- Q. My house is so dry in the wintertime. Do I need a humidifier?
Answer: Yes. In many cases the air inside your home is drier than a desert. Dry indoor air can cause damage to woodwork, dry nasal passages, cause eye irritation, and cause itchy and dry skin. By adding moisture to the air inside your home, the quality of the air that you breathe improves.
Back to Top
- Q. My house is so dusty. What can I do?
We have electronic air cleaners available that can reduce the dust in your house. It is also good for allergies. Indoor air can have up to four times more pollutants than outside air.
Back to Top
- Q. I have an older humidifier, and it doesn't seem to work well. What is wrong?
Humidifiers do need servicing. The water panels need changing at least once a year. Regular maintenance will assure your unit is working properly.
Back to Top
- Q. Do I need to have my furnace cleaned annually?
Yes. The furnace can become dangerous if not checked annually. The chimney should have a cap on it to prevent animals and nests. The furnace should be checked for cracks and cleaned and checked annually for maximum efficiency.
Back to Top
- Q. Do I need my air conditioner cleaned annually?
Yes. The outside condensing unit gets dirty as it operates. The outside coil needs cleaning, as well as the freon level checked, and motors oiled. If the air conditioner is not maintained properly, your electric bill will be higher.
Back to Top
- Q. Why are my electric bills so high?
Air conditioners made more than 10 years ago, are not as efficient as today's units. also, as units age they lose some of their cooling ability. The newer models available now can significantly reduce your electric bills.
Back to Top
- Q. My air conditioner is only 7 years old and it is not working like it used to. What is wrong?
The air conditioning unit should be cleaned and checked. A dirty unit runs longer using more energy and runs at a lower capacity.
Back to Top
- Q. My gas bills have gone out of site. What can I do to lower my bills?
We have furnaces that are up to 94% efficient. The old furnace can be as little as 60% efficient. You can also install more insulation in the attic.
Back to Top
- Q. I've heard about extended warranties on new products. Are the warranties all the same?
Answer: No. Some warranties can be void if the equipment is not maintained every year. Some contractors use independent insurance companies or cover the warranty themselves. If the companies go out of business the warranty is void. that is why we use only manufacturers warranties.
Back to Top
- Q. I need to replace my air conditioner, but my furnace works just fine. Is it true they need to be replaced at the same time?
Answer: Think of your air conditioner and furnace as a part of a total system. That system will work better, longer and more efficiently if all of its components are matched in capacity and efficiency. For example, your new air conditioner will be rated with a specific seer efficiency rating. Your existing furnace and indoor coil can significantly impact this efficiency because of technology differences and an imbalance in capacity resulting from simply installing an outdoor unit. A mismatched system mixes old technology with new, decreasing your overall comfort and diminishing performance. Today's systems are as much as 60% more efficient than those systems manufactured as little as ten years ago. If you are concerned about utility bills or are faced with an expensive repair, you may want to consider replacing your system rather than enduring another costly season or paying to replace an expensive component.
Back to Top
- Why are rating numbers important?
Answer: Rating numbers indicate the efficiency of heating and air conditioning equipment and directly related to the amount of energy a specific model uses. The higher the rating, the more efficient the product, and the lower your energy bill can be. The federal government department of energy establishes rating guidelines and sets minimum efficiency levels for cooling, the rating is SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio). For heat pumps the rating is HSPF (heating seasonal performance factor). Gas furnaces are rated with AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency).
Back to Top
- Q. What's the difference between a manufacturer's limited warranty and an extended warranty?
Answer: Manufacturer's limited warranty is the warranty that a product leaves the factory with, typically, it covers specific parts for a limited period of time. Extended warranties are optional and are generally purchased at the same time as the equipment. Optional extended warranties cover all parts beyond the manufactures limited warranty. Labor warranties are provided by the manufacturer from the dealer and cover labor charges for a specific period of time. There are a variety of optional extended parts and labor warranties to choose from, and all are designed to offer long-term peace of mind.
Back to Top
- Q. My family members have allergies. Is there a way to improve the indoor air quality in my home?
