How much will a new system cost me? Depending on the size of your home and level of comfort you are wanting, we can help narrow the choice for you. We can calculate the heat/cooling load for your house to accurately find the size you need and can give you the correct price. An air conditioning and heating company will need to see how your current system is run to determine accessibility for replacement systems. Why is the dry air in my house during winter? This problem is typically seen more often in gas furnaces. When your furnace is on, the flames that warm your heat exchanger are drying the moisture in the air, causing a dry air feeling. The best thing to do if you are suffering with this is to call your HVAC company and ask about Humidifiers. They should be able to help you with this problem. My family suffers from allergies. Is there a way to improve our indoor air quality?In most situations, a three step process is required. First, remove the contaminants in your ductwork by having your vents/ductwork professionally cleaned.

Second, have your ductwork air sealed to prevent unwanted dust from getting into your ventilation. Third step: upgrade your filtration system.  There are many indoor air quality products out there and the best way to find out what your needs are is to contact your local air conditioning and heating company.ac unit names How often should I have my air ducts cleaned?ac power supply description How often you need to have your air ducts cleaned  depends on household conditions. new house ac unitIs there a lot of traffic in and out of the house, are there pets in the house, or does anyone have health/breathing issues? All these factors come in to play. Typically, a homeowner needs to have the air ducts cleaned every 3 to 7 years. The best way to determine this is to get a free video inspection of your ductwork.

How often should I change my filter? How often a person should change a filter depends on the household conditions. 1″ filters should be changed every 3 to 4 weeks,  4″ media filters every 4 to 6 months, or  high efficiency filters every 6 to 12 months. Keeping your filters changed regularly is a must; not doing so will put a strain on your air conditioning unit and cause unnecessary repair work down the road. How can we improve the efficiency of our existing cooling and heating system without replacing it? The best way to improve the efficiency and longevity of your system is to have a routine preventative maintenance program with your HVAC contractor. Not only will this get you the most out of your equipment, but it will also prevent any unwanted breakdowns. With a preventative maintenance agreement your system’s lifespan will far exceed that of one that does not receive regular maintenance. Should I Repair or Replace my unit? Repair if your system:

Replace if your system: Is less than 12 years old. Has a preventative maintenance. Heat exchanger and/orcompressor are operating as they should be. Costs less than $400 to repair. Is over 12 years old Has been poorly maintained compressor are not operating as they should be. Costs over $400 to repair. Your utility costs are high. Your want your system to be more environmentally friendly. You will live in your house for more than two years. Your system does not meet today’s safety standards. Your unit is abnormally noisy. How do I decide the best air conditioning & heating equipment for my needs? Your potential HVAC company should discuss what you want from your system: How long are you planning on living there? Are you interested in saving money/energy? Has the previous system been cooling/heating your house properly? All these questions play an important role in what equipment is best for your needs.

How do I decide the best air conditioning & heating equipment for my home? When searching for the right HVAC contractor for your house, three things are a must: they must be licensed, bonded, and insured in your surrounding area. Another thing to look for is experience and knowledge.  Ask how long have they been in business, what certifications the company has and if their employees are properly certified. They should be able to answer any question you may have about your system: what size it is, if the duct work is run properly, if anything is not working as well as it should be. The most important things a homeowner should look for in an air conditioning & heating contractor are: Do feel comfortable with them, are they reliable and trustworthy, are they informative, are they going to do what they said they would do?If you’re looking to buy a new water heater, choosing the right size makes all the difference when it comes to your comfort and utility bills. Go too small and you’ll run out of hot water before the end of your showers.

Go too big and you’ll pay more for hot water you’ll never use. So how do you ensure you’re getting the right size water heater? Well, it depends on the type of water heater you are purchasing: tank or tankless. Tank and tankless water heaters are measured differently. Read on for step-by-step guides on how to choose the right size for both tank and tankless water heaters. To determine the correct size tank water heater you only need to look at 2 numbers: The tanks FHR or “1st-hour rating” will be listed on the yellow EnergyGuide label. Be sure that your tank’s FHR falls within 1-3 gallons of your peak hour demand. Your peak hour demand can be calculated using the chart and steps below: Photo Courtesy: The Inspector's Journal Online Step 1: Pick an hour of the day that your house uses the most hot water. Determine how many activities in the chart above will be performed during that one hour. Hint: If 2 showers are running at the same time be sure to multiply the average gallons for that activity by 2 (20x2=40).

Step 2: Add up the avg. gallons of hot water that will be used during that hour. This is your household’s peak hour demand. Example of a typical peak hour of demand for a family of three. Photo Courtesy: The Inspector's Journal Online Step 3: Choose a tank with an FHR that is close to your peak hour demand figure. For example, the family referenced in the chart above should look for a tank water heater with an FHR of around 70. Tankless water heaters are sized differently than tank water heaters because they work differently. Instead of heating a large amount of water that is readily available at all times, they heat incoming water only as you need it. Tankless water heaters are measured in two ways: Calculate your flow rate and temperature rise using the chart and directions below: Step 1: Select the hot water appliances that you expect to ever run at the same time. Step 2: Add those appliances’ average flow (gallons per minute) together. This is your home’s flow rate.

Step 3: Determine the maximum water temperature you’ll want to use and subtract the incoming water temperature. In Minnesota, the incoming water temperature is around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Example: Let’s say you expect to use your dishwasher, kitchen sink and shower at the same time. Your flow rate would then be 4-5 GPM. Now let’s say that the highest temperature water you’ll need is 120 degrees for your washing machine. Subtract the incoming water temperature from this and you get your temperature rise (120 - 40 = 80). So, you would need a tankless water heater that provides at least an 80 degree rise in temperature at up to 5 gallons of hot water per minute. NOTE: A temperature rise of 80 degrees at a flow rate of 5 GPM is at the high end of most residential tankless water heaters. To get a more affordable tankless water heater, you may need to not run as many hot water-using appliances at once. Live in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and have more questions about your water heater?