30% of your heated or conditioned air could be in your attic or crawl space
Your homes air distribution system is one of the most overlooked yet important systems
in your home. It is responsible for distributing the heating and cooling from your air conditioner to your home, filtering
the air you breathe, and keeping you comfortable year round. Most homeowners never give it a second thought as to how their house stays comfortable, but it is one system that should
be checked yearly. Air duct leakage is a huge
problem when it comes to energy savings. Up to 30% or more of your homes heating and cooling capacity is possibly being wasted.
This also results in your air conditioning system working longer and harder all year long, which results in more air conditioning
breakdowns and ac repairs. Think
about that, you are paying to make your attic or crawlspace comfortable and your air conditioner or heater is working
longer and harder. Most air distribution systems
are run through attics, in basements or in crawlspaces and usually out of site, which most of the time this means out of mind.
Here are some common problems that we find
in our routine inspections:
The most common problem we find is poor workmanship.
Usually when houses are built the installers of the air distribution system did not secure the ductwork properly. This results
in air leakage in both the supply and return ducts.We have seen
complete branch run outs that have been disconnected and blowing in the attic and the homeowner never realized this. If
they are not totally disconnected they usually are not sealed properly, resulting in large amounts of air loss. If ductwork leaks are present on the return side there
is the possibility of dirt, dust and fiberglass particles entering the air system from the attic insulation.We also find that rodents can cause damage and air leakage in your air distribution
system. We have seen situations where holes were chewed through the duct board and flex duct resulting in large air leaks
into the unconditioned area. They seem to like to be as comfortable as the homeowners. I
have also read that it is a way for the rodents to “create a water fountain”. The conditioned air leaking into
the unconditioned attic forms condensation which the rodents need to survive, so they create their own water fountain in the
summer. These problems could go on for years
if not inspected resulting in hundreds of dollars of wasted money going to your utility company.
I would recommend having Air
Technology inspect your ductwork when they perform your bi annual tune ups on your air conditioning system. Most of these
problems can be fixed for a relatively small cost, and can really save you on your utility bills. Check out
this months special on our Famous "27 Point Precision Tune Up"
The heating season Will Be here before you know it and it could cost you!
I know what your thinking "didn't the summer just end?" Yes it did but I wanted to remind you that if your heat-pump
system is not running efficiently for the winter season it could really cost you in your monthly utility bills. Here's why...
Your
air conditioning system that has been keeping you cool all summer long is getting ready to be reversed and start keeping you
warm and cozy this winter. What most people do not realize is that when your heat pump system goes into heating mode in the
winter it does not have the heating capacity that it did in the summer for cooling your home.
So that loss
in capacity can be costly on its own because when the heat pump alone can not keep up the temperature in your home in the
winter the ELECTRIC HEAT strips pull in ( oh no) to make up the difference in capacity. (I just heard the electric
meter kick into high gear and the utility company is printing money) Ladies and gentleman electric heat is very inefficient
and costly to run so you want to use it sparingly.
I get calls all through out the winter from people who
say that there electric bill is much higher than in the summer. This can be linked to many different issues but the #1 issue
is the excessive use of their electric heat strips. Ok so how do you reduce the use of your electric heat. Here are some tips:
In
some instances you will need the electric heat strips mainly when the outdide temperatures are 40 degrees and below,this is
normal because like I said earlier you will not have the capacity that you had in the summer from the ac.
The
#1 energy robber is going to be lack of maintenance on your heat pump system.
Make sure that your indoor and outdoor
coils are clean because this is where the heat transfer happens. Make sure to keep your air filter clean, check it every month
and change it as necessary.
The second item would be the refrigerant charge in your system. If your system was low on
refrigerant during the summer months you might not have really noticed it and you were able to get by, but in the winter it
will really effect your utility bill because the electric heat will be forced to come on much sooner than with a fully charged
system resulting in much higher utility bills. We have had customers that did not realize their outside units were not even
working and ran on their electric heat strips all winter. (ouch! That will cost them)
Do yourself a favor, fire
up the heat on a 60 degree day and make sure that everything is running before it does get cold. Check to see the out side
unit is running and the air blowing out of the fan should feel cool in heating mode. Check the temperature of the air leaving
the vents in your house, it should feel warm. Switch your heat pump over to emergency heat and check to see if the heat strips
are working, you may get a burning smell the first time they are used that is normal, it's usually the dust from sitting UN
used all summer.
