When You Need to Buy a New Heater, What Are the Best Ones on the Market?

Heating systems generally last 10 to 20 years before they need to be replaced. However, factors like frequency of repairs, overall condition, and maintenance history also come into play and may necessitate a replacement sooner. When exploring replacement options, the numerous models available can make choosing the best one a large task. Here are some of the best options available at the moment that are worth considering when buying a new heater:

• Lennox Signature Series — The heating systems in this series have efficiency ratings that are as high as 98.7 percent AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). They also come with excellent climate control features and a lifetime warranty on the extremely important heat exchanger.

• Carrier Infinity — This is Carrier's flagship lineup. It comprises a wider range of models than most brands. The heat pumps have HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) ratings ranging from 8.5 to as high as 13.0.

• Trane XR — The lineup stands out due to the relative affordability and durability of its products. It offers a decent range of efficient options.

• American Standard Platinum — This is American Standard's best series of heating and cooling equipment. The products come with premium control features, quiet operation, and lifetime heat-exchanger warranties.

• Goodman GMS and GSX/GSZ Series — These series have some of the best value furnaces and heat pumps available. Despite their comparatively low price, they offer good warranties. In fact, some furnace models qualify for a complete replacement if they fail within 10 years.

• Daikin VC/MC Series — This dependable Daikin product lineup features energy-saving motors and warranties that are longer than those of most comparable brands.

Whatever the system you choose from the brands we've listed above, you're sure to get durability and reliable performance. If you have any more questions about buying a new heater, contact us at Air Assurance. We help homeowners in the Broken Arrow area choose and install the right heating and cooling systems for their homes.

The Top Signs Your Furnace Is on the Fritz

The winter months can get bitterly cold at times in the Broken Arrow area, so it’s important to make sure you have reliable heat. How do you know if your furnace might need repairs? If you’re experiencing any of the following furnace problems, you should schedule repairs.

Cold Air Blowing Out

Your furnace should be warming up your home, so you should feel heated air coming out of your vents when it’s on. Cold air coming out of the vents when your furnace is running could mean that there’s a problem with the motor, heat exchanger, or another component. A skilled technician can determine the cause of this problem and get it repaired.

Odd Sounds

Furnaces make some noise when they’re running, which you’re probably used to hearing. If you’ve been hearing unfamiliar or odd noises, such as squeals or rattling, you’ll need to have your furnace inspected and repaired as needed. Odd sounds can indicate that your furnace has a loose part that needs to be tightened or that there could be a more serious problem that needs to be fixed.

Higher Heating Bills

You probably have a good idea of how much your heating bills typically cost. While natural gas and electric prices can fluctuate, you shouldn’t be seeing significant increases in your heating bills. If your bills have been going up more than usual, this can mean that your furnace isn’t able to heat your home efficiently. Having repairs and maintenance done should correct this, but you might need to have an older furnace replaced if this keeps happening.

Yellow Pilot Light

If the pilot light on your gas furnace is yellow, this can indicate a carbon monoxide leak. You should shut your furnace off right away, call for service, and leave your home until it’s safe to go back. Keep in mind that your gas furnace should have a blue pilot light when it’s working properly.

If you’re having furnace problems at your Broken Arrow home, contact Air Assurance today for prompt service.

From Cooking to Bathing, Keep Your Water at the Right Temperature

Your water heater does a lot for your home. It gives you hot showers, clean dishes, and much more. However, if it's not set to the right temperature, it can cause problems — especially in winter, as the cold weather can affect its operation. What's the right temperature for your water heater? Here's a guide to controlling the water temperature in your home.

The Sweet Spot

If your water temperature is too low, it can foster bacteria inside the tank, making the water unsafe to use. However, if the temperature is too high, the extra heat drives up your energy bills between three and five percent for every 10 degrees extra. Not to mention that water that's too hot can cause scalding, particularly in young children.

So what's the sweet spot for water temperature? It depends on a number of factors, but for the average person, the Department of Energy recommends 120 degrees. There should be a dial on the side of your water heater that displays the temperature and allows you to raise or lower it. Some people may require a higher temperature, but it should never, ever be lower than 120.

