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When it's time to enhance
your family's comfort, it's time to turn to
York. |
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| Knowing
what to ask is the first step in choosing the
best home comfort system for your home. |
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Below are some of the most common
questions homeowners ask about heating and air
conditioning systems. Just click on the question that
interests you to go directly to the answer.
Q: Why should I replace my existing heating or air
conditioning system?
A: You may wish to
consider replacing your air conditioning or heating
system if it is old, inefficient or in need of repair.
Today's systems are as much as 60% more efficient than
those systems manufactured as little as ten years ago.
In addition, if not properly maintained, wear and tear
on a system can reduce the actual or realized efficiency
of the system. If you are concerned about utility bills
or are faced with an expensive repair, you may want to
consider replacing your system rather than enduring
another costly season or paying to replace an expensive
component. The utility cost savings of a new unit may
provide an attractive return on your investment. If you
plan on financing the purchase, the monthly savings on
your utility bill should be considered when determining
the actual monthly cost of replacing a system. The
offsetting savings may permit you to purchase a more
efficient system.
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Q: How expensive are air conditioning and heat pump
systems?
A: Many factors affect the
cost of a heating or air conditioning system, including
the size of your home, the type and condition of the
ductwork installed and accessories you might need such
as a thermostat or an electronic air cleaner. We have a
complete range of systems and accessories available to
meet all your needs, including your financial ones! Your
local dealer will be happy to assist you in finding the
right system to meet not only your comfort needs but
also your household budget.
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Q: How do I select the right heating/cooling system?
A: First, make sure the
unit is properly sized. Your York dealer will provide a
load calculation for your home. Also ask the dealer to
provide an energy analysis to determine operating cost.
Next, consider any comfort issues in the home. Some
products can reduce air stratification and uneven
temperatures from room to room. If you have allergies,
an indoor unit with an ECM motor will allow you to
circulate the air in your home continuously while
filtering the air for about the same cost as operating a
standard light bulb. Finally, know your budget
parameters and the efficiency of the system being
proposed. Does the system offer a payback? In other
words, will the monthly savings over time offset the
cost of the new unit or efficiency option being
considered?
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Q: What is involved in replacing an old system?
A: Aside from the
placement of the new equipment, your York dealer will
inspect several items and make a determination of
whether or not these items need to be supplied or
replaced. Some of the items include: ductwork,
insulation, refrigerant piping, electrical service,
wiring, thermostat, condensate piping, flue piping, flue
terminations, chimney liner, slabs, filter, driers,
registers, grills, drain pans and evaporator coil.
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Q: What is involved in installing a new system?
A: If a system is being
added to the home for the first time, most of the items
noted in the previous question and answer may be
required to install the new system. Besides the
equipment, the most significant component is ductwork.
The ductwork can be either metal or fiberglass ductwork.
The ductwork needs to be properly sized to deliver the
right amount of air to each room. The ductwork consists
of supply and return ductwork. The supply duct is
attached to the outlet of the furnace or air handler and
delivers air to individual zones in your home. Your York
dealer will determine the size of the ductwork going
into a space by the amount of air that needs to be
delivered to the space.
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Q: How long can I expect a new system to last?
A: If you have a qualified
technician perform regular preventative maintenance and
service suggested for your unit, industry averages
suggest that an air conditioner should last 12-15 years
(sea coast applications may be less) and a gas furnace
should last as many as 20-25 years.
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Q: What are some preventative maintenance things I
should be aware of?
A: With the proper
attention, heating and cooling systems can keep you
comfortable year-round. Heat pumps and oil-fired
furnaces and boilers need a yearly professional tune-up.
Gas-fired equipment, on the other hand, burns cleaner
and can be serviced every other year. A close inspection
will uncover leaks, soot, rust, rot, corroded electrical
contacts and frayed wires. In furnace (forced-air) and
boiler (hot-water) systems, the inspection should also
cover the chimney, ductwork or pipes, dampers or valves,
blower or pump, registers or radiators, the fuel line
and the gas meter or oil tank — as well as every part of
the furnace or boiler itself.
Next, the system should be run through a full heating
cycle to ensure that it has plenty of combustion air and
chimney draft. Finally, cleaning the burner and heat
exchanger to remove soot and other gunk will prevent
such buildup from impeding smooth operation. For the
burner, efficiency hinges on adjusting the flame to the
right size and color, adjusting the flow of gas or
changing the fuel filter in an oil-fired system. A check
of the heat pump should include an inspection of the
compressor, fan, indoor and outdoor coils and
refrigerant lines. Indoor and outdoor coils should be
cleaned, and the refrigerant pressure should be checked.
