I'm selling my home should I replace my air conditioner and heater?

Many people looking to sell their homes and get the best price for it start thinking about what should be updated. There are many advantages to replacing your old heating and air conditioning system with a new one before putting your house on the market. The average life of a heating and cooling system is 15 years. Many people looking to buy a home know the heating and air conditioning system is one of the more costly items in the home to replace and they will use that as a negotiation tactic to get the buyer to drop the price. If you chose the system you can control the cost of it and take away a tool from the buyer to try and get you to drop the price. Most heating and air conditioning warranties are also transferable to the new owner for a small fee. Energy efficiency is on many people’s minds today in Springfield Missouri and across America. When you install an energy star rated heating and air conditioning system in your home that is a great buzz word to include in the listing description to attract a potential buyer.  When you install a system with a reputation for quality such as a Trane heating and air conditioning system you can help instill that your home has been cared for with quality in mind. Before you put your house up for sale with an old furnace, air conditioner or heat pump it may be wise to check into getting it updated.

Jeremy Grisham 

S S & B Heating and Cooling

2607 W Bennett St.

Springfield, Missouri

417.866.0990

R-22 is being phased out - Expensive Repairs.

Phaseout of Ozone-Depleting Substances.

We have recently been contacted by several people wanting to ask about the prices to repair or recharge their R-22 air conditioners or heat pumps. They want to know if their contractors are over charging them. Some contractors are charging $100.00 per pound of R-22 refrigerant to recharge units and some units hold as much as 20 pounds.

The sad truth is that R-22 refrigerant has been being phased out for years and the price for the refrigerant has skyrocketed. 

If you have an older air conditioner or heat pump and it develops a refrigerant leak you would be wise to replace the system not repair it. The older the system is the more likely it is to develop leaks. If you repair a leak, recharge the unit and then develop another leak you are wasting your money. All new air conditioners and heat pumps are designed to use refrigerant R-410a.

We want everyone to know that if you have an R-22 system and you wind up needing a refrigerant based repair you will be shocked at the cost.

You do not have to replace your system just because it has R-22 refrigerant in it but when it fails or develops a refrigerant based repair do yourself a favor and replace rather than repair.

https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection

http://www.achrnews.com/articles/125140-epa-proposes-final-r-22-phaseout-timeline 

When buying a home, whether new or used.

When buying a home, whether new or used, what are the things you look for? Location? Nice kitchen? Large master bath? Have you ever considered the homes heating and cooling system? If not you should. There are varying statistics on how much of the average homes total energy costs are attributed to heating and air conditioning. The DOE has the number set at 46%, if you include water heating it jumps to 60%. That means with the average American family spending $2200 per year on home energy costs $1320 per year is spent on heating and air conditioning.

     There are several things to consider when assessing a home’s heating and cooling system. The type of fuel used to heat the home is a major consideration when bracing for the energy bill. Propane is much more expensive to buy than natural gas. If the home is heated with electricity a heat pump should be utilized to keep the bills manageable. The system should be properly sized by performing a manual J load calculation.  A central air conditioner or heat pump that is too big for the home will result in excessive energy usage, higher than normal humidity, etc. All of the ductwork should be sealed with a mastic sealant to reduce the amount of conditioned air lost due to duct leakage. The average duct system leaks out approximately 20% of the air that flows through it. Duct leakage can also affect indoor air quality, comfort, safety, and health in a negative way. If ducts are located in an unconditioned space they should be properly insulated to reduce heat loss and gain through the duct system. A reputable brand of heating and air conditioning equipment is another consideration. There are major differences in quality and reliability between manufacturers. The most important factor in the equation is the installing contractor. No matter the brand if a heating and air conditioning installation is not per the manufacturer’s specifications the system will not operate at optimum efficiency levels or last as long as it could have if the proper installation practices were utilized. Safety is also a big part of the heating and cooling system. A gas furnace is a controlled explosion every time it comes on equivalent to the energy produced by as many as 140,000 matches being struck simultaneously and poor electrical connections can cause house fires.

     While the looks, location and size of a home are important things to consider, they may not be the most critical factors choosing a new home for you and your family. The homes heating and air conditioning system is the most dangerous thing in the home that costs the most money every month, choose wisely.

Jeremy Grisham 

Installation Manager

S S & B Heating and Cooling

2607 W Bennett. Springfield, Missouri.

• http://www.advantagehomeperformance.com/duct-sealing-repairs
  https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_where_money
  http://www.eliminatethemonster.com/docs/DOE.EE.0109.pdf

Building a new home?

 When it comes to deciding on how to heat and cool a new home there are numerous options and many things to consider.

  Are you going to heat with gas or electric?

  Heat pump or air conditioner?

  Do I need zoning?

  What type of air filtration?

  What size equipment do I need.

  These and many other questions are why you should work hand in hand with  professional heating and cooling specialist who will take the time to address all of your wants and needs.

A professional will ask all of these questions, run a load calculation on the home and help design the perfect system to fit each lifestyle.