And the last and biggest money saving tip by far is to have Air Technology come out and perform
their famous 27 point precision tune up to get your system ready for the heating season. Call today and schedule before the
first cold snap hits and our phone is ringing off the hook with customers who didn't check to see if their heat was working
this year. If you mention that you read this post here I will give you $15 dollars off our already discounted precision tune
up. Regularly $89... for you $74. Thanks for reading and come back often for money saving tips and ideas.
Get up to $1500 Tax Rebate on your new high efficiency Air conditioning System
Enjoy Ultimate Comfort— Plus These Ultimate Benefits!
1. Lower Your Tax Bill!
The recently
passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides a tax credit of 30% of the installed cost of qualifying high-efficiency
heating and air conditioning equipment, up to a maximum of $1,500 for 2009 and 2010 combined.
Don't wait to maximize this opportunity! Contact Air Technology to find about about the
Comfortmaker® high-efficiency heating & cooling products that qualify for this tax credit. In general, if you spend
$5,000 on qualifying products and installation, you will be eligible for the full $1,500 tax credit.
And don’t forget: a tax credit is subtracted directly from your total tax amount. For example,
if your calculated tax is $1,500, you would subtract the $1,500 tax credit and end up paying no taxes this
year!
2. Lower Your Monthly Utility Bill!
Did you know that your older, less efficient heating or cooling unit could be costing you money
every month on utility bills?
According to the Environmental Protection
Agency and other experts: “As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling.
So making smart decisions about your home’s heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big
effect on your utility bills — and your comfort.”†
Depending
on how old your system is, a new high-efficiency Comfortmaker system could save you up to 40% of your utility costs. So, it
often makes more sense to replace your system rather than continue to repair it – you save even more as utility costs
continue to rise!
3. Increase Your Peace of Mind!
Air Technology and Comfortmaker offer maximum strength warranties that give you exceptional
protection and complete assurance of lasting satisfaction. We offer an incredible 10 year§ parts and compressor limited
warranty.* And comfortmakers No Hassle Replacement™ limited warranty* (up to 10 years) offers a one-time equivalent
unit replacement if the compressor, outdoor coil or heat exchanger should fail during the coverage period. Check out some
of Comfortmaker's products.
If you are considering replacing your old worn out heat pump system give us a call at 904-276-8100 for a free no
obligation quote on a new high efficiency air conditioning or heat pump system. Attention
Clay County Residents A special bonus if you are located in Clay County. Clay electric offers financing
on systems up to $5000. They have been very helpful in getting our customers financed at some really good interest rates.
They also offer rebates on high efficiency heat pump systems starting at 14 SEER. Check out there website
at http://www.clayelectric.com/nrgservice.aspx. Here you will find the forms and requirements for the financing programs and also there Energy Smart rebate program
requirements amd rebate amounts.
So this is a great time to buy and take advantage of the programs being offered
by the federal goverment and out local utility companies. If you have any questions on these programs please feel free to
call the shop and ask for Mike, I would be happy to help you.
Tax Credit Efficiency Requirements
Product
Minimum Requirements
Split-system
Air Conditioner
16 SEER & 13 EER
Split-system Electric Heat Pump
15 SEER,
12.5 EER & 8.5 HSPF
Packaged Air Conditioner (Including Gas/Electric)
14 SEER
& 12 EER
Packaged Electric Heat Pump
14 SEER, 12 EER & 8 HSPF
Gas Furnace
95% AFUE
Advanced Main Air Circulating Fan
< 2% of
furnace total energy usage
NOTE: No guarantees are given or implied as to the eligibility
of an individual to receive a tax credit under this program or how such credit would apply. Please consult a tax professional
to determine your eligibility for and application of the credit(s).
Watch this video as our Expert Maintenance Service Techinican Owen Fountain shows you how to maintain
your a/c system to help you save money on repairs, energy and the overall lifespan of your equipment.
**** STOP! Checking These Things First Before Calling Your A/C Repair Company!
Watch this Video as our Expert Repair Technician John Zino instructs you on what items to check
first on your a/c system before calling us. This video may save you the expense of a service call fee!
