As temperature control has a huge impact on our quality of life, choosing a new HVAC or heating, venting, and air conditioning system requires careful consideration. This is especially true for those of you who live in a place where the climate is hot and humid and where effective cooling and airflow are critical.
Nevertheless, before you finalize your decision to purchase a new HVAC system, you should consider repairing the old one. As it’s mentioned here https://aquariushomeservices.com/minneapolis-mn/, professionals can help you upgrade your outdated system and make it more energy-efficient.
Still, confused about choosing a new HVAC system for your house? Scroll down to the end of this article to clear out all your confusion.
You Need to Find a Furnace
The first step in selecting a new HVAC system is locating the appropriate heating equipment. Gas and other fuel-burning furnaces are some of the most popular types of heating equipment. Whether you currently own a fuel-burning furnace or use electric resistance heating, such as baseboard heaters, a new furnace is always worth considering.
To generate heat, a furnace burns natural gas, propane, or another fuel in the combustion chamber of the indoor unit. Air is circulated across the exchanger on the inside air handler, which transfers heat from the flame to the airflow.
The warm air is then blasted into the ducts, where it is spread throughout the chambers. A flue pipe is used to vent the combustion gases from the burnt fuel outdoors.
While selecting a new HVAC system, there are three basic types of air handlers that you can consider:
- Single-stage Furnaces – Older furnaces frequently have only one speed setting on their motors, which is high. These motors operate at their maximum capacity regardless of how much or how little heating you require. A lot of energy is wasted because maintaining a stable indoor temperature rarely necessitates running the furnace at full blast.
- Two-stage Furnaces– A two-stage motor has two speeds: high and low. Because the low setting is usually sufficient to keep your temperature stable, this motor can save you energy by running at a slower speed most of the time. It only goes into a high mode when your heating demand is high enough to require lots of warm air quickly.
- Modulating or variable-speed Furnaces– A variable-speed motor isn’t limited to a specific speed range. But it can run at any speed within that range. This enables it to select the most efficient speed for the given heating demand. You’ll benefit from increased energy efficiency and a more stable and even temperature.
You Can Keep It Cool with the Right Air Conditioner
In most areas, finding an efficient, high-performance cooling system is a critical part of selecting a new HVAC system. It is helpful to understand the fundamentals of how an air conditioner works before looking for one.
Air conditioners cool by circulating a fluid called refrigerant through the system. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the air and removes moisture as it passes through the indoor evaporator coil.
The ducts are blown with cool, dehumidified air. The hot refrigerant travels to the outdoor condenser coil to dissipate the heat it has absorbed.
The seasonal energy efficiency ratio measures the efficiency of air conditioners (SEER). This figure indicates how much energy the system consumes in comparison to how much heat it can reduce. Higher SEER values indicate that the system is more energy-efficient.
Even if your air conditioner is only ten years old, upgrading to a more recent model with a higher SEER rating could cut your cooling bills down to 20 to 40%.
Although SEER 14 is the lowest legally permitted rating in some locations, 14.5 SEER is necessary to meet your Energy Star requirements. However, SEERs over 20 are very unusual. A system with a SEER rating of 16 or above is ideal in our environment.
You should choose a 16 SEER model, When you divide it by 14, 16 SEER becomes 1.14, which is more powerful. The efficiency of a 16 SEER AC is almost 14 percent higher than that of a 14 SEER AC unit.
Also, a 16 SEER air conditioner is more cost-effective than a 14 SEER AC unit since if your cooling expense is $500 for the season with a 14 SEER air conditioner, a 16 SEER air conditioner would cut it to $430, saving you $70.
You Can Go for a Heat Pump
You are not just limited to a separate furnace and air conditioner when purchasing a new HVAC system. Because in the region’s mild winters, heat pumps are an excellent choice for heating and cooling.
In cooling mode, a heat pump functions similarly to an air conditioner, removing heat from your home by using refrigerant. In comparison to an air conditioner, it has a reversing valve that allows the refrigerant to flow in either direction. This enables the heat pump to heat your home by absorbing heat from the outside environment and transferring it inside.
If your air conditioner is more than ten years old, it’s probably time to replace it. Now’s a good time to think about replacing it with a heat pump. You’ll be able to select a model which functions on a higher frequency and dehumidifies even better than a standard air conditioner.
For older houses without central air conditioning or ducts, a ductless heat pump is a simple cooling choice. These systems consist of an outdoor unit. They also have one or more indoor air handlers that do the work of supplying warm and cool air directly to the room without the use of ducts.
Don’t Forget About The Ductwork
Choosing a new HVAC system is more than just heating and cooling equipment. To get an optimum level of efficiency, a forced-air system relies on well-designed and well-maintained ducts.
The size of your heating and cooling system is also affected by duct efficiency. More efficient ductwork allows you to install a smaller, less expensive system.
Several issues can reduce a duct system’s efficiency. Therefore it’s worth checking if yours is in good working order before shopping for a new furnace, A/C, or heat pump.
Start by examining your ducting and making sure that the locations where two sections of the duct will meet are all secured with foil-backed tape. If these points are not sealed or if the seals are broken, the ducts may lose up to 30% of the air they transport. This wastes heat and cool air and raises energy bills, but it also contributes to moisture and mold issues.
To maintain the air within a more constant temperature, ducts in basements and other unconditioned rooms should be insulated with duct wrap insulation or fiberglass batts.
Hiring a professional to air seal ducts ensures that the best sealing. Insulation materials are used and applied correctly for maximum efficiency.
Dust and debris accumulation in the ducts is uncommon, it reduces the efficiency of your HVAC system and can damage its components. Clogged ducts also reduce the quality of your indoor air.
If you haven’t had your ducts inspected in five years or more, or if you’ve recently done renovations, have them inspected before you start looking for new heating and cooling equipment.
Final Thoughts on Choosing a New HVAC System
Choosing an HVAC system can be a complicated task. It’s an essential one as it keeps us and our house cool. I hope this article will help you to do this essential task much more easily. Good luck!