Air Conditioning Care and System Replacement Advice
What You Can do to Extend the Life of Your System
Educating our customers and helping them get the most out of their air conditioning and heating system is important to us. There are certain things any homeowner can do to prolong the life of their equipment, save on utility expenses and prolong or possibly avoid future service. Here are a few tasks we suggest that will help you to get the most out of your HVAC system.
- Make sure you have a clean filter, remember to inspect the filter monthly and change it when dirty, and always have several on hand.
- Don’t store combustible materials in your furnace or Air Handler closet.
- Consider getting a digital programmable thermostat. Set the temperature, so the system doesn’t run so much while you are at work.
- The outside unit needs to be free of dirt, leaves, grass, and whatever else may inhibit proper airflow across the coil.
- Once a month inspect the outdoor coil and wash it if necessary. Take a water hose and rinse the coil (gently) free of dirt and lint.
- Remember that turning the thermostat down farther does not make it cool down faster.
Keep in mind it is still important to have your system inspected semi-annually (spring/fall) by a licensed service company to be sure the refrigerant charge is correct, the wires are in good shape, and the electrical components are operating within factory specifications. Reynolds Air & Heat offers competitively priced service as well as maintenance plans that allow us to stay on top of your HVAC system proactively.
Is it Time to Repair or Replace Your System?
When it comes to deciding on whether to repair or replace your system, we suggest analyzing several factors. Foremost, consider the age of your system – systems over 10 years old typically waste 10-35% of your energy dollars when compared to today’s modern high-efficiency systems. If it’s over 20 years old, a new system could perform up to 55% more efficiently. Here are some of the factors to consider in your decision:
Your Current System
- Current and future repair cost
- Recent repair history
- Cost of energy wasted
- Age of unit
- Current comfort provided?
- Repair warranty
- Time lost due to repair calls
- Air quality / Filtration System
New Comfort System
- Many have 10-year parts and labor warranty (no repair cost for 10 years) and are a hedge against the inflation cost of parts and service for the next 10 years
- Add 10-55% better efficiency
- Advances in technology provide features and benefits in new systems that can solve many existing problem areas and concerns
- Possible rebates for environmentally friendly systems
- Increases home value
- Air quality, flow and humidity control are improved by enhanced comfort with variable speed technology
- Duct sealing and possible duct modifications can be included at little or no cost at the time of installation.
- High-efficiency HEPA-type and other air cleaners are available for your families health needs
The biggest benefit of a new unit is your new high-efficiency comfort system starts paying for itself the day it goes in. One of the most frequent comments we receive from our customers is how their monthly power bill savings are actually paying for their new system! Reynolds Air & Heat provides FREE Estimates and Second Opinions on new installations and would be happy to answer any questions you have.