The Energy Series by HouseTalk

Week 5: A/C & Heating - July 7, 2001

This Week's segment is brought to you by Total Air & Heat. This Week's guest speaker is Steve Lauten from Total Air & Heat.

Should I Repair or Replace My Air Conditioner?
This question is asked by many of our Customers during the hot summer months. The answers are not always cut and dried; but if you follow the guidelines below it will help you make a better decision.

Let's begin by discussing the age of your system. There has been vast improvement over the last 5 years in efficiency and reliability by all manufacturers. If your system was installed as part of your new home prior to 1992 the SEER of your unit when it was new was likely around an 8 SEER. What is SEER, that stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio and it is similar a comparison of miles per gallon on a car. The higher the SEER the lower your utility bill will be. There are 2 types of air conditioning systems available from a design standpoint:

Air Source: This is what most homes have. This system has an outdoor unit that rejects the heat from inside your home to the outdoors. That's why it is called air source. These units are available as a traditional air conditioner, or a heat pump.

Ground Source: this system is typically called Geothermal, Earth Coupled, or GeoEnergy. Instead of rejecting the heat removed from your home to the air outdoors, it rejects the heat to the earth. In the Dallas/Ft. worth area the earth remains a constant temperature of around 68-70 degrees. That sure beats the 100-degree plus temperatures we see in the summer! These cooler temperatures allow the compressor to work at a significantly lower operating cost. As an example we have homes that have utility bills around $30.00-$40.00 per month for a 1400 sq. ft home and $1,000-$1,200 per month for an 24,000 sq. ft. home. That is less than half of what you would expect for a typical home of this size. These systems operate as heat pumps, but provide comfort levels similar to normal air conditioners in the summer and in the winter similar to gas heat.

Currently there are Air Source units that have SEER's as high as 18 SEER. Geothermal systems are rated in EER instead of SEER because the earth temperatures remain constant the efficiency is not seasonal like an Air Source system. Geothermal systems have SEER ratings as high as 25-30 SEER depending on the earth temperature in your area.

We have discussed that if your home or system is older than a 1992 vintage that it is likely an 8 SEER or lower. If your system is older than 15 years of age it is likely operating at a 6 SEER or lower. According to the Department of Energy for each increase of 1 point on the SEER rating you will receive an approximate 10% increase in efficiency. Therefore a 9 SEER unit is 10% more efficient than an 8 SEER unit, and an 18 SEER unit is 60% more efficient than a 12 SEER unit. This also applies in reverse. A 6 SEER unit is 50% less efficient than a 12 SEER unit. In 1992 the Department of Energy mandated the lowest SEER that could be manufactured was a 10 SEER unit. Most manufacturers and contractors had significant inventory of equipment when this law went into effect and it was 1993 before most inventory was depleted. There is current mandates that will require a minimum of 12 SEER and possibly 13 SEER be manufactured starting in 2006. The DOE has not finalized the rules, but it is very likely that 12 SEER will be the minimum SEER available. I would also like to mention that some states and Cities also have SEER minimums. The City of Frisco is having discussion on making 12 SEER the minimum that can be installed on a new home starting in Jan. 2002.

We have discussed SEER and what they mean to you from an efficiency/utility bill standpoint. It should also be mentioned that most higher SEER units are quieter and do a better job of controlling the temperature/humidity in your home. Your body notices both temperature and humidity. Most people have a comfort zone that prefers relative humidity of around 45%-55%. Many of the newer systems have multi compressors, 2 speed compressors, or compressors than can change capacity by reversing direction. All of these type units allow the system to run a longer cycle and removing more humidity from the home.

What about the phase of refrigerants? The refrigerant your system likely uses is R-22, which is a HCFC or Hydrochlorofluorocarbon. In 1987 the Montreal Protocol mandated that HCFC's begin a phase out. All air conditioning manufacturers must quit making units using R-22 by 2010. As the phase out continues the production of R-22 is decreased. The use of R-22 is currently at or above the maximum allowed to be produced. Projections indicate we will continue to be above the maximum production allowed. The maximum production allowed significantly decreases in 2004, by about 35%. As this phase out continues the cost of R-22 will increase.