Answer: An electronic air cleaner or high efficiency air media cleaner is 40 to 50 times more effective than a standard throwaway filter in removing unwanted particles from your home. Particles such as pollen, dust, bacteria, tobacco smoke, cooking smoke, pet hair and dander prevent your indoor air from being as healthy as it could be. An electronic air cleaner or high efficiency media cleaner is up to 99% effective at removing these airborne particles. These air cleaners also protect the operating efficiency of your heating and air conditioning system by helping to keep your systems components clean and free of foreign debris. U. V. (ultra violet) treatment destroys airborne living organisms such as bacteria, viruses, common odors, chemical pollutants and biological contaminants by changing the molecular structure of the contaminant through DNA sterilization and photo-oxidation.
Back to Top
- Q. How can I control my energy costs?
Answer: If you're shopping for a new heating and air conditioning system, the best way to control your energy costs is to purchase a high efficiency variable speed 2 stage systems. Variable speed means your system varies its blower speeds depending on your home's heating and cooling requirements. Because of this, variable speed systems are more efficient than single-stage systems. Higher efficiency ratings also matter. when you match a 14,16,or 18 SEER air conditioner with a variable speed furnace or air handler, you can rest assured knowing that you've selected a home comfort system that is one of the quietest and most energy efficient available today.
Back to Top
- Q. How do I know what size system I need for my home?
Answer: One of the first things your fox valley mechanical technician
Will do is conduct a complete heating & cooling load analysis of your home. By measuring windows, checking insulation, ductwork and building materials, as well as variety of other factors, he can determine the right size system and equipment for your home. He'll even ask you questions about your existing comfort challenges, for example: are there rooms in your home that are always too hot or too cold? If this is the case, you may need ductwork modifications in addition to a new system.
Back to Top
- Q. How expensive are air conditioning and heat pump systems?
Answer: Many factors affect the cost of a heating or air conditioning system, including the size of your home, the type of condition of the duct work installed and accessories you might need. We have a complete range of systems and accessories available to meet all your needs. Including your financial ones!!! We will be happy to assist you in finding the right system to meet not only your comfort needs but also your household budget.
Back to Top
- Q. What is involved in replacing an old system?
Answer: Aside from the replacement of the new equipment, our installers will inspect several items and make a determination of weather or not these items need to be supplies or replaced. Some of the items include: ductwork, refrigerant piping, electrical services, wiring, thermostat, condensate, piping, flue piping, flue terminations, chimney liner, slabs, driers, registers, grills, drain pans and evaporator coil.
Back to Top
- Q. What is involved in installing a new system?
Answer: If a system is being added to the home for the first time most of the items noted in the previous question and answer may be required to install the new system. Besides the equipment, the most significant is ductwork. The ductwork needs to be properly sized and balanced to deliver the right amount of air to each room. The ductwork consists of supply and return tunkline and branch legs. The supply duct is attached to the outlet of the furnace or air handler and delivers air to individual zones in your home. The return ductwork pulls the air from the home to the inlet of the furnace or air handler. Our installers will determine the size of the ductwork going into a space by the amount of air that needs to be delivered to the space for proper and efficient operation.
Back to Top
- Q. Should I change my indoor coil?
Answer: When replacing your air conditioner, the answer is yes. The efficiency ratings that are advertised for an air conditioner are based on the performance as part of a matched system. If only the outdoor portion is changed, the efficiency and savings could be less than that of a matched system. In the NewsChannel 3 Super Saver special report we uncover 100 ways to save on your power bill. We'll walk you through some of them.
In the middle of the winter it will probably cost me $200-250 a month to heat my new home. It's bigger than my last home, so I want to do everything I can to keep the cost down. John Elliott with Progress Energy gives these cost saving tip:
“I know one concern most people have is weather stripping around their doors and windows and making sure everything sort of fits snuggly. If there's any kind of gap to them make sure you get weather stripping in there because 15-30 percent of your heating requirements is just gaps around doors and windows. Installing double-glazed windows and storm doors can cut the amount of heat you lose by 40-50 percent."
Back to Top
- Q. What is the best advice for where to set your thermostat in your home?
Answer: Well you want to keep your thermostat set to a constant setting and normally you want to keep it around 68-70 in the winter. For every degree you raise it above 70 you're adding 7-10 percent to your cost of keeping your house warm.
Because it gets so dry in the winter it takes a higher temperature to keep you feeling warm, so you may want to consider buying a humidifier that will add some moisture to the air. They cost anywhere from $50-100.
Back to Top
