 | Howard McDaniel is president and owner of Even-Temp of Wichita, Inc... Howard started Even-Temp of Wichita, Inc. in 1991. Even-Temp is a fully-licensed and bonded residential and commercial mechanical contractor in Wichita and the surrounding areas. Howard has been a member of the Kansas Cooling Contractors Association (aka K.C.C.A.) since 2001. He is also a member of the B.B.B. and Chamber of Commerce. Howard’s education includes graduate of Pittsburg vocational technical college and 5 years of schooling through the Local 171 Plumbing apprenticeship school. Howard built Even-Temp to what it is today. He started his business working many hours, night and day, by himself to a successful business with over 20 employees. Howard is an honest, fair and considerate business man, which is proven by the number of customers he has and by the number of them that have been with him for over 10 years. Howard can be contacted at his office at (316) 262-2277, fax at (316) 262-5366, or you can e-mail him at Howard@eventemp.com. |
Home Improvement
2008-03-01 09:38:00
Is it too soon?
Question: Is it too soon to be thinking of air conditioner service?
Answer: No, in fact I recommend servicing it early as you may have some unknowing repairs due to the long winter months, and you would not want to be making last minute upgrades or repairs after the weather has already turned hot. Remember having your equipment serviced on an annual basis can prolong the life of your equipment and save you money on operating costs.
Cleaning/servicing your air conditioner can save you as much as 25% on A/C operating costs. Besides cleaning your air conditioner, a Qualified Technician will check the system to insure that it is operating correctly.
Remember older air conditioners typically mean higher energy bills. If your air conditioner needs frequent repairs it may not be properly suited for your home.
You need a heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) specialist to assess your current system. If your cooling bills continue to rise, your cooling system may be working inefficiently.
Some of the cost of new air conditioning systems will be offset by lower energy bills.
If some of the rooms in your home are either too hot or too cold, it could be your air conditioning equipment manufacturing or functioning inefficiently, or it could be a result of problems with your ducts or inadequate insulation.
If you have problems with humidity, your air conditioning equipment may be defective or otherwise performing inadequately or you may have leaky ductwork, which can be corrected by a qualified HVAC Contractor.
If there is a lot of noise coming from your air conditioning unit, there may be a problem with its indoor coil or your duct system may be too small.
“A bigger system is not always better.”
The most important factor when purchasing a central air conditioning system is that it’s the appropriate size!
Bigger is not necessarily better. If your system is too big, it won’t be as effective at dehumidifying, which will make your home feel hotter. Also, because oversized systems cycle on and off more frequently then they should, they tend to break down more often, cost more to maintain wear out faster.
“Older air conditioners typically mean higher energy bills.”
An air conditioning system that is too small won’t be able to cool your house adequately. It will be overworked, use excessive electricity, run loudly and be prone to pre mature failure. It may even freeze over on the warmest days.An Anderson Air professional installer is trained to consider various factors that determine the right size of air conditioning equipment to meet the specific needs of your home - beyond square footage. Factors include the age of the house, its size, how many stories it has, how well it’s insulated, the number and quality of windows, and even local energy rates.
They should use industry-standard “Manual J” and “Manual S” sizing calculations; however their years of experience can be used to modify the results. They may take into account other factors such as the shade effect of trees or the positioning of the windows on the house, to further inform their recommendations.
“Go for Thirteen SEER or above.”
To keep it simple, the higher the SEER value, the more energy-efficient is the system.
Right now, a SEER of Ten is the lowest rating of an air conditioner allowed to be sold by law.
However, on January 26, 2006 the law requires a minimum mandatory SEER rating of Thirteen. Aside from its better energy efficiency (I.e. lower cooling bills) and less damage to the environment, further down the road you won’t have the difficulty and increased expense of trying to find parts for an outdated system.
“Energy Star means energy-efficient.”
To ensure you are getting a unit with exceptional energy efficiency, buy a unit with an Energy Star label affixed.
Energy Star is a program developed jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to promote the use of appliances that reduce energy consumption and have less negative impact on the environment.
According to the EPA, an air conditioner that qualifies for Energy Star, which is properly sized and installed, with a properly sealed duct system, will save you Twenty percent in energy cost compared to other new, conventional systems.