What are my choices? The majority of the manufacturers are designing their new equipment to use refrigerant R-410A. Carrier has taken the lead in producing units that use R-410A and have been producing these units for about 5 years. Carrier has about 250,000 of these units installed with excellent results. Virtually all manufacturers have systems available with R-410A and have several different SEER units available.

What unit should I buy? Units using R-22 will continue to be available and if your system is installed properly you should not have refrigerant leaks. Prices of R-22 will increase as the phase out continues, but I do not anticipate significant issues with price increase until 2004 or later. If you are in the market for a new system I highly recommend you explore your choices with systems that use R-410A. I also suggest whatever system you buy, that you consider a manufacturers extended warranty. These warranties are available that covers repairs up to 10 years and will protect your investment whether you choose a system that uses R-22 or R-410A.

We have set the groundwork for what SEER system you most likely have in your home and what is available to replace it. Let's discuss the point in time when it makes sense to replace your system instead of repairing it.

Listed below are several scenarios to consider before making a decision:
System under 5 years of age: In most cases fix the unit. Virtually all manufacturers provide a 5 to 10-year parts warranty on the compressor. Some manufacturers also provide a 5 or 10-year parts warranty on the condenser and evaporator coils if the system is installed at the same time.

Systems over 5 years of age: Compressor failure-when the compressor fails and the compressor is out of warranty we suggest replacing the entire unit. The replacement compressor will typically carry a 1-year warranty. The cost of the replacement compressor is normally ½ to ¾ the cost of a new unit. If you have a high efficiency unit 12 SEER or better than replacing the compressor should be a consideration. Some better manufacturers offer a 10-year parts warranty on the compressor, be sure to have your contractor check and see if your compressor is in warranty. If your condenser coil fails follow the same guidelines as compressor replacement. Any other part that fails normally is low enough in cost to warrant a repair instead of replacing the unit if the system is under 5 years old.

Systems over 8 year of age: Unless the part is below $250.00 we suggest considering replacing the unit. If the condenser fan motor fails, it is possible that hidden damage is present. Your compressor depends on the condenser fan motor to remove heat from the unit. When the fan motor fails it puts a tremendous amount of stress on the compressor and condenser coil. The compressor is similar to your car engine; overheating can damage both. If your unit runs for an extended period of time with the condenser fan motor out the compressor can suffer bearing damage and motor winding damage. The compressor is a sealed unit and many times the damage does not show up right away. Bottom line, you need to be sure all aspects have been considered before making a decision.

Preventative Maintenance: Don't be tricked by the under $30.00 tune up. Most contractors that offer this type of tune up are hoping to find parts to replace. In some cases the technicians are paid a flat rate fee based on the repair cost. Think about it for a minute, how can a contractor send a technician to your home for $30.00 and cover his costs? The $30.00 has to cover the technician's hourly cost, travel time, vehicle costs and overhead. Be sure to read what the under $30.00 tune up includes. In virtually all cases it does not include any cleaning, only visual inspection! A good tune up will cost $60.00 to $100.00 and will include cleaning the condenser coil on the outdoor unit. The condenser coil needs to be cleaned yearly, even if it appears to be clean. The coil has to be cleaned yearly to remove oxidation and contamination at the point where the tubes meet the fins. Be aware that many units have a double row coil, which can be completely plugged, and none of the dirt is visible. The top has to be removed and the coil carefully spread apart to properly clean a double row coil.

Preventative Maintenance Agreements: most contractors offer a maintenance agreement, which provide two tune ups per year, one cooling and one heating. In addition many contractors offer 10%-15% discounts on repairs and make you a priority customer as part of owning a maintenance agreement. Many consumers are not aware that if you add up the hours a A/C and Heat system runs in 1 year and the RPM's the system operates at, is equivalent to a car that runs in excess of 60,000 miles per year. Studies have been done by universities and utility companies that consistently shows that you will save in reduced utility bills the amount spent having your system tuned up.

