Air Conditioning Efficiency

There is talk around the campfire about the U.S. government once again raising the minimum SEER rating on all air conditioners being produced.  Last time this happened was in January 2006.  This ruling states that all residential air conditioners sold in the United States must have a SEER of at least 13. ENERGY STAR qualified Central Air Conditioners must have a SEER of at least 14.  Whenever the government changes the minimum SEER rating, prices tend to go up on almost all systems, no matter their SEER rating.

To calculate the energy efficiency of an air conditioner, the SEER rating system measures the cooling output of the unit with the total amount of electricity it uses during an entire season.  The higher the energy efficiency, the lower it costs you to run it, viz-a-vi  the higher the SEER rating of the unit, the more energy efficient it is.  With the benefit of SEER ratings, you can more easily choose the most energy efficient a/c unit to fit your needs and your wallet and/or purse.  With the rising costs of energy usage, you can't afford not to know about getting the most from your heating and a/c system.  The Lennox website has a simple SEER calculator to help give you a general idea on savings with different SEER systems.

Basically, if you know your air conditioner is getting old and you think it might be about time to see about purchasing a new system, now is the time!  Like I said above, whenever the government comes down with these SEER changes, the price on new systems goes up, so don't say we didn't warn you!  At Environmental, we give free estimates on system replacements and we would be glad to help you out today!

Nickadeemus
www.enviro-nc.com
919-535-8422

Importance of Clean Air Filters

This is a picture of a very dirty air filter one of our Environmental technicians replaced while performing Preventative Maintenance at a customer's house recently.  The customer hadn't changed the filter in six months to a year!  This is a big no no!  A filter this dirty puts serious strain on a system.  Changing your air filter(s) is one of the simplest and most important steps in achieving maximum efficiency and longevity in your heating and a/c units.  As simple as changing filters is, it is also one of the most overlooked by homeowners.  Dirty filters can wreak havoc on everything from compressors to blower motors to heat exchangers.  A few bucks and a couple minutes of your time at least once every 3 months can save you tons of money on future repair costs and energy bills!  Also, it's always a good idea to go with pleated filters over the cheaper fiberglass filters.  We always have them available here at the Environmental Heating & Air office and on our retail website Enviro Retail.  You'll pay a little more for the pleated filters but they catch a lot more dust and particles than the fiberglass filters.  Keep those air filters changed!

-Nickadeemus
www.enviro-nc.com
Environmental Heating & Air of NC
919-535-8422

Meeting & Exceeding Local Needs

You may think that going with a big company to provide you with your heating and air conditioning needs is the right thing to do, the safest thing to do.  That's a popular opinion these days, but I can explain to you quickly how this might not necessarily be the best course of action.

As it pertains to business in the world of hvac, bigger definitely does not mean better.  Here at Environmental, we have always had to bid against the unlicensed, uninsured, fly-by-night guys and also the "big box" mechanical companies.  So naturally, as with any small business, you really have to dig deep to form a trusting relationship with your customers that will keep them coming back to you because they know that your business will always take care of them.  The trouble with these larger companies is just that, they often overlook the needs of some customers because their client base is so large that it's really no big loss for them to lose a customer here and there for whatever reason.  That's really where the big advantage for smaller businesses begins, our ability to spend more time focusing on each customer's needs and getting things right the first time around.  We are full believers in the idea that if you sell quality products and services that you can always compete with the "big boys".  Your business's actions and efforts will speak for themselves.  People want to know that the company they use for their hvac needs is going to stick around for the long haul and not be gone tomorrow.  Environmental has been servicing the Triangle now for almost 5 years and we're going stronger than ever!  Just give us a chance to prove to you today that we can earn and keep your trust!

-Nickadeemus
Environmental Heating & Air of NC, Inc.
919-535-8422

The Workings of HVAC Units

People often ask us at Environmental, "my heating & air system just had routine maintenance done like a month ago and now it isn't working, what gives?!" or "I just bought this system 2 years ago and it already had a part go bad, why is that?!".  Well, the truth is at the end of the day all these machines are just that, machines.  They do fail from time to time no matter the make or model, just like any vehicle or appliance.  For example, if you take your vehicle in to the auto body shop for an oil change and/or state inspection, that means you are doing your best to keep your vehicle running but in no way ensures that a tail light won't go out the next day or that your oil pump will fail some time next week.  It's just how things are with anything mechanical.

