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Environmental
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Residential Air Conditioning & Heating
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"Professional, responsive, courteous technicians. Very sensitive to my wife’s need for cleanliness (drop cloths in hallway, etc.) GREAT JOB!" — R.R., Ellicott City
Voted Howard County's Best Heating and Air Conditioning Service
Information about the new 13 SEER minimum efficiency standard.
North American Technician Excellence Certification (www.natex.org)
Our technicians must pass independently administered exams to certify that they are qualified to work on your heating and air conditioning systems.
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- System Replacement
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About ESA:
Advanced Technology for Advanced Comfort.
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Replacing Your HVAC System
When it's time to replace your system, there are three factors to consider when choosing a replacement system.
Efficiency Refrigerants Comfort
When is it time to replace my system?
The decision to replace existing equipment is based on several considerations. The most common is that your present system is broken and there is no economic justification for trying to repair it. Today's higher efficiency equipment with innovative comfort features often convince owners to replace older unreliable systems that have not yet completely failed.
Our constant recommendation to our customers is that the best time to replace your system is when YOU are planning on it, not when the system finally fails and you are desperate. We are happy to give free in-home evaluations when your system is approaching the end of its useful life, 15 to 20 years for heat pumps and 20 to 25 years for gas furnaces with air conditioners.
Regardless of the reason you are choosing to replace your present system, there are three factors you should consider—efficiency, refrigerant, and comfort.
Efficiency
The US Department of Energy sets the standards for rating the energy efficiency of heating and cooling systems. The rating number is an indication of how much energy (electric or gas) it takes to produce one unit of heating or cooling. The terminology differs for air conditioners/heat pumps and gas furnaces.
- Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps:
Efficiency in air conditioners and heat pumps is measured in terms of its SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). "SEER" is similar in concept to "MPG" (Miles per Gallon)—the higher the number, the more efficiently the system uses electricity. Since 1992, the Federal mandate for the minimum rating has been 10. Before that time, it was 8, so units that are over 14 years old are usually rated at 8 SEER.
Manufacturers are no longer be permitted to produce equipment that has a SEER of less than 13. With an efficiency increase of 38% coupled with higher electrical rates, it becomes easier to see why you may want to replace a system that still works with a new, higher efficiency system.
- Gas Furnaces:
Gas furnaces have a similar rating system using the AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) percentage. Equipment installed in the 1980's usually has a rating of 60% to 70%. Today, the minimum rating is 78% and high efficiency units have a rate of 90%. Newer equipment also has enhanced comfort and safety features not found on older furnaces.
Refrigerants
- R-22:
The refrigerant used in 90% of residential equipment currently in use is R-22 (sometimes referred to as "Freon"). R-22 contains chlorine in its chemical composition, which is harmful to the Earth's ozone layer. By international agreement, R-22 will no longer be allowed to be used in the manufacture of new equipment after the year 2010. R-22 will be available for servicing older units for years to come, but as production decreases, it will become more expensive. - R-410a:
Newer refrigerants made without chlorine have been developed to replace R-22. One of these refrigerants is R-410a. Puron® is Carrier's class R-410a refrigerant. Puron has been available since 1998 and is used in most of the high efficiency equipment that we recommend.
Comfort
Innovations in the design of today's heating and cooling systems include features that eliminate the "heat pump chill" associated with older equipment. Two of the most significant are variable-speed blower motors and two-stage gas valves.
- Variable-speed motors:
Variable-speed motors are used most commonly in the indoor air handler. They typically use less than 1/4 the electricity that the older, single-speed motors used. Their biggest comfort advantage is that they can match the air flow to changing temperature conditions. For example, if the indoor section of your heat pump were running in the cooling mode, this motor would ramp up to its highest airflow speed for maximum comfort and efficiency. When running in heating mode with a heat pump, the motor is typically slowed down to increase the temperature rise across the coil, thereby giving higher duct temperatures—thus, eliminating that cool, drafty feeling that people think they have to tolerate with a heat pump system. - Two-stage gas valves:
Gas furnaces have also seen improvements in comfort. It is now common to get a gas furnace with two-stage valves. This feature enables heat to be delivered to your home more evenly over time instead of heating with shorter, higher temperature bursts of heat. This allows the system to maintain a more constant temperature throughout your home.
The most important consideration— involve your contractor early in the planning process.
Perhaps the most important aspect in planning a system replacement is to involve your contractor at an early stage in the process. There have been changes in building codes over the past years and the newer equipment has more stringent installation requirements. We often find during the evaluation process that home improvements such as finished basements can make the installation of some equipment impractical. Environmental Systems Associates provides free, in-home evaluations to ensure that you are aware of all the choices available to you.
