Posts Tagged ‘Orange’

Orange HVAC Guide: Year Round HVAC Maintenance

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Taking care of your York HVAC system is not just your responsibility as an Orange homeowner, it is also the best way to protect your investment and save money on utility bills. A well-maintained HVAC system runs more efficiently and last longer than one that is neglected, meaning big savings to you.

So what should you do to maintain your HVAC system? It doesn’t take much, but it is a year round process.

First of all, have your system inspected every year by a professional. This is best done in the spring, when you likely won’t be using your heating or air conditioning, allowing you to get ready for the summer cooling system. During an annual inspection, a professional technician will perform routine maintenance and repairs, such as replacing air filters, tightening loose fittings, inspecting ductwork and fixing any small problems before they grow larger.

Beyond this professional walkthrough, you should also do your part to keep the whole system clean. That means doing things like:

  • Cleaning vents monthly, with either a damp rag or a vacuum hose. This gets the dust and debris out of the way so your air handler can function efficiently and you don’t breathe in pollutants and allergens.
  • During the heating and cooling seasons, inspect your air filters monthly. Clean and/or replace them when they are visibly dirty, or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
  • Once a season, take a few hours to clean your furnace room. Sweep out any debris that could get sucked into the intake, and check to see that fitting are clean and rust-free. Similarly, clean the area around an outside air handler if you have an outdoor York air conditioning or heat pump system.
  • Program your thermostat to turn heating and cooling down during the hours that no one is home.
  • Keep your home clean and clear of dust and dirt. Vacuum carpets and dust hard surfaces often. Less dust in the home means less dust in the ventilation system.

Small tasks like these have a cumulative effect on keeping your Orange home’s York HVAC system running smoothly for as long as possible, which saves you a bundle in the long run.

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York Tip of the Week: Energy Saving Calculator

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

If you are thinking about replacing your heating or air conditioning equipment, there are a lot of factors to consider. Some of the most important of these are what fuel you want to use, the size of the new unit, and whether or not you want the same system for heating and air conditioning.  While you can do a lot research on the internet, and you can always call your local contractor, there are some great tools out there to help you make the right decision for your home.

The York Energy Savings Calculator is an online tool that helps you understand some of the factors that go into buying HVAC equipment. You simply need to enter in your home’s square footage and any information you know about a system, and this tool will tell you the yearly operating cost! It is an easy way to compare different systems (a high efficiency versus a medium efficiency furnace, for example) and to understand exactly how much you can save on your bills each month by upgrading. It will also estimate the increased value of your home with the new equipment! While we still recommend you consult with a professional before making a final decision, this tool is a great starting point.

To try out this tool, simply follow this link: http://www.yorkopcost.com/

And if you want to have a new heating or air conditioning system installed in your home, contact your local New Jersey York Dealer.

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A Question from West New York: What Makes a Furnace High Efficiency?

Friday, December 9th, 2011

In West New York, you’ve probably heard about the new lines of high efficiency furnaces being released by York, but what exactly is different about these high efficiency devices from your current York furnace? Let’s take a closer look at what a high efficiency furnace offers and why it can save you money.

Added Features

A high efficiency York furnace uses familiar technology in a new way to reduce the amount of energy lost when combustion takes place. This means:

  • Sealed Combustion – Instead of open combustion which allows heat to escape during and after the combustion process, a high efficiency furnace uses a sealed chamber with carefully measured and fed airflow to burn fuel and produce heat. Exhaust heat can then be recaptured and used to heat air transferred to your air vents.
  • Two Stage Gas Valves – With a two stage gas valve, your furnace can respond to the temperature outside. There isn’t just one “on” switch. The furnace will regulate gas flow based on how much energy is needed to produce heat for your home. So, if there is a sudden burst of cold outside, the furnace will respond accordingly, but for most days when heating needs are low, it will use only the minimum amount of needed gas.
  • Programmable – High efficiency furnaces are now programmable, meaning you can set specific time limits for operation, change thermostat settings digitally and inspect the device through an electronic read out. The level of control given to you by a programmable high efficiency furnace can greatly reduce gas or electricity consumption.

Cost Benefit

The real reason many people are interested in high efficiency York furnaces is that they are so much less expensive to operate. Instead of costing hundreds of dollars to run through the winter, they operate the bare minimum needed to heat your home. Using up to 95% of the fuel they consume to produce heat and regulating gas to cut how much is consumed during milder days, these furnaces are built to save you money. For more information about how to get one installed in your home, contact your local New Jersey York Dealer.

If you have an old furnace that chews through energy like nobody’s business, now might be the time to consider the benefits of a brand new, high efficiency model.

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Energy Star Rated Heat Pumps: A Tip from Bernardsville

Monday, October 24th, 2011

Everyone in Bernardsville is almost certainly familiar with Energy Star ratings. They are those little stars you see on a lot of common household appliances, consumer electronics and other products. Energy Star is a government program run by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy to identify and clearly label products that meet strict efficiency guidelines. Products that carry the Energy Star logo have been shown to be among the most highly efficient out there.

This labeling is important and arguably becoming more so every day. Homeowners want the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the appliances in their homes are running efficiently, helping the environment and saving them money.

But have you ever wondered how a product gets to wear that Energy Star logo? What are the guidelines it has to meet or exceed in order to be approved?

The short answer is that it varies across product lines, as you might expect. An air conditioner is very different from a personal computer. For heat pumps, though, there are some pretty simple and consistent specifications to meet.

Heat pump ratings are based on two numbers—one for cooling and one for heating. Cooling efficiency is rated on a scale called the seasonal energy efficiency ratio, or SEER. This number simply describes in a nutshell how efficiently a unit can cool the area it’s installed in. Most heat pumps these days have a SEER of at least 10, and the most efficient ones carry a SEER of around 18. To meet Energy Star requirements, a heat pump must carry a SEER of at least 14.

The second number involved in rating the efficiency of a heat pump is the heating season performance factor, or HSPF. This number describes the heating efficiency of a heat pump by dividing its estimated heating capacity by the amount of electricity it draws. Most new heat pumps have an HSPF of at least 8, which is what is required for Energy Star approval.

A third rating criterion for heat pumps is the energy efficiency ratio, or EER. This is like SEER, except that it is an instantaneous measurement rather than one over a whole heating season. This rating is less commonly considered by consumers, but it is part of the Energy Star criteria, so it’s worth mentioning. Energy Star requires heat pumps to have an EER of at least 11.

Only when a unit meets or exceeds all three of these specifications is it eligible for Energy Star approval. Keep in mind that the requirements vary for split systems versus single package systems, and that they may change over time. Consult with a York professional during the purchase process to be sure the unit you want is Energy Star approved.

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