Acquiring a new air and heating system is a significant investment and BW/Cook Service Experts understands that. However, when you look at your choices, there are a few important questions that you need answered in order to reasonably guarantee you have an affordable and efficient HVAC solution for your Elkhart area home. So let’s take a look at what you should be familiar with about a new home comfort system.
What Specifically Makes Up A Heating & Air Conditioning System?
Your home’s Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, what BW/Cook Service Experts refers to as the “home comfort system”, typically is made up of three major components:
- The furnace, which facilitates heat and air movement
- The condenser, the air conditioner or cooling equipment, and
- One or several products that control air quality and humidity levels in your home
In some Elkhart area homes, a heat pump may be used in place of a furnace and condenser. Heat pumps withdraws indoor heat in the summer and add outdoor heat in the colder months. In conjunction with the thermostat, these primary components monitor your indoor environmental comfort level. Like the engine of a truck, the home comfort system is the engine of your home that ‘drives’ your family’s indoor comfort each day.
Nothing Replaces The Quality Of Your Install
The specs of your home dictate the choices available to you for a home comfort system. The quality of the installation is extremely important in that process. If the installation is conducted inadequately, the equipment, energy-efficiency and your comfort suffers dramatically. No matter how much you spend, the equipment will experience frequent repair problems in the future if the install was bad. So it’s absolutely critical to work with a heating and air professional that can back-up their installation quality.
Give Consideration To All Possible Features And Options
There are a number of makes, models, features and options of comfort equipment available to choose from. You’ll want to look into every option that can make your home’s air quality, humidity level, temperature and energy-consumption perfectly fit for your family’s comfort and health needs. A decent home comfort company will assist you in identifying your family’s specific comfort needs and desires, then simply walk you through all the options available that will meet those needs for you. When they're completed, you should have the knowledge you need to make a choice that fits your budget and satisfies your family’s needs.
Energy Savings Now Prevail
A trustworthy home comfort company will also execute what’s called a heating and cooling load calculation and an energy-efficiency analysis on your home. These calculations not only help you figure out the proper type of equipment needed, they show how you can benefit from the additional savings of high-efficiency heating and air conditioning products.
Energy-efficiency and utility savings are big factors because the cost of operating a heating and air conditioning system is often overlooked when reconciling your budget. For example, if you can save $700 per year in utility costs with your new home comfort system, what would you do with the unexpected money? As the cost of energy continues to escalate, high-efficiency equipment becomes increasingly helpful to your family’s budget. Equally important, as heating and air conditioning manufacturers move toward making more efficient equipment, the outdoor environment also benefits. So truly consider your choice of high-efficiency equipment. It’s equipment intended to save much more than just your utility bills; it's environmentally conscious.
Only Stability Makes Warranties And Guarantees Matter
When comparing Warranties and Guarantees from various Elkhart area companies, carefully consider and aggressively question the financial health, history and longevity of the company you are dealing with. Unfortunately, this industry (like others) have some unreliable or unethical representatives out there; buyer beware. A paper certificate does not amount to much if the issuing company is not around tomorrow and you’re stuck with a poorly installed, malfunctioning system. The company should be viable enough to present you with financing options that include manageable, monthly payments. The risk with many smaller companies is that they are sold or just go out of business.
In summary, the manufacturer of the equipment will usually warrant defects in the equipment, but the installing company independently guarantees the installation work.
Getting Started
If you live in the Elkhart area, BW/Cook Service Experts can help you. Schedule an appointment online or simply call 574-218-6404 and we will be happy to assist you.
A new furnace or air conditioning system will save you energy and money every single month. Although it’s a big decision to get a new system, we hope this information has helped you understand the buying process and what to watch out for as you move through it.