Category: Heating

There are several different types of air conditioner units and systems. There is the rooftop a/c unit which can suffer from weather damage, there is the common hvac unit that sits beside the building and is usually combined with a furnace system, then there are the portable units like a small space heater and window air conditioners. One common unit that is quite popular in homes is the split air conditioner unit. Like a window air conditioner, a split a/c unit can only cool one room. The split has its name because it is composed of two separate or “split” parts. The first part is located on the outside wall of the room that is being air conditioned. This part consists of the condenser and expanding coil and the air compressor.

The second part of the split a/c system is inside the room and is a nice looking wall air conditioner. Inside it is the fan, vents, cooling coil, and air filter. The two parts work together to provide a nice looking air conditioner that is mounted on the inside wall of the building. Many businesses like to have this kind of air conditioner in their conference rooms and offices because they look more professional than a bulky window air conditioner. Keep in mind that a splint air conditioner unit is made to only keep one room air conditioned. If your would like to keep your entire home air conditioned, it would be better to invest in a central air conditioning unit, but if you need to keep only one room cool, the split air conditioning system is a step up from a window air conditioner. 

When my husband, Dave, and I built our home, we relied heavily on the advice of the building contractor.  We should have either done a lot more research ourselves, or hired professionals in the various fields. Unfortunately the building contractor only had general knowledge of plumbing, wiring and heating/cooling.  We took his recommendation and invested in an electric heat pump to handle our year round temperature control. The general contractor assured us that the heat pump would effectively and efficiently combat local weather.  This is not the case. The heat pump is absolutely wonderful during the summer months. It operates very much like a central cooling system, extracting heat from the air and pumping it outside through the use of refrigerant.  The equipment is extremely quiet and energy efficient, and it successfully reduces humidity levels. During the cooler months of the fall, the heat pump is able to maintain comfort. The equipment actually reverses operation to find ambient heat in the outside air and transfer it into the house.  This process if exceptionally energy efficient, and keeps our heating costs quite low. We get into trouble when the outside temperature drops below freezing. At that point, there is not sufficient ambient heat available and the heat pump can’t keep up. It doesn’t matter how high we set the thermostat or how hard the heat pump struggles, our house is downright chilly.  Since the heat pump is running non stop, it costs us a lot in monthly heating bills. We’re not happy spending a fortune for heat and then bundling up in layers of sweaters to keep warm.  

A couple of years ago, my husband and I moved from a small apartment in the city into a big farmhouse in the country.  We were extremely excited to finally have a garage to park our cars, a big kitchen, plenty of closets, and a huge backyard.  Our home is surrounded by pastures and fields with a large pond in the backyard. We are located on a dirt road, nearly fifty miles from the nearest town.  We moved in during the fall, when the weather was already quite chilly. There was no opportunity to sit on the front porch, take advantage of the lawn, hang laundry on the clothesline or open the windows.  The furnace installed in the home is rather old and outdated, and it struggled to handle the severe winter temperatures. We hired an HVAC contractor to thoroughly clean and service the heating system, and got a free estimate for replacement.  We were hoping to upgrade to a more modern, energy efficient furnace within the next year. Because we are located in the northern part of the country, with long winters and short summers, we didn’t anticipate the need for air conditioning. However, once the weather warmed up and we opened our windows, we realized our mistake.  The dirt road is horribly dusty, and every time a car drives by, the dust wafts directly into the house. Sheep, cows and horses graze on the pastures surrounding our house, creating a terrible odor and drawing in an abundance of flies. We have no choice but to keep our windows closed, but then the house becomes overheated. Instead of spending our savings on a new furnace, we purchased a central cooling system.  

At twenty-seven, my brother, Sam, has still not found a career path. At that age, most young men have finished college or trade-school, and are anxious to start earning money, if they aren’t doing so already. I don’t know whether he is lazy or merely indecisive. One thing is certain, those of us he has been sponging off are going broke, so he has to find a way of earning a living, and quick.

          Sam is good at fixing things so I have been advising him to get trained as a repair man. Whenever the HVAC system technician comes by to check our unit, my brother is constantly at his elbow. Whether he is changing filters or checking vents, Sam is always there. Sometimes I wonder if the technician isn’t tired of him, but they appear to get on well together. 

          Then, a few days ago, Sam surprised us all by electing to fix our HVAC system. It was still working but the air from the A/C had begun to get musty. I was so scared that he would mess up the entire unit, but we had to acknowledge his skill when fresh, clean air began flowing from air conditioner again, after Sam was done with it. My mother and sister joined me in encouraging him to get serious about becoming an A/C repair man.  With HVAC systems being installed in homes all over the country, my brother’s skills as an A/C technician would always be in demand. 

          The best thing about that is that since Sam will be earning his own money, the rest of us will be able to keep ours in our pockets! 

Most people don’t really think about their HVAC system. They just know that it blows cold air when it’s hot outside and warm air when it’s cold outside. They don’t think about the inner workings or installation procedures or even preventative measures and easy upkeep. But when something breaks, they definitely think about the cost! I personally have had some expensive repairs but also some not so expensive quick-fixes that have increased the life of my A/C unit. It’s nice to have an A/C serviceman you can trust because no one wants to go without heat and air conditioning or have to pay for a whole new unit before they were financially ready. Some of the preventative maintenance I have been told about requires a professional, but some of it I can do on my own. For example, I can easily replace the air filters. But most of the work requires the special knowledge and expertise of a certified HVAC repairman. The can check the air flow and heat exchanger. The know how to replace any worn out parts on the unit. And all HVAC techs should be able to clean evaporator and condenser coils and clean pans and drain lines. To my knowledge, you can basically purchase preventative maintenance typically through a contract. You would have scheduled visits where the HVAC service providers would come to your house to provide the cleaning and any basic repairs. Obviously older HVAC units would require more visits and may cost more, but it’s better than having to replace the entire heating and cooling unit before its time!

I am an exceptionally light sleeper.  Every little noise wakes me up out of a deep sleep.  I get disturbed by traffic, birds, neighbors, and barking dogs.  In the winter, whenever the furnace starts up, I am woken up. Although I’ve had the furnace professionally serviced, I still hear the rattle of the ductwork and the whoosh of air coming from the supply vents.  I’ve invested quite a bit of money into insulating the ductwork, and adding soundproofing insulation to the walls and ceilings. I still need to sleep with earplugs to avoid hearing the heating system. In the summer, I tried getting by with box fans and open windows.  I hoped that the operation of the fans would drown out the exterior noise pollution, but it didn’t work. When a road crew started construction directly in front of my house, I knew it was time to invest in air conditioning. I was worried, however, that the air conditioner would be as noisy as the furnace. 

I started researching to figure out which make and model achieved the lowest sound levels. I came across electric heat pumps, which are supposed to be exceptionally quiet. Although a heat pump is quite expensive to purchase and install, they are wonderfully energy efficient. Plus, the heat pump provides both heating and cooling capacity. 

In the summer, it works exactly like a central cooling system. When the weather turns colder, it reverses operation, finding ambient heat in the outside air and pumping it indoors. The ductless heat pump is far more energy efficient than my furnace, and much quieter. Unfortunately, it is only able to handle demand until the outside temperature drops below freezing.  At that point, the furnace takes over and I need to rely on my ear plugs again.