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Most people don’t understand why replacing a furnace or AC system costs more money nowadays than 10 years ago. Changing permit laws and higher efficiency requirements are the main issues behind these increasing costs. New permits cost more and increase the work required For any licensed contractor, a permit is required whenever a furnace or AC system…

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) is partnering with local law enforcement, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and industry leaders in the warm-air heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) sector to address an epidemic of companies that promise consumers low-cost tune-ups, and then up-sell services or insist on replacing an entire system through high-pressure sales and…

Evidence From the Field: Job Pictures AC unit in disrepair after only 2 years without professional maintenance BELOW: A nice Fujitsu mini split 2007 indoor unit after 2 years of no professional maintenance. The owners cleaned the air filters, but it still was not enough, and we received a service call that this AC was…

What’s a SEER? When purchasing a car, smart buyers usually check the miles-per-gallon rating. When purchasing gasoline, they check the octane rating. And, when purchasing a central air conditioning system, they check the SEER rating. The what? The SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, rating. Like its “mpg” counterpart in the automotive industry, the SEER…

Reliability is King Imagine entertaining guests at your home on a hot, humid day, and the central air conditioning system breaks down. Imagine that, and you easily can understand why reliability is what homeowners want most from their central air conditioning system. A study by the Trane Home Comfort Institute, a consumer information service on…

A Little Chemistry, a Little Physics, and a Whole Bunch of Tubes and Wires… Here Are the Basics of Keeping Cool: An air conditioner makes your home cooler, true. But in terms of how the system actually works, it’s more accurate to say that an air conditioner makes your home less warm. What it’s really…

Look For the Energy Star Symbol If you’re in the market for a new heat pump or central air conditioner, add the government’s new Energy Star symbol to your list of things to look for. Why? Because the Energy Star logo means the unit is at least 20 percent more efficient than the products currently…

If you’re designing, building or buying a new home, or upgrading the heating and cooling system in your existing home, there’s an increasingly popular option that can help you get the most indoor comfort and efficiency. Its name: zoning. According to the Trane Home Comfort Institute, the easiest way to describe zoning is to compare…

How Much Efficiency Is Enough? Depends on How Fast You Want Your System to Pay for Itself 12 SEER, 14 SEER, 80% AFUE, 90% AFUE – don’t get too confused by trying to figure out where all the numbers come from. All you really need to know is that these are relative measures of fuel economy…