Blower
Tuning up the distribution side of a forced-air system
starts with the blower. The axle should be lubricated,
blades cleaned and lower motor checked to insure the
unit isn't being overloaded. The fan belt should be
adjusted so it deflects no more than an inch when
pressed. Every accessible joint in the ductwork should
be sealed with mastic or UL-approved duct tapes. Any
ducts that run outside the heated space should be
insulated. On a hot-water system, the expansion tank
should be drained, the circulating pump cleaned and
lubricated and air bled out of the radiators.
Thermostat
While thermostats rarely fail outright, they can degrade
over time as mechanical parts stick or lose their
calibration. Older units will send faulty signals if
they've been knocked out of level or have dirty
switches. To recalibrate an older unit, use a wrench to
adjust the nut on the back of the mercury switch until
it turns the system on and, using a room thermometer,
set it to the correct temperature. Modern electronic
thermostats, sealed at the factory to keep out dust and
grime, rarely need adjusting. However, whether your
thermostat is old or young, the hole where the
thermostat wire comes through the wall needs to be
caulked, or a draft could trick it into thinking the
room is warmer or colder than it really is.
Humidifier
A neglected in-duct humidifier can breed mildew and
bacteria, not to mention add too much moisture to a
house. A common mistake with humidifiers is leaving them
on after the heating season ends. Don't forget to pull
the plug, shut the water valve and drain the unit. A
unit with a water reservoir should be drained and
cleaned with white vinegar, a mix of one part chlorine
bleach to eight parts water or muriatic acid. Mist-type
humidifiers also require regular cleaning to remove
mineral deposits.
Filters
Most houses with forced-air furnaces have a standard
furnace filter made from loosely woven spun-glass fibers
designed to keep it and its ductwork clean.
Unfortunately, they don't improve indoor air quality.
That takes a media filter, which sits in between the
main return duct and the blower cabinet. Made of a
deeply pleated, paper-like material, media filters are
at least seven times better than a standard filter at
removing dust and other particles. An upgrade to a
pleated media filter will cleanse the air of everything
from insecticide dust to flu viruses. Compressed, media
filters are usually no wider than six inches, but the
pleated material can cover up to 75 square feet when
stretched out. This increased area of filtration
accounts for the filter's long life, which can exceed
two years. The only drawback to a media filter is its
tight weave, which can restrict a furnace's ability to
blow air through the house. To insure a steady, strong
airflow through the house, choose a filter that matches
your blower's capacity.
Duct Cleaning
A maze of heating and air conditioning ducts runs inside
the walls and floors of 80 percent of American homes. As
the supply ducts blow air into the rooms, return ducts
inhale airborne dust and suck it back into the blower.
Add moisture to this mixture and you've got a breeding
ground for allergy-inducing molds, mites and bacteria.
Many filters commonly used today can't keep dust and
debris from streaming into the air and over time sizable
accumulations can form — think dust bunnies, but bigger.
To find out if your ducts need cleaning, pull off some
supply and return registers and take a look. If a new
furnace is being installed, you should probably invest
in a duct cleaning at the same time, because chances are
the new blower will be more powerful than the old one
and will stir up a lot of dust.
Professional duct cleaners tout such benefits as cleaner
indoor air, longer equipment life and lower energy
costs. Clean HVAC systems can also perform more
efficiently, which may decrease energy costs, and last
longer, reducing the need for costly replacement or
repairs. Cleaning has little effect on air quality,
primarily because most indoor dust drifts in from the
outdoors. But it does get rid of the stuff that mold and
bacteria grow on, and that means less of it gets
airborne, a boon to allergy sufferers.
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Q: Should I change my indoor coil?
A: When replacing your air
conditioner or heat pump, the answer is most likely yes.
The efficiency ratings that are advertised for an air
conditioner or heat pump are based on the performance as
part of a matched system. If only the outdoor portion is
changed, the efficiency and savings could be less than
that of a matched system.
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Q: Where do I get replacement parts?
A: Contact your York
dealer for help obtaining replacement parts.
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Q: What is covered in my warranty?
A: All York products come
with a written limited warranty on parts. This warranty
states that a replacement part will be furnished for any
part of the product that fails in normal use and service
during the applicable warranty period specified in
accordance with the warranty's terms.
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