There are may questions that are on homeowners and business owners minds, here are some common ones:
1. How often should I have my HVAC system serviced?
Answer: Normally twice a year for residences, business possibly quarterly.
2. What does SEER stand for? HVAC? IAQ? Why so many acronyms?
Answer: SEER is Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating – HVAC is Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning – IAQ is Indoor Air Quality
3. Are “fancy” filters important and do they work?
Answer: Yes they do! The basic filter only catches the “bowling balls and babies” and each time you upgrade to a better filter, you are doing a good thing! Try taking salt and pepper and see if you can pour it thru your filter. If so, you have a big problem! There are lots of solutions for customers with allergy and indoor air quality problems. This is a major focus of all our in-home consultations!
4. Can’t I just buy this stuff at Home Depot?
Answer: Some things you can and that is fine. However, most things have to be installed and lots of things need to be calibrated. These things need to be done by a HVAC professional technician. We get lots of calls from homeowners that tried to “do it themselves” and were not successful. We can help!
5. Why can’t you just come out to my house and “top off” the refrigerant each year?
Answer: A HVAC system uses refrigerant that is very special and needs to be treated as such. Also, the system is a “closed” system, meaning there should not be a leak or loss of refrigerant. If this happens, there is a leak that needs to be fixed. We do not want to do our customers a disservice by “toppoing off” their system each year. We want to fix the leak/problem not just put a bandaid on it.
6. Is the “Nest” thermostat very good?
Answer: Some customers really like the Nest thermostat, others have not. The ones that have not liked it think it is not nearly as simple to use as advertised. At Pearson Air we have some very similar functioning thermostats that will be very user friendly and can perform similar functions as the Nest thermostat. Ask for a demo!
7. Is duct sealing worth the cost?
Answer: Absolutely! Many of the homes we go into have duct leakage. Basically, you are losing air into the attic or wall cavities. This air is supposed to be heating or cooling your home, not the attic or wall cavities. The ductwork should be a sealed and closed system and should not have any air leaking out to unwanted places. This is a cost effective solution to many air flow problems!
8. Should I have my ductwork cleaned or replaced?
Answer: This question has a different answer for each homeowner because no two situations are exactly the same. There are a couple of things to consider: the age of the home and the ductwork, the length of time a homeowner is going to stay in this home, does the homeowner have pets, does the homeowner have allergy or asthma issues? Based on the answers to these questions, a decision can be made to clean or replace the ductwork. If the homeowner is going to stay in the home for several years, replacement is a good decision because they will see value in the price to replace. Cleaning is not quite as good but also not as expensive.
9. How does a typical air conditioning system work?
Answer: Here is a link to a great diagram and answer to this question on the Amana website: http://www.amana-hac.com/HeatingCooling101/tabid/1513/Default.aspx
