At Minutemen Heating & Cooling, you can rest assured that we will walk you through this process with ease.
Here are a few things to consider when deciding on which unit to purchase and which unit will be most efficient for you. The higher efficient the unit is rated, the more money you will pay out in the beginning. Please be prepared to look at your system efficiency as an investment because it truly is! Once you make your purchase, you will find the higher efficiency systems will pay you back with lower energy costs over the life span of the unit.
Systems are rated in a few different ways as far as efficiency is concerned.
Making a decision on the right type of heating and air conditioning system you need in your home may seem very overwhelming. With so many choices and so many things to consider, you want to make sure you are working with someone who is going to keep you and your family’s best interest in mind when deciding on which system to place in your home.
Air Conditioners
A/C units are rated in Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating, or in other words SEER.
SEER ratings show you how much cooling you get in return for a unit of electricity. The higher number in SEER rating, the more you get in return for your money. Here is an example:
If you replaced a unit that was rated at 5.0 with a 10.0, you would save 50% of the cost of electricity to operate the unit. Two speed units can run on low speed 80% of the time. This allows them to get ratings as high as 16.0 SEER.
Furnaces
Most heating units are rated as Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, or in other words, AFUE.
AFUE measures the amount of heat that is actually delivered to your home in comparison to the amount of fuel that you must supply to the heating unit. Here is an example:
A furnace that is rated 80% AFUE converts 80% of the fuel supplied to the unit for heating and the other 20% basically goes out the chimney. AFUE is referring only to the unit’s fuel efficiency, not the electric usage.
Something else you may want to consider when purchasing a new unit is the noise level. If the unit has a low sound level, you will barely notice when it is running. Units that have a high sound level could result in sleepless nights and not so happy neighbors!
One more thing, while replacing your system, you might consider having your ductwork checked to see if it is in need of repair or replacement. There may be some rooms in your home that get too hot, or too cold. There may also be insulation that is peeling, or there could be a buildup of contamination inside the duct. You should also have your return air grilles and grilles in each individual room checked to see if they are the proper size and are working correctly.
There are other add-ons to your system that you may want to look into that can allow your unit to help you and your family live more comfortably and promote better health. Air cleaners are a wonderful add-on that really improve the quality of life for allergy sufferers, and they also help keep your house cleaner. We have just the product for you that we are excited to offer our customers. Please ask us how you can try one out in your home at no cost.
Last but not least, here is a very simple thing you can do to keep your system running at it’s best- make sure you keep your filters clean and change them at least four times a year.
