When shopping for a new heating or cooling system, homeowners do a lot of research on the equipment itself. Potential buyers investigate energy efficiency ratings and advanced features, which are huge selling points, distinguishing one system from another. Homeowners may even configure a payback analysis to determine how soon their new HVAC system will pay for itself, or work to estimate total monthly energy bills based on the prospective system’s energy efficiency.
All of the above is truly great to look at when shopping for a new system – but one critical element many overlook is that the HVAC installer you choose is just as important as the system itself! It doesn’t matter how many bells and whistles your new air conditioner or furnace comes with – if you hire a bad installer, those features won’t do you much good at all.
As you shop for new HVAC equipment, remember – shop for an HVAC installer as well. The one you choose will have a great impact on the heating or cooling system you purchase, as without quality installation, your new HVAC system will not do the job you expect of it.
Interviewing HVAC installers should be just as important as examining system efficiencies and features as you shop for new heating and cooling units. The performance and efficiency of any new system you purchase is pretty much in the installer’s hands – if installation is botched, your equipment will not offer the comfort and energy savings you banked on when you purchased it.
HVAC installers should always follow manufacturer instructions and industry best practices when installing new heating and cooling equipment. When installation isn’t up to these standards, many problems can result.
In most areas of the country, homeowners have many options to choose from when in need of a heating and cooling contractor. Not all you’ll come across possess the right qualities and skills to ensure your new system is installed correctly. As you evaluate local HVAC installers, your final selection should possess these key qualities.
If you’ve already determined which make of new HVAC system you’ll purchase, you want to select an HVAC installer with experience installing that brand of equipment. Experience and training teach contractors the ins and outs specific to a brand of equipment, allowing them to perform accurate installation each time.
Many equipment manufacturers have “qualified HVAC installer” programs for their brands. Qualified HVAC installers receive training and education surrounding the brand and its equipment models. This allows the manufacturer to ensure the contractor can properly install their models, and knows the pertinent information about their equipment which may vary from other brands.
These HVAC installers may also receive manufacturer-approved customer service, repair, and maintenance training, allowing them to provide not only accurate installation, but a superior customer experience and the services homeowners need over the service life of their system. Manufacturer training allows the brand to ensure the contractor is able to accurately match customers to the appropriate HVAC system for their homes, and answer any questions the customer may have about the brand’s equipment.
The North American Technician Excellence organization, or NATE, is the largest non-profit certifying organization serving the HVAC industry. NATE certification shows that an HVAC installer holds the knowledge and skill to properly install heating and air conditioning equipment, utilizing industry best practices.
To obtain NATE certification, HVAC installers must pass NATE’s rigorous exams, covering certain types of HVAC equipment and services. To maintain certification, contractors must undergo continuous education every two years, to expand their knowledge of the field and stay up to date with the industry’s evolving innovations, technology, and practices.
Working with a NATE-certified HVAC installer presents many advantages to consumers. A NATE-certified technician has independently pursued certification to verify their knowledge and skill. They’re committed to expanding their understanding of the industry and its advances.
NATE-certified HVAC installers protect your new HVAC systems, offering high quality installation producing increased system energy efficiency. They get the installation job completed correctly the first time – NATE-certified installers have fewer callbacks than those without certification, producing fewer warranty returns.
Customers who’ve worked with NATE-certified technicians report a better overall experience, compared to working with non-certified HVAC installers. Customer satisfaction with the HVAC system as well as the installer. When searching for an HVAC installer, NATE certification ranks only contractor reputation among qualities consumers want when hiring an HVAC pro.
Almost every state requires HVAC technicians to be licensed. If they’re not, you probably shouldn’t hire them to work on your system. Make sure to ask your technician if they are licensed, and grab the license number from them — you can then look it up through your state contractor licensing board.
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Additionally, it’s good to make sure they’re insured, just in case something goes wrong while they’re working in your home. Ask if their company has both worker’s compensation and liability insurance, just in case.
Have they been working in the HVAC industry for a long time? Are they relatively new? Knowing how much experience an HVAC technician has can help you feel more comfortable about hiring them.
In addition, consider asking how they learned their skills. If you have a specific brand or type of system, determine if they have experience with that as well.
Almost every HVAC technician will give you a written estimate explaining what work will be done and how much it will cost. However, it’s important to get references, too.
Talking to past customers can give you a good idea of how the technician works. If they can’t or won’t provide references or reports from other customers, that’s a bad sign and you should most likely hire a different technician.
