Furnace age
Don' t get left out in the HEAT!
by Roger Barber on 05/18/11
Living in NW Indiana all my life there is one thing I know, the weather changes fast and before we know it we're into the hot weather again. It's easy not to think of it because we've endured a cold winter and a "warm up" is nice. But 95 degrees is a bit warmer than most people's comfort zones! We had a little taste of that the first week of May....did you turn your A/C on? Well I sure did! Not only to lower the humidity and temperature in my home but also to "check out" my unit. If you turn your A/C on now and find it's not working adequately or even at all, you still have plenty of time to fix it before the "real" summer weather gets here!
Having your central A/C checked each year not only validates your warranty ( if its a new air conditioner) it will also confirm that your are getting the most efficiency out of it while it runs. I know I sure don't want to give NIPSCO anymore money than I have to!
Some other benefits: -The unit will cool your home BETTER!
-Your unit will last LONGER!
- Avoid costly and untimely breakdowns.
- You won't have to worry about the air conditioner!
We're scheduling A/C cleaning and tune-ups all this month and up till mid june. If you act now you can save $20!! Regular price is $99 but up till June 15th its only $79! More saving, you gotta love it!!
I've always said "Getting your A/C cleaned and tuned is free"! The money you save will far exceed the minimal cost it takes to maintain your A/C. It's like getting paid to take care of your stuff!
Get cool, be cool & stay cool!!
Roger Barber
How long does a furnace actually last?
by Roger Barber on 12/30/10
What the heck is with an old furnace anyway? Man – they built them to last
for – FREAKING – ever in the 1970?s. I guess they figured that gas would always be cheap and that new technology would pass furnaces by. Well – not true. A furnace built in 1970 was about 60%-65% efficient versus today’s 95%efficient models.
We get asked this question a lot! Most furnaces will typically last for between 12 and 15 years depending on how well they are maintained. With good maintenance they can last 20 years or longer. With poor maintenance they can be unusable in as little as 5 to 7 years. Home builders often use lower grade “builder models” offered by otherwise well-known manufacturers (including Trane, Rheem/Ruud, and
more than 8 to 12 years, whereas premium models from these companies will
typically last much longer.
Having your furnace cleaned and tuned annually will help to ensure it is operating at optimum performance levels. The natural byproducts of combustion are corrosive and will attack the inner workings of a furnace. If the combustion process is well adjusted the corrosion will be kept to a minimum but it only takes a minor maladjustment to result in poor combustion. The type of fuel being used has a lot to do with how corrosive the combustion gases are. For about 90% of us, natural gas is the primary fuel available. Natural gas is clean burning and with proper equipment care, minimal corrosion will occur.
An old furnace is not bad because it is old. In an inspection certain
things are inspected on a furnace, but if they are operable with no major
problems – then they are not a problem from a technicians point of view. However, one of the best things you can do to lower your monthly gas bill in the
wintertime is to upgrade an older (even perfectly functional) furnace to a high
efficiency model. The savings in monthly gas usage usually pay the furnace off
in about 5 years. Getting rid of that old 60% efficient furnace and upgrading to a new ultra high efficient 95% efficient furnace is not only a sound financial investment for you its also a responsible step towards a "Greener" world for tomorrow!
Quick side note – what does the "efficiency" really mean? Well in realistic terms, think of it as a dollar bill. If you buy $1 of gas and have a 60% efficient furnace, then 60 cents is heating your home and 40 cents in going out of the flue/chimney! So a 95% efficient furnace means that you lose only 5% of your house's heat out of the flue. Keep that in mind as you slowly peek at your monthly NIPSCO bill!
Stay warm and live well!!
Roger Barber
Big changes in new air conditioners installed this year...
by Roger Barber on 03/13/10
If you were thinking about replacing your old, inefficient air conditioner this year there are some major changes in the air conditioner manufacturing industry that will affect you directly! The biggest difference you're going to see is going to be cost $$!Why, you may ask?
First and foremost in the industry-wide change to using 410-A refrigerant instead of the longtime standard of using R-22 refrigerant. 410-A is the indusry's "Ozone friendly" refrigerant.
As of December 31, 2009 manufacturing of air conditioners using R-22 has ceased. You can only buy new 410-A units now. (There are still some R-22 units available as per they continued to manufacture them till Dec 31, 2009. These units are scarce now though and will be almost unfindable by June 2010.)
Whats so different about this new 410-A refrigerant that makes it cost more? This new refrigerant has a much higher operating pressure. It is also NOT compatiable with the oil that was in your old A/C system. These two factors dictate that either a thorough "flushing" and leak test of your existing refrigerant copper tubing be performed (added cost) or the simplest and most effective solution is to replace the copper tubing altogether. Copper is still expensive and (News Flash- due to the earth quakes in Chile the price of copper is going to go up yet again!)
In short, replacing your A/C this year is going to cost approximately 30-40% more than it would have these past few years. Now bear in mind, if your new A/C isn't installed as per the new "410-A " requirements it will FAIL either immediately or within the first season of its operation. Make sure your new A/C is installed by a 410-A trained and certified installer!! If not you're going to end up paying twice as much repairing it after only one year of usage!
My company has been trained by the industry's leading manufactures (Armstrong, Goodman and Carrier) in installation and maintenance of all 410-A equipment. We've been installing them since 2006! Call us for the best prices and CORRECT installation of your new Central Air conditioning system to assure you another 15-20 years of dependable, efficient operation!
If you have any questions or comments please comment on this post, thank you! Roger Barber