Choosing a Contractor:
This can be a difficult process and many consumers make a fatal mistake in choosing a contractor based on price. There are exceptions to every rule, but in most cases you get what you pay for and rarely will you regret paying a little more to get the job done right. One thing I always like to make my customers aware of is what I call the "Cardboard Box Rule". That being a new air conditioning and heating systems comes in a cardboard box and works as good as the company who installed it. Unlike a car, refrigerator, television, or a computer which are all completed products and can be shopped from one retailer to another and still get a product that product is 100% ready to turn on or drive away. A new air conditioner can be the best unit available; but give you problems if not installed properly. Many contractors have given in to price pressures and use sub contractors to install their equipment. Sub Contractors get a flat fee to install the job, the faster they do it, the sooner they can start another job. Many of the best contractors still use hourly employees to install their equipment; this is because quality and service are still their main focus. Be sure to get in writing exactly what you are paying for. Ask for model numbers, brand name, warranty, and hours of service in writing. Ask about satisfaction guarantees in writing. Never pay 100% of the cost for the work in advance, always hold at least ½ back until the job is finished. I also suggest seeing if your contractor is a member of ACCA-Air Conditioning Contractors of America. The local chapter that covers North Texas requires that all contractor members sign a code of ethics that requires the contractor to satisfy the customer or agree to binding arbitration through the Better Business Bureau. In addition an ethics committee investigates any complaints and the contractor can be fined or removed as a member. Last but certainly not least make sure your contractor is licensed and insured. The State of Texas requires all contractors performing service, repairs, or replacements be licensed through the Department of Licensing and Regulation in Austin, Texas. This department ensures that all contractors are insured and follow guidelines.

In summary air conditioning systems are the heart of your home. When operating properly they can work behind the scene to ensure comfort within your home. Take the time to properly maintain your system. When it breaks do your homework before calling a contractor. Understand what their fees are, and check references. If you have any questions about this article please call me at 972-881-0020.

Steve Lauten
General Manager
Total Air and Heat Co.
Plano, TX 75074
TACL-A011386C

.

The Energy Series is produced by Chris Miles and HouseTalk on 105.3. If you have questions on this series, please click here to e-mail Chris: Chris@remodelingshow.net.

.

Site Design & Hosting by PCA Web Design & Hosting
For more information, contact us at: info@pcawebdesign.com

Copyright 2001-2003

Week 5: A/C & Heating - July 7, 2001

This Week's segment is brought to you by Total Air & Heat. This Week's guest speaker is Steve Lauten from Total Air & Heat.

Should I Repair or Replace My Air Conditioner?

This question is asked by many of our Customers during the hot summer months. The answers are not always cut and dried; but if you follow the guidelines below it will help you make a better decision.

Let's begin by discussing the age of your system. There has been vast improvement over the last 5 years in efficiency and reliability by all manufacturers. If your system was installed as part of your new home prior to 1992 the SEER of your unit when it was new was likely around an 8 SEER. What is SEER, that stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio and it is similar a comparison of miles per gallon on a car. The higher the SEER the lower your utility bill will be. There are 2 types of air conditioning systems available from a design standpoint:

Air Source: This is what most homes have. This system has an outdoor unit that rejects the heat from inside your home to the outdoors. That's why it is called air source. These units are available as a traditional air conditioner, or a heat pump.

Ground Source: this system is typically called Geothermal, Earth Coupled, or GeoEnergy. Instead of rejecting the heat removed from your home to the air outdoors, it rejects the heat to the earth. In the Dallas/Ft. worth area the earth remains a constant temperature of around 68-70 degrees. That sure beats the 100-degree plus temperatures we see in the summer! These cooler temperatures allow the compressor to work at a significantly lower operating cost. As an example we have homes that have utility bills around $30.00-$40.00 per month for a 1400 sq. ft home and $1,000-$1,200 per month for an 24,000 sq. ft. home. That is less than half of what you would expect for a typical home of this size. These systems operate as heat pumps, but provide comfort levels similar to normal air conditioners in the summer and in the winter similar to gas heat.

Currently there are Air Source units that have SEER's as high as 18 SEER. Geothermal systems are rated in EER instead of SEER because the earth temperatures remain constant the efficiency is not seasonal like an Air Source system. Geothermal systems have SEER ratings as high as 25-30 SEER depending on the earth temperature in your area.