Special Circumstances

When controlling water temperature, there are certain factors that might require it to be a bit higher for your household. For instance, if you have someone in your home with respiratory issues, or problems with their immune system, you should turn the temperature up to 140, to reduce bacteria more effectively.

Another factor is your dishwasher. Does it preheat the water it uses or use the water from your water heater as-is? If it's the latter, you should turn your temperature up to 140, to make sure your dishes get clean enough.

On the other hand, if you have young children or elderly family members living in your home, keep the temperature at 120. Their skin is more sensitive, and hotter water can cause third-degree burns within seconds.

For more help controlling water temperature in your home, contact us at Air Assurance today. Our home-comfort solutions save money and energy for the Broken Arrow area.

It's Cold Outside! Make Sure Your HVAC System Can Survive the Winter

When it's cold outside, your HVAC system may be subject to some unusual stresses, particularly if part of your heating equipment is located outside, as with a heat pump.

Here are some things to know about winterizing your HVAC system — well, not really, but at least ensuring it survives the winter OK.

Furnaces

Since most of your furnace is located indoors, it's not subject to the rigors of the weather, although simply by using it more during cold spells, it will endure greater wear and tear. That's why it's important to change the air filter regularly and to schedule preventative maintenance. A licensed HVAC tech will be able to identify problems in the early stage before they require major repairs.

Make sure your chimney or flue is in good working order. Have someone inspect it to make sure it's clear of birds' nests and that the parts have not been damaged by summer storms. Also make sure that exhaust pipes are connected and that combustion gases are being properly expelled.

Heat Pumps

Because the condenser component of the heat pump is located outside, you should have it inspected to make sure it's working right before winter is in full swing. The condenser should be in a protected location, preferably where it won't be buried in snow, and away from possible falling limbs and other debris.

As you are aware, the heat pump is designed to go into defrost mode when the temperature drops. But if it runs too long or doesn't come on often enough, it may need a repair. When this defrost feature fails, the heat pump could freeze up and become coated in ice.

Refrigerant lines and electrical wiring run from the outdoor condenser to the indoor air handler. Your HVAC tech should inspect these lines while performing winter maintenance.

If you have the type of heat pump that heats as well as cools, make sure the reverse valve works properly.

For more on winterizing your HVAC system, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area with quality HVAC installations, repairs, and maintenance.

Keep Everyone — and Every Pet — In Your House Comfortable

In most households, we're continuously adjusting the thermostat to accommodate a wide variety of temperature needs. But while we tend to think mostly of our own human comfort, what about the needs of our pets?

Whether they are covered with fur, scales or feathers, animals often have different temperature needs than we do. Forced to endure conditions that are too hot or too cold, pets may sicken and die. Read on for some wisdom regarding home comfort for pets.

Wintertime Comfort

If you have indoor pets, be aware that they may find your heating a bit excessive. The fact that they have fur coats — particularly dogs — can mean they need to cool off a bit when you crank up the heat. If your dog is panting and the rest of your household is toasty at between 72 and 78 degrees, you may want to provide the dog with a fan to cool off.

Elderly and sick animals are a different story. Make sure they have a warm place to sleep when you turn the thermostat down to save energy when you're away from home or sleeping. Sometimes, pets may require a heated bed or a space heater to be comfortable.

Adjust the thermostat in a fish tank in line with recommendations for the species of fish you have.

Make sure birds are not too close to heat sources and that they are not stuck in sunlight or in a draft. Low-voltage heaters are available for bird cages. Don't give birds fibrous material to shred, as they might eat it.

For other types of caged animals, such as rabbits and rodents, give them shavings or recycled cardboard bedding, and provide them with a nesting box.

Summertime Comfort

During cooling season, you may want to provide a fan to ensure dogs and cats are comfortable, especially if you tend to keep the house on the warm side.

Be sure that pets have access to water in both summer and winter. Drinking water helps many mammals cool off.

