HVAC Install

How do you know if it’s time to replace your old cooling and heating equipment or improve the performance of your overall system?

As much as half the energy you use goes to heat and cool your indoor space.

Installation of new HVAC equipment is a major expense, however we don’t believe compromise for the sake of price is necessary. When it’s time to make an investment, there are many options available and opportunities for increasing efficiency and performance along with your comfort to consider.

Some basic guidelines we’ve learned to determine if it’s time to replace and upgrade your system instead of continuing to maintain repairs:

Your heat pump or air conditioner is more than 10 years old

New higher-efficiency air conditioning equipment uses at least 20 percent less energy than older models.

Your furnace or boiler is more than 15 years old

New furnaces can be 15 percent more efficient than older, conventional models.

Your equipment needs frequent repairs and your energy bills are going up.

Core mechanical components have begun to lose performance capacity.

Some of your rooms or spaces are too hot or cold.

This is a sure indication of improper equipment operation, duct problems, or inadequate insulation.

No one is home for long periods of the day and you don’t have a programmable thermostat.

Programmable thermostats and zone sensors and controls save a lot energy cost while you’re away or even sleeping.

Your home or office has humidity problems.

Air can be too dry in the winter or too humid in the summer due to poor equipment operation, inadequate equipment along with incorrect design and application, and excessive leaks in ductwork.

Your indoor space has excessive dust.

Leaky ducts can pull particles and air in from attics, crawlspaces and basements and distribute them through the house.

Your cooling system is noisy.

You could have an undersized duct system or a problem with the indoor coil of your cooling equipment

Making
Sure Equipment is Correctly Sized

With heating and cooling, it’s common to think more is better. However, oversizing equipment is a major mistake.

Oversized equipment short-cycles, degrades temperature and humidity control, creates pockets of stagnate air, requires larger duct systems, increases the installed and operating costs, increases the installed load in the utility grid, and causes unnecessary stress on the machinery.

Slightly undersized equipment, within a certain margin, can actually provide more comfort at less cost.

Don’t assume that the size of your new system will be the same as your old equipment. Changes, such as additions or insulation improvements, may have been made to the house since the original equipment was installed; or, the equipment may have been too large from the start.

Team of HVAC Experts and Professional HVAC Contractors in Nashville, TN

Getting
a Quality Installation

A truly quality installation meets the needs of comfort for your indoor space—that’s temperature and humidity control along with healthy indoor air climate—and the requirements of your budget. That means, getting the most value from your significant investment.

Here’s what we do with every install:

Perform an on-site inspection of the job you want done and provide a detailed bid in a timely manner.
Show you a layout of where the equipment is going to be installed.
List in detail all the work that is being contracted.
Specify all products by quantity, name, model number, and energy ratings.
Diagnose and repair your duct system, if needed.
Provide examples of other quality installation work, with names of customers that you can contact.
Show calculations of savings for installing high-efficiency, ENERGY STAR qualified equipment.
Explain the financial benefit of your new equipment.
Provide financing for the purchase, if necessary.
Explain the warranty on equipment and parts and labor.
Provide manufacturer’s warranty and documents for products and contractor installation warranty information.
State the scheduled start and completion date.
State the contractor’s liability insurance and licenses if required.
Outline paperwork and permits needed for the project.

Commercial Air Conditioning Nashville, TN

Upgrading Ductwork and Insulation

The performance of central air conditioners, heat pumps and forced air furnace depends on the duct system fabricated and installed in the field that carries its heated or cooled air. If the duct system is not designed and installed properly, your heating and air conditioning system will not work properly.

To maintain comfort and good indoor air quality, the air being supplied to each room must balance with the air returning to the cooling and heating equipment. If the correct amount of air at the correct temperature is not delivered through the duct, the indoor space will have hot and cold spots, stagnate uncirculated air, or even stratified zones of noticeably different temperatures.

It’s common for a duct system to lose 20-30 percent of its air through loose connections and even holes. When the duct system is in an unconditioned space like a crawlspace or attic, significant issues are the result. Duct leakage can cause an unbalanced system that wastes energy and causes significant comfort issues. Sealing your ducts improves your system’s ability to consistently cool and heat every room.

Replacing or repairing undersized, under-insulated, and leaky ducts is a major factor in allowing HVAC equipment to be sized correctly and will have a big effect on increased comfort at lower utility costs.

In addition to duct leakage, a significant and common issue is duct work not being insulated well enough. This is a major source of inefficiency and wasted energy cost.

We also are equipped to add insulation into attics. This along with energy-efficient windows is the single most important improvement to achieve greater comfort and reduced energy costs.

Our procedure includes:

Identify any leaks with diagnostic equipment.
Insulate your ducts where it counts with 3-inch thick R-8 insulation to keep the air at its desired temperature as it moves through the system.
Seal your ducts with mastic, metal-backed tape, or duct sealant. Duct tape should not be used; it can not withstand high temperatures and will not last.
Test airflow after ducts are sealed.
Conduct a combustion safety test after ducts are sealed to be sure all gas or oil-burning appliances are working properly.

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