Your current system may be under warranty, and a good HVAC technician will follow the terms of the warranty. Or, you may be past warranty, in which case they should give you a new guarantee in writing.
It’s also good to ask about how refunds work. Make sure that you are hiring a reputable company that installs the equipment properly and fully discloses their policy. In most cases you can’t get your money back should the repair not last, however a reputable company will work with you to find a solution.
In addition, energy and cost efficiency are also important to many homeowners. If it’s something important to you and you want to know more, or if you feel your system isn’t working as efficiently as it should, bring it up with the technician to find out their recommendations.
An HVAC contractor will understand the variables involved and be able to perform the cooling load calculations necessary for proper air conditioner sizing. However, understanding some of the principles behind cooling system sizing and the reasons why it’s so important will be helpful when considering a new system for your home. For example, when it comes to the size of your home air conditioner, size matters and bigger is not necessarily better. Equipping your space with a larger system with too many tons of cooling capacity not only uses more energy than necessary which will raise your electric bill, but an oversized air conditioner could also cycle on and off too quickly without adequately removing humidity from the air, leaving you feeling cool but damp. Conversely, an air conditioner that’s too small for your space will work overtime trying to cool the space, consuming more energy without fully doing the job. A properly sized air conditioner matched to the unique needs of your home will not only keep you comfortable, it can also help you save on your energy bills. Because there is no simple answer to the question, “What size air conditioner do I need?” and because it is so important to your comfort and energy consumption, we always recommend getting a professional assessment of your property. Your local Carrier HVAC dealer can account for all of the factors involved and determine the optimal AC unit size for your home.
Air conditioners are typically rated two ways: cooling capacity and energy efficiency. When you ask the question, “what size AC unit do I need?” you’ll be interested in cooling capacity as measured in BTU or tons. To compare energy efficiency between different AC units, you’ll usually look for the SEER2, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2, which is kind of like the air conditioner version of miles per gallon for a car.
Cooling capacity offers a concrete measure to help determine whether a particular air conditioner is an appropriate fit to cool your home. An air conditioner’s cooling capacity is expressed in BTUh (British Thermal Units per Hour) or tons (often referred to as “tonnage”). Both offer a measurement of an air conditioner’s cooling ability over an hour’s time. One ton of cooling capacity is equal to 12,000 BTUh. Residential air conditioners usually range from 1.5 to 5 tons (or, 18,000 – 60,000 BTUh). Anything with larger cooling capacity would be considered light commercial. Tonnage ratings are typically expressed in increments of .5 tons, so residential air conditioners are usually rated as 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 or 5 ton units. It should be noted that there is a distinct difference between BTU and BTUh. BTU, or British Thermal Units, is actually a measurement for the amount of heat needed to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. BTUh represents a measure of how much heat in BTUs an air conditioner can remove from your home over an hour’s time.
Air conditioners use SEER2 ratings to indicate energy efficiency. SEER2 stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2 and is used to help consumers make informed choices about the systems they choose for their homes. By definition, SEER2 ratings are the total amount of cooling provided during the entire cooling season divided by the total electrical input during the cooling season. Much like MPG (miles per gallon) for a car, the higher the SEER2 rating, the more energy efficient the system. Bear in mind, two AC units with the same cooling capacity could have very different SEER2 ratings. For example, when looking at two different 3-ton air conditioner models, one might be rated at 13 SEER2, and the other might be a much more efficient 19 SEER2 unit. Higher efficiency units may receive special certification called ENERGY STAR®, a Department of Energy program that recognizes consumer products for their energy saving capabilities. If an AC unit has earned an ENERGY STAR® certification, it has a higher SEER2 rating and uses at least 8% less energy than conventional models.
While there are formulas available to help you estimate the right sized AC unit for your home, the easiest and most accurate method is to rely on a Carrier® HVAC dealer. They’ll be able to precisely measure your home, weigh each of the factors that go into the equation, and provide an accurate assessment of the right-sized equipment for your home.
To determine the best fit for an HVAC system for your home, your local dealer will perform what is called a “load calculation”. This will tell you the amount of cooling capacity required to maintain a consistent temperature within the home. Your dealer will compile information like square footage, window and door area, insulation quality and climate to figure out just how much heating capacity and cooling capacity is required by your system.
Choosing the right size matters and there are many variables that must be taken into consideration when determining the correct size air conditioner for your home. Factors that your dealer will take into consideration include:
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