For more on home comfort for pets, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

HVAC Upgrades that Qualify for Tax Credits

If you're considering replacing the heating or cooling equipment in your Broken Arrow home, you may be able to take advantage of federal tax credits when you choose energy efficient models. A knowledgeable local HVAC contractor can give you personalized advice about the specific equipment and efficiency level to best suit your needs and budget that might qualify you for extra savings like:

Tax Credits on Solar Energy Through 2021

Having a solar-ready heat pump or air conditioner installed in your home before December 31, 2021 may qualify you for a federal tax credit of up to nine percent of the equipment's cost. There's also an additional credit available on the solar module used to generate electricity for your new HVAC components:

• Until the end of 2019, the credit is thirty percent of the module cost and installation, with no dollar limit.

• In 2020, the available credit will be reduced to 26 percent, and for 2021 it drops to 22 percent.

The credits are available for equipment installations in existing and newly-constructed homes that are either principal or second residences (rental property doesn't qualify).

Tax Credits on Efficiency Improvements Through 2020

In December 2019, Congress passed legislation that renewed the tax credits for 2020 and made them retroactive back to 2018. For qualified HVAC improvements, homeowners may be eligible to claim the federal tax credits equal to 10% of the installed costs; a maximum tax credit of $500.

If you purchased a system from Air Assurance in the past, or are thinking of purchasing another system from us in the recent future, you could be qualified for up to $500 in additional savings in the form of tax credits for 2018, 2019, and 2020! The tax credit is retroactive.

Of course, we’re not tax professionals, so be sure to consult your tax advisor before filing your taxes. We just don’t want you to leave any money on the table! 

Here is a website for you to see for yourself:  Read About 2020 Tax Credits

For updated information from the IRS, you can visit their recently released information.

• Instructions for Form 5695

• Form 5695

 If you purchased a 95%+ AFUE Furnace, 16 SEER or above AC unit, 15 SEER or above Heat Pump, 14 SEER or above Package unit, or a tankless water heating system, or many other energy efficient home enhancements, you could qualify for an additional $500 off your taxes! 

Prior Tax-Savings on Energy Efficient HVAC Equipment

Through December 31, 2016, the federal government offered tax credits for different types of high-efficiency HVAC systems. They applied to Energy Star-qualified equipment installed in an existing home/principal residence, and the amount varied depending on the equipment type:

• Central air conditioners, packaged units, heat pumps and ductless mini-split systems qualified for a credit of up to $300.

• Propane, natural gas and oil furnaces and boilers qualified for a tax savings of up to $150.

• Geothermal heat pumps qualified for a credit of 30 percent of the cost, with no upper limit.

While the above-mentioned tax-saving credits have expired, they could be reinstated at some point in the future, so it's worthwhile checking for available credit updates on the federal government's Energy Star program website.

If you're thinking about upgrading to new energy-efficient HVAC equipment for your Broken Arrow home and you'd like to explore your options or learn whether there are tax credits available, contact us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC upgrades and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “stevepb/Pixabay”

The 5 Most Common HVAC Challenges

While surprises happen once in a while, certain common HVAC issues do tend to come up over and over again. A qualified professional HVAC service technician learns to recognize the symptoms and quickly determine the best approach to restore full function, performance, and efficiency. Here are five of the most common HVAC issues we see and what’s required to resolve the problem.

1. Dirty filter. Low airflow is responsible for any number of issues in HVAC equipment, from poor heating or cooling performance to high operating costs to bad indoor air quality. The most common cause of low airflow is simply a dirty, clogged air filter. Change the air filter at least every other month to support maximum airflow.

2. Leaky ducts. Once a house is more than 10 years old, ductwork leaks are an increasingly common cause of low HVAC energy efficiency and substandard comfort level. A full duct inspection, including a system-pressure test, can determine the extent of leakage. Your HVAC contractor can discuss options for sealing ducts.

3. Closed vents. Sometimes occupants close the HVAC supply vent in one room or more. It's a bad idea, as one closed or obstructed vent tends to unbalance system airflow throughout the house, resulting in inconsistent temperature control. Leave all supply and return vents open in all rooms, if possible.

4. Low refrigerant. The lifeblood of your air conditioner, refrigerant circulates between the indoor evaporator coil and the outdoor condenser coil. An A/C doesn’t use up refrigerant. If symptoms of low refrigerant occur, the problem is usually a pinhole leak. Simply adding more refrigerant isn’t the answer. A qualified service tech has the specialized equipment to track down the leak, repair it, and restore the refrigerant to the proper level.