All you can do is do your best to keep your heating and a/c units performing optimally by having routine maintenance done by trained professionals.  I can't stress enough the importance of having this done to help extend the life of your systems, it really does have an effect!  Extreme temperatures take their toll on these machines, also very much like vehicles.  Everything from corrosion to thermal expansion to cracking of joints to electrical shorts, rough weather wears down everything.  At Environmental, we encounter this stuff all the time.  Routine maintenance done with a trained eye can identify and correct such issues before they become major problems, vis-a-vi saving you big money.  Hope this helps and thanks for reading!

Nick Medlin
Environmental Heating & Air of NC, Inc.
919-535-8422

Helpful Thermostat Installation Information

Just wanted to do a quick post in regards to installing thermostats.  First off, at Environmental we do not recommend installing a brand new thermostat yourself.  It is always best left to a certified professional as they are able to ensure that you are putting up the right thermostat for your particular system and that it is installed correctly.  However, there's probably a lot of you out there who still do it yourself anyways to save money and/or just feel you are proficient enough to do so. 

Well, for all you do it yourselfers out there and anybody who would just like some great general knowledge about the process, we have a youtube channel that you can check out at http://www.youtube.com/user/Environc.  There's also a couple more videos on there with some great general knowledge stuff, so just subscribe for free to the Environmental youtube channel and stay in the know!  As always, thanks for reading!

-Nickadeemus
www.enviro-nc.com
919-535-8422

When Is My HVAC System Too Old To Repair?

The title of this post is probably one of the most frequently asked questions by customers to their heating and air conditioning service providers.  It's definitely a fair question, where does one draw the line on repair costs?  How long should a heating and a/c unit last these days?  Well, the general rule of thumb is no major repairs(compressor replacement, evaporator / condenser coil replacement, blower motor assy. replacement, etc...) after about 10 years from the date of install.  That comes from nationwide, not just from Environmental Heating & Air of NC.  Most of the major manufacturers state that the life expectancy of units today is around 11-13 years.  Nowadays, 10 year parts warranties generally come standard on new systems.  HUGE factors that will determine the life of a new heating and air conditioning system are the quality of install and regular maintenance.  As I've stated before, it doesn't matter if you purchase the best, most efficient unit possible, it will mean nothing if not installed properly and then maintained at regular intervals.  These units will only give back the quality you put in to their upkeep and care.  That means, on your part, at least keeping filters changed and hedges trimmed back from your outdoor a/c condensing unit(s) for proper air flow.  The best possible thing to do is to sign up for a Preventative Maintenance program, like the one offered from Environmental Heating & Air of NC.  That being said, a minor service call here or there over the years may be expected.  No matter what, they are mechanical items and slight malfunctions are possible like with any car or appliance.  We've anticipated as much, Environmental Heating & Air of NC has included in the Preventative Maintenance plan a 10% discount on service calls for the contract year.  Hopefully, this will give you a little bit better idea when pondering what to do with your home's heating and a/c system(s).  Please give us a call if you have any questions and/or are in need of a service, thanks!

-Nickadeemus
www.enviro-nc.com 
919-535-8422

Best Time To Buy

You've probably wondered what time of year is best to purchase a new heating and air conditioning system.  Well, the truth is, it actually varies.  Often times the big companies like Lennox, Carrier, and York will have great deals at the end of the year.  While end of the year deals are a great time to buy, they aren't always guaranteed to be the best.  You'll find a lot of times that during the slow seasons, spring and fall, prices will drop dramatically.  Like right now for example, even though it is technically winter, the southeastern US is still in kind of a limbo period before it gets real cold and stays cold.  Manufacturers definitely notice this and will lower their prices to accommodate for this slower time of the year.  The best way to monitor prices is to get on to the Environmental Heating & Air of NC website at enviro-nc.com, or you're always welcome to give us a call at the number below and speak to our sales expert John Van Orden, who would love to go over different prices with you and inform you on what your best options would be.  At Environmental Heating & Air of NC, we pride ourselves on making sure our customers get the best deals possible from the manufacturers.  That makes you happy and in turn will make us happy in knowing we got you the best deal around!  Thanks for reading!

-Nickadeemus
www.enviro-nc.com
919-535-8422