Why should I purchase a new heating or air conditioning system?
Efficiency and cost savings
At Goodman Manufacturing Company,
L.P., we realize that purchasing a heating or air conditioning system is
no small matter. However, if your existing system is old, in need of
repair or simply inefficient, purchasing a new unit, one which can be as
much as 60% more efficient than a system purchased just 10 years ago,
canofferlong-term benefits.
Rather than continuing to pay for
ongoing maintenance and costly monthly bills, invest in a new system today
that will save you money for years to come.
How can I find the system that’s right for me?
Get the facts from an expert
There are many heating and air
conditioning systems to choose from today.Your Goodman dealer can
draw on a vast degree of heating and air conditioning knowledge and
experience to help you decide on the system that best fits your specific
needs. The size and age of your home, as well as the number of rooms,
climate, local and regional utility costs, and utility incentive/rebate
programs are all factors that will affect the functionality and,
therefore, selection of your system. Goodman dealers, utilizing the latest
technology, consider all these factors while assisting you in
choosing the best system for your home.
Consumers seeking to replace an
existing system often choose a new unit with equal or higher efficiency
ratings compared to their previous system. Replacing a unit that is 10- to
15-years-old may reduce natural gas or electricity costs by 30 to 50%.
Contact a Goodman dealer to help
determine initial cost, warranty protection, service options, maintenance
options, operating cost and proper installation.
How do I determine the size, or capacity, of my HVAC system?
Schedule a Goodman Manufacturing dealer visit
Factors affecting the size of your
new system include the climate in your region, humidity levels, the number
of windows in your dwelling, total square footage of your home, the
direction your home faces, the number of heat-producing appliances in your
home, the type of insulation you have and the number of people that live
in your residence.
A Goodman dealer can perform the
proper calculations to determine theappropriateheating or
cooling unit for your home and lifestyle.
What goes into installing a new system?
It’s all about the ductwork.
Putting a new system in a home
that has not had central air and heat before will require the installation
of ductwork, insulation, refrigerant piping, electrical service, wiring,
thermostat, condensate piping, flue piping, flue terminations, chimney
liner, slabs, filter, driers, registers, grills, drain pans and evaporator
coil. Beyond equipment, the most important component installed with a new
system, however,is the ductwork.
Ductwork is composed of two parts,
supply and return. Supply duct is attached to the outflow of the new
system, delivering air to each zone in a home. The amount of air reaching
each zone is determined by the size of supply ductwork connecting it to
your system. Your dealer will help you determine the size of all the
supply ductwork in your home.
The second part of the ductwork,
the return duct, attaches to the inlet of the new system and draws air out
of the spaces to be heated or cooled. Attached to the return duct is the
filter. The filter should be placed as near to the furnace or air handler
as possible. Ductwork can be either fiberglass or metal and must be
properly sized in order to evenly distribute the proper amount of air to
each room.
What happens when I replace my old system?
Start with a detailed inspection
To install the most efficient HVAC
system in your household, a detailed inspection should first be performed
by your installation contractor.
The inspection by your contractor
should include, as a minimum, the inspection of your home’s ductwork,
insulation, refrigerant piping, electrical service, wiring, thermostat,
condensate piping, flue piping, flue terminations, chimney liner, slabs,
filter, driers, registers, grills, drain pans and evaporator coil.
How long will my system last?
Proper maintenance is key
Maintenance and service play a key
role in the lifecycle of a heating or air conditioning system. If all
recommended maintenance and service actions are taken, an air conditioner
can last 12 to 15 years and a gas furnace 20 to 25 years.
Do I need to change my indoor coil?
It is generally a good idea to
replace the indoor coil if you are also replacing your air conditioner or
heat pump. There is a correlation between the efficiency of your heating
or cooling system and the performance of the indoor coiland changing
out the current indoor coil for a new one may be critical to optimizing
the performance, the efficiency and the savings potential of your new
system.
Where can I locate my air handler or furnace system?
You may have options based on your home’s design
The system can actually be located
in several different places. A system with up-flow application might be
located in the basement, while a system with a horizontal application may
be found in your attic. A self-contained, or single package unit, could be
located outside on a slab or on the roof. Your garage could house an
up-flow, down-flow or horizontal application system.
What is a heat pump?
Air movement from point A to point B
A heat pump is a device used for
either the heating or cooling of a space by transferring hot and cold
between two reservoirs.
A heat pump can act like an air
conditioner, transferring heat from inside to out, or like a heater as it
transfers exterior heat to the interior. A winter day with a temperature
of 32º Fahrenheit still produces enough heat to warm a space when the air
is transferred by heat pump.
What can I do to control the humidity levels in my home?
It’s all about variability
Humidity levels can be reduced by
using a variable-speed furnace or air handler as part ofyour
HVACsystem. Variable speed units run longer, at lower speeds,
allowing air to constantly circulate against the cooling coil and remove
more moisture.
Variable-speed motors also use
less electricity than regular motors, reducing your energy costs.
What can I do before calling someone to service my system?
HVAC
systems are complicated networks of machinery that should be serviced by a
certified professional. However, if your HVAC system seems to be
malfunctioning, you can try a few basic steps, which may correct your
problem,prior to calling a service professional. If you do not feel
comfortable performing any of these tasks, however, do not hesitate to call an
HVAC contractor.
Disconnect and reconnect your
indoor and outdoor switches.
Make sure your circuit breakers
are in the ON position.
Make sure your filters are clean.
Open supply and return vents and
make sure they are unobstructed.
Check the settings on your
thermostat.
Make sure the system switch is on
the appropriate COOL or HEAT setting.
What is AFUE?
AFUE is the abbreviation for
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratio. AFUE is used to rate furnace
efficiencies by dividing the ratio of heat output by heat input. This
measurement describes how well fuel, gas or oil is consumed to produce
heat by a furnace. As the AFUE rate increases, the efficiency of your
furnace also increases, lowering your fuel costs. Furnaces manufactured in
the United States are required to have at least an 80% AFUE.
What is HSPF?
HSPF is the abbreviation for the
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, which is a rating of the efficiency
level of the heating operation of a heat pump. The higher the HSPF, the
more efficient the heating performance of a heat pump. New units in the
United States have HSPF ratings from 7.0 to 9.4.
What is R-22?
R-22 is the common name for
hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC). R-22 has been used as a refrigerant by
HVAC manufacturers for over 40 years, but studies in the past decade have
shown that HCFCs contain chlorine, an ozone-depleting agent. For this
reason, the United States Clean Air Act has set a target date for January
1, 2010, on which HVAC manufacturers must cease the production of products
that use R-22.
What is R-410A?
R-410A is the common name for an
emerging hydro-fluorocarbon (HFC) that is being used as a refrigerant in
the HVAC industry. R-410A is more environmentally friendly than R-22 and
is being seen as the most likely replacement for R-22 by HVAC
manufacturers. At the beginning of 2010, the use of alternate refrigerant
will be required in HVAC manufacturing.
What is ENERGY STAR?
ENERGY STAR is a program that was
created by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help businesses
and individuals make energy efficient purchases.
This program places the ENERGY
STAR label, a small blue and white logo, on items that meet superior
energy efficiency standards. This label provides an easy way for consumers
to identify quality, high efficiency products.
For more infomation about the
Energy Star program, please view their website at www.energystar.gov.
