sized unit will make your home more comfortable by providing more consistent temperatures and better humidity control. 

Air Flow & Pressure Balancing

 The design of most homes, even new ones, does not allow proper airflow inside most homes leading to uneven air temperatures, system strain, and longer system run times.  Here are some common remedies:

 

Passive Returns - Installing a passive return like the one pictured here, allows for air to flow from supply to return even with a door closed.  Do your doors close by themselves?

 

Grill Type - Different types of grills can increase or decrease airflow to a room.  A stamp faced grill allows 50% air flow versus a bar type grill which allows 80%.

 

Air Filter - Most often, homeowners are using Merv-8 or thicker filters which are advertised to catch allergy causing dust, etc.  BUT these filters restrict system airflow and add strain to your system.  Most homeowners should utilize a simple 30-day fiberglass filter to maximize system air flow.