We have discussed that if your home or system is older than a 1992 vintage that it is likely an 8 SEER or lower. If your system is older than 15 years of age it is likely operating at a 6 SEER or lower. According to the Department of Energy for each increase of 1 point on the SEER rating you will receive an approximate 10% increase in efficiency. Therefore a 9 SEER unit is 10% more efficient than an 8 SEER unit, and an 18 SEER unit is 60% more efficient than a 12 SEER unit. This also applies in reverse. A 6 SEER unit is 50% less efficient than a 12 SEER unit. In 1992 the Department of Energy mandated the lowest SEER that could be manufactured was a 10 SEER unit. Most manufacturers and contractors had significant inventory of equipment when this law went into effect and it was 1993 before most inventory was depleted. There is current mandates that will require a minimum of 12 SEER and possibly 13 SEER be manufactured starting in 2006. The DOE has not finalized the rules, but it is very likely that 12 SEER will be the minimum SEER available. I would also like to mention that some states and Cities also have SEER minimums. The City of Frisco is having discussion on making 12 SEER the minimum that can be installed on a new home starting in Jan. 2002.

We have discussed SEER and what they mean to you from an efficiency/utility bill standpoint. It should also be mentioned that most higher SEER units are quieter and do a better job of controlling the temperature/humidity in your home. Your body notices both temperature and humidity. Most people have a comfort zone that prefers relative humidity of around 45%-55%. Many of the newer systems have multi compressors, 2 speed compressors, or compressors than can change capacity by reversing direction. All of these type units allow the system to run a longer cycle and removing more humidity from the home.

What about the phase of refrigerants? The refrigerant your system likely uses is R-22, which is a HCFC or Hydrochlorofluorocarbon. In 1987 the Montreal Protocol mandated that HCFC's begin a phase out. All air conditioning manufacturers must quit making units using R-22 by 2010. As the phase out continues the production of R-22 is decreased. The use of R-22 is currently at or above the maximum allowed to be produced. Projections indicate we will continue to be above the maximum production allowed. The maximum production allowed significantly decreases in 2004, by about 35%. As this phase out continues the cost of R-22 will increase.

What are my choices? The majority of the manufacturers are designing their new equipment to use refrigerant R-410A. Carrier has taken the lead in producing units that use R-410A and have been producing these units for about 5 years. Carrier has about 250,000 of these units installed with excellent results. Virtually all manufacturers have systems available with R-410A and have several different SEER units available.

What unit should I buy? Units using R-22 will continue to be available and if your system is installed properly you should not have refrigerant leaks. Prices of R-22 will increase as the phase out continues, but I do not anticipate significant issues with price increase until 2004 or later. If you are in the market for a new system I highly recommend you explore your choices with systems that use R-410A. I also suggest whatever system you buy, that you consider a manufacturers extended warranty. These warranties are available that covers repairs up to 10 years and will protect your investment whether you choose a system that uses R-22 or R-410A.

We have set the groundwork for what SEER system you most likely have in your home and what is available to replace it. Let's discuss the point in time when it makes sense to replace your system instead of repairing it.

Listed below are several scenarios to consider before making a decision:
System under 5 years of age: In most cases fix the unit. Virtually all manufacturers provide a 5 to 10-year parts warranty on the compressor. Some manufacturers also provide a 5 or 10-year parts warranty on the condenser and evaporator coils if the system is installed at the same time.

Systems over 5 years of age: Compressor failure-when the compressor fails and the compressor is out of warranty we suggest replacing the entire unit. The replacement compressor will typically carry a 1-year warranty. The cost of the replacement compressor is normally ½ to ¾ the cost of a new unit. If you have a high efficiency unit 12 SEER or better than replacing the compressor should be a consideration. Some better manufacturers offer a 10-year parts warranty on the compressor, be sure to have your contractor check and see if your compressor is in warranty. If your condenser coil fails follow the same guidelines as compressor replacement. Any other part that fails normally is low enough in cost to warrant a repair instead of replacing the unit if the system is under 5 years old.