5. The system is turned off. It happens! If there’s no heating or cooling, the problem sometimes turns out to be the simple fact that the thermostat is set to “Off” instead of “Heat” or “Cool.” Always check that first, just to make sure, before making a service appointment.

For professional service to resolve these and other common HVAC issues, contact the experts at Air Assurance.

Get the Latest HVAC Gadgets

HVAC technology has constantly been changing and has led to the development of innovative gadgets. These new products represent a monumental shift from how you've been heating and cooling your home. To prevent you from being left behind, we've compiled a list of some of the latest gadgets that you can take advantage of to make your home far more comfortable.

Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat lets you adjust its settings even when you're away from home. For example, in the summer, you can turn the thermostat up when you're at work. You can then lower it when you're driving back home so that you arrive to a pleasantly cool house. You can also let the thermostat adjust itself after learning your heating and cooling habits or by detecting when you're around or not.

Motion-Activated Air Conditioning

This smart air conditioner has motion sensors placed on aluminum rods hanging from the ceiling. Movement activates the sensors, which in turn send signals to the air conditioner to turn on and cool the area. That way, the system doesn't waste energy cooling an unoccupied room or house.

Compressor Defender

A/C compressors can be damaged by power surges and are costly to fix. This handy gadget is installed inside your air conditioner to protect it from electrical-grid changes.

Sensor-Enhanced Ventilation

This system makes use of your existing forced-air system coupled with sensor-driven vents, which replace your current wall, floor, or ceiling vents. You can use your smartphone to control the system and adjust the temperature in each room separately.

Smart Air Purifier

Besides cleaning your home's air, a smart air purifier also acts as an indoor air-quality monitor. It keeps track of indoor pollutants and how they're changing over time. You can get all this data on your smartphone.

It's clear to see that the newest gadgets in the residential HVAC industry are more convenient to use, energy-efficient, and economical than ever. To learn more about the latest HVAC technology available, contact Air Assurance. For more than 30 years, Broken Arrow homeowners have counted on us to meet their HVAC needs.

Does Your Home's Foundation Affect Its Insulation?

The foundation isn't one of the considerations that come to most homeowners' minds when thinking of the steps to take to insulate their houses against outside cold temperatures. But did you know that your home's foundation plays a significant role in the maintenance of ideal indoor temperatures? Here's a look at how a damaged foundation can affect HVAC efficiency and your ability to keep your house comfortably warm.

Improper Air Sealing

Does your foundation have many cracks that are bigger than a quarter-inch wide? Such cracks can create air leaks and temperature changes. As a result, your home may feel less comfortable. Your heating bills will also increase gradually.

Sloping Floors

A cracking or crumbling foundation can result in sloping floors. A sloping floor allows gaps to form between the floor and door jambs. This allows heated air from your home to seep through. It will also let in cold outdoor air.

Over time, sloping floors can also result in cracks around doors and windows, allowing more indoor air to escape. Your heating system won't perform optimally. Severe foundation damage can even cause separation of ducts, which throws your HVAC system completely off balance.

If you notice symptoms of foundation problems, such as sloping floors and cracks in your walls, coupled with steadily rising utility bills, you'll want to have your foundation professionally inspected.

Lack of Foundation Insulation

An uninsulated foundation allows for rapid heat loss, which reduces HVAC efficiency. Your home will retain much more heat if the foundation walls, as well as the foundation itself, are insulated.

Modern homes usually have their foundations insulated with materials such as concrete blocks and forms. Older houses often have damaged or no insulation. To fix your heating system's performance issues, you can have your older home retrofitted through the addition of insulation to the interior or exterior basement walls, crawl space, and around the foundation's perimeter underground.

Your home's foundation can cause poor HVAC efficiency, so inspect it to ensure it's in healthy condition. For more ways to improve your home's energy efficiency and comfort, contact Air Assurance. We help homeowners in the Broken Arrow area save energy by providing effective solutions such as duct sealing, air-infiltration sealing, the addition of insulation, and planned maintenance services.