  You will be using you heating and cooling system every day for many years and you should enjoy every minute of it.

http://ssbhc.com/

S S & B Heating and Cooling
Springfield, Missouri.
Mike Childers

Why should I have my furnace cleaned and inspected?

 When furnaces are designed and operated at the factory it is in a
clean and controlled atmosphere.
In the real world conditions are much different. There is dust, debris,
cobwebs, etc. that affects the safety and operations of your furnace.
For instance, a small cobweb can interrupt the flow of gas from the
burner orifice causing a delayed ignition. A condition where the gas
builds up prior to ignition creating a small explosion within the
furnace. This is a dangerous scenario that can be avoided by having you
furnace regularly cleaned, adjusted and serviced by a professional
technician.
  Besides the potential safety hazards of a neglected furnace there is
also the efficiency and capacity that are affected. A clean and properly
tuned furnace will cost less to operate and deliver the full amount of
heat that it was designed to produce.
   There is also your health to consider. The furnace moves the air that
you breathe. A dirty furnace will emit dirty air. The entire system
should be cleaned and new filters should be installed at regularly
scheduled intervals.
  If you are not on a planned maintenance program you should contact a
qualified professional heating company and sign up today.
  Your heating and cooling system is the most significant mechanical
component within your home. A properly maintained system will last
longer, operate cheaper and break down less often.

http://ssbhc.com/

S S & B Heating and Cooling
Springfield, Missouri.
Mike Childers

Zoned Heating and Air Conditioning.

                     Zoned Heating and Air Conditioning

Zoning is a great solution for homes or businesses looking to have more even air temperatures between rooms or levels of the building. The term zoned heating and cooling can be used to describe a building with multiple heaters and air conditioners in the building. Zoning can also be accomplished  using  dampers, ductwork and controls to separate different temperature zones with one system. According to the department of energy zoning can also help you  save money on your heating and air conditioning  bills. This  type of system is a great option for people looking for furnace and air conditioner replacement in Springfield Missouri and the surrounding area due to the fact that we have such drastic temperature differences between winter and summer.

With a zoned heating and air conditioning system each zone would have separate ductwork ran to it. Motorized dampers would be mounted in the main trunk lines serving each zone. These dampers would be controlled by a separate thermostat mounted in each zone. Each zone can be set to a different temperature or all to the same temperature. If only one zone is calling for heating or air conditioning the damper feeding air to that zone would open and all others would close, the heater or air conditioner would come on, supplying air to only the area requiring heating  or air conditioning without over heating and cooling the other parts of the home or business. If more or all zones require heating or air conditioning the other dampers would simply open and supply air to those areas as well. When calling for furnace or air conditioner repair in Springfield Missouri be sure to ask about zoning.

http://www.trane.com/residential/products/zoning/comfortlink-ii-zoning 

http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-thermostat4.htm

http://www.smarthome.com/sh-solutions-save-money-with-zoned-hvac.html

Extending the Life of the AC System Springfield Missouri.

Extending the Life of the AC System

Wouldn't it be nice if our air conditioning system would just last forever and never break? Of course it would. However, eventually the AC system will have its share of issues that will need to be addressed. But what if we could put off having to spend our money on repairing the air conditioner during the summer. What if we could prolong the life of the system by 5 or 10 years or more? Well, both of these scenarios are possible by having AC tune ups performed on an annual basis each spring. Components such as contactors and capacitors fail frequently throughout the spring, summer, and fall months. These components are responsible for supplying electrical current and voltage to expensive items such as the AC compressor, and fan motors. As the system runs throughout the course of a year, contactors and capacitors slowly wear out and need periodic replacement. Continuing to use worn out parts in the AC system will lead to premature failure of the expensive parts like an AC compressor, or a fan motor. Eventually, with no AC tune ups being performed, you will be replacing your air conditioning system prematurely. This means that you will be in for an unexpected expense right in the middle of a hot Missouri summer. Have AC tune ups done on a routine basis and avoid untimely and costly repairs or replacements of the AC system. AC system will run less and not work nearly as hard to cool your home.
Be sure to ask one of our customer service representatives or your service technician if there are any utility rebates available for your tune-up.

20-Point Standard Tune-Up
•check thermostat operation
•clean or replace filter (standard 1" pleated filter)
•check system temperature split
•check Freon level
•inspect fused disconnect
•inspect wiring and tighten electrical connections
•inspect contactor, relays and pressure contacts
•inspect electrical safety circuits
•check voltage and amperage to all motors
•inspect indoor blower and motor for dirt buildup
•inspect bearings and lubricate all moving parts (as required)
•inspect belt and adjust tension (as required)
•inspect and clean condensate drain
•inspect outdoor coil/ clean outdoor coil and debris
•inspect duct seal at unit and secure panel
•run and test system

Explain and document all necessary repair.

 Note: Inspections for other types of systems will vary.

Heating and cooling account for about 56% of the energy use in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense for most homes.
http://energy.gov/public-services/homes/heating-cooling