Systems over 8 year of age: Unless the part is below $250.00 we suggest considering replacing the unit. If the condenser fan motor fails, it is possible that hidden damage is present. Your compressor depends on the condenser fan motor to remove heat from the unit. When the fan motor fails it puts a tremendous amount of stress on the compressor and condenser coil. The compressor is similar to your car engine; overheating can damage both. If your unit runs for an extended period of time with the condenser fan motor out the compressor can suffer bearing damage and motor winding damage. The compressor is a sealed unit and many times the damage does not show up right away. Bottom line, you need to be sure all aspects have been considered before making a decision.

Preventative Maintenance: Don't be tricked by the under $30.00 tune up. Most contractors that offer this type of tune up are hoping to find parts to replace. In some cases the technicians are paid a flat rate fee based on the repair cost. Think about it for a minute, how can a contractor send a technician to your home for $30.00 and cover his costs? The $30.00 has to cover the technician's hourly cost, travel time, vehicle costs and overhead. Be sure to read what the under $30.00 tune up includes. In virtually all cases it does not include any cleaning, only visual inspection! A good tune up will cost $60.00 to $100.00 and will include cleaning the condenser coil on the outdoor unit. The condenser coil needs to be cleaned yearly, even if it appears to be clean. The coil has to be cleaned yearly to remove oxidation and contamination at the point where the tubes meet the fins. Be aware that many units have a double row coil, which can be completely plugged, and none of the dirt is visible. The top has to be removed and the coil carefully spread apart to properly clean a double row coil.

Preventative Maintenance Agreements: most contractors offer a maintenance agreement, which provide two tune ups per year, one cooling and one heating. In addition many contractors offer 10%-15% discounts on repairs and make you a priority customer as part of owning a maintenance agreement. Many consumers are not aware that if you add up the hours a A/C and Heat system runs in 1 year and the RPM's the system operates at, is equivalent to a car that runs in excess of 60,000 miles per year. Studies have been done by universities and utility companies that consistently shows that you will save in reduced utility bills the amount spent having your system tuned up.

Choosing a Contractor:
This can be a difficult process and many consumers make a fatal mistake in choosing a contractor based on price. There are exceptions to every rule, but in most cases you get what you pay for and rarely will you regret paying a little more to get the job done right. One thing I always like to make my customers aware of is what I call the "Cardboard Box Rule". That being a new air conditioning and heating systems comes in a cardboard box and works as good as the company who installed it. Unlike a car, refrigerator, television, or a computer which are all completed products and can be shopped from one retailer to another and still get a product that product is 100% ready to turn on or drive away. A new air conditioner can be the best unit available; but give you problems if not installed properly. Many contractors have given in to price pressures and use sub contractors to install their equipment. Sub Contractors get a flat fee to install the job, the faster they do it, the sooner they can start another job. Many of the best contractors still use hourly employees to install their equipment; this is because quality and service are still their main focus. Be sure to get in writing exactly what you are paying for. Ask for model numbers, brand name, warranty, and hours of service in writing. Ask about satisfaction guarantees in writing. Never pay 100% of the cost for the work in advance, always hold at least ½ back until the job is finished. I also suggest seeing if your contractor is a member of ACCA-Air Conditioning Contractors of America. The local chapter that covers North Texas requires that all contractor members sign a code of ethics that requires the contractor to satisfy the customer or agree to binding arbitration through the Better Business Bureau. In addition an ethics committee investigates any complaints and the contractor can be fined or removed as a member. Last but certainly not least make sure your contractor is licensed and insured. The State of Texas requires all contractors performing service, repairs, or replacements be licensed through the Department of Licensing and Regulation in Austin, Texas. This department ensures that all contractors are insured and follow guidelines.

In summary air conditioning systems are the heart of your home. When operating properly they can work behind the scene to ensure comfort within your home. Take the time to properly maintain your system. When it breaks do your homework before calling a contractor. Understand what their fees are, and check references. If you have any questions about this article please call me at 972-881-0020.

Steve Lauten
General Manager
Total Air and Heat Co.
Plano, TX 75074
TACL-A011386C