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Frequently Asked Questions Q: What temperature should my thermostat be set for?A: If your system has been designed properly, you should set the thermostat for your comfort level. During the cooling season, anywhere from 72 degrees to 80 degrees is common. During the heating season, settings typically range between 65 degrees to 75. Q: How often should I have my air conditioning system checked? A: We recommend that you have your system checked at the beginning of each cooling season. This will prolong the life of your air conditioning system and keep it running efficiently. Q: Do I need to change my furnace filter during the summer? A: YES! If your furnace uses a standard 1" filter, you should change it once a month, especially if you use the high performance filters like the 3M Filtrete® type. If you have a media air filter (i.e. Spacegard or Honeywell) you should change the filter media once every six months or at the least once per year. If you have an electronic air cleaner, the cells and screens should be washed at least once every three months. Q: Does it matter if my outdoor unit is not level? A: If the unit is not level due to ground settling, it will not effect the operation of the air conditioning system. However, if the refrigerant piping or electrical wiring is supporting the unit, this is definitely a problem and should be corrected immediately. Q: Is it normal to have Freon added to my system every year? A: No. If an air conditioning system is installed properly, the refrigerant should not leak out. If you need to have your system 'topped off' every year, it is usually an indication of a bad solder connection in the refrigerant piping or a problem in the condensing unit or evaporator coil. Q: What do all those rating numbers mean to me? A: The federal government requires all air conditioning and heating equipment to be rated as to efficiency. The higher the rating, the more efficient the model. For cooling, the rating is SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating); heat pump heating is HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) and gas furnaces are rated with AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). Q: Why is there ice on my heat pump outdoor unit? What do I do? A: The outdoor coils of a heat pump maintain a temperature below 32o F during normal heating operation. Because of this, any moisture in the air will tend to cause ice and frost to form on the coils. The more humid it is outside (misty, rainy or sleeting conditions are the worst), the more frost will form on the unit. The heat pump has a defrost cycle built into it, during which it will melt off the accumulated frost. If the frost on your heat pump never seems to go away, and continues to get thicker, this most likely is an indication of a malfunction in the defrost cycle. If you have these symptoms, please contact Midwest Mechanical for service. Q: There is steam rising from my heat pump outdoor unit. What is wrong? A: All heat pumps have a defrost cycle built into them to eliminate the normal build-up of frost and ice that occurs during the heating cycle. The typical design, a time and temperature defrost, operates in the following manner. A sensor measures the operating temperature of the outdoor coils, if they are below freezing, an internal clock will send the unit into defrost every 90 minutes (actual running time). During defrost, the outdoor fan stops, the compressor keeps running and the unit switches over to the air conditioning mode. This causes the outdoor coils to heat up, melting off any frost and ice that may have accumulated. The defrost cycle will typically last until the coils reach a predetermined temperature, or 10 minutes, whichever comes first. During this defrost period you may see clouds of what looks like smoke pouring off the outdoor unit. This is actually steam, a perfectly normal result of the heated coils, which will be even more pronounced during rainy or humid conditions. During defrost, the system will also bring on the back-up heating to maintain the temperature in the house while the system is in the air conditioning mode. Q: What is the "emergency heat" on my heat pump? A: Almost all heat pump systems have two basic methods of generating heat. Upon a call for heat from the thermostat, the outdoor unit comes on in conjunction with the indoor fan and begins trying to heat the house. If the heat pump, for some reason, cannot keep up by itself, and the temperature in the house continues to fall, the system automatically turns on the auxiliary heat to help out. The emergency heat position on the thermostat merely turns off the signal going to the outdoor unit, and causes the system to use only auxiliary. The purpose of this is to allow the homeowner to switch off the outdoor unit in cases when there is a problem with it, while still being able to have heat in the house. For instance, if you notice that your outdoor unit is covered with excessive ice in the winter, or if you hear a banging or scraping like the outdoor fan is hitting something, you should switch the system to emergency heat until you can schedule a service call. Q: Nothing on my heating or cooling system is working - what is wrong? A: If nothing at all on your system is working, you most likely have an electrical problem in the system. Check all circuit breakers for the inside and outside sections of your system. Sometimes breakers can be tripped even though they look like they are on, so make sure to reset the breakers for your system by turning them all the way off and then back on again. Also check to make sure that no other power switches have been turned off. If all switches and breakers seem fine, you will need to schedule a service call. Q: What does "SEER" mean when discussing my heat pump? A: The acronym SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, and refers to a rating scale used to compare the operating efficiency of different air conditioning systems. The scale is basically linear, so a system with a SEER of 14 is twice as efficient (uses half as much electricity) as a system with a SEER of 7. Today, a SEER of 13 or more is considered high efficiency. The official ratings of all brands of a/c equipment are listed in a periodical publication from The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI). These ratings are also available online at ARI's website http://www.ari.org. Q: What does an "efficiency rating" mean on my gas furnace? A: The acronym AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, and refers to a rating scale used to measure the operating efficiency of gas-fired appliances. Specifically, the AFUE is a measure of the amount of heat produced for every dollar of fuel consumed. The higher the AFUE percentage rating, the higher the efficiency. If your gas furnace is more than 15 years old, it's probably about 55% efficient. That means that your furnace wastes as much as 45% of the available heat, and you lose $0.45 of every heating dollar you spend. Today's high efficiency gas furnaces, with AFUE ratings of up to 95%, can save you as much as 40% on your heating bills. Q: The auxiliary (back-up) light on my thermostat is on all of the time. Is there a problem? A: The auxiliary heat light on your thermostat (usually green or blue, depending on the brand) is a signal that the auxiliary heat is on. There are two situations when this should occur. Whenever the heat pump is in a defrost cycle the system brings on the back-up heat. This combats the fact that during defrost, the system is actually in the air conditioning mode for a short period of time. In addition, the back-up heat comes on whenever the temperature in the house falls more than 2 degrees below the thermostat heat setting. The colder the outdoor temperature, the more often you will see the auxiliary heat light. This is because in colder temperatures, the outdoor unit cannot produce enough heat by itself to maintain the indoor temperature. Below outdoor temperatures of 20-25 degrees, you should expect to see the auxiliary heat light turning on and off on a regular basis. If the light seems to be on more than usual during milder weather, it may be a sign that the outdoor unit is not operating properly. Check to make sure the outdoor unit is running when the heat is on, if not check the circuit breakers. If the outdoor unit is running, and you still think there is a problem, contact Midwest Mechanical for service. Q: How much will my new air conditioning system cost? A: The answer is "That depends." There are many factors which must be considered: the efficiency of the equipment, the size of your home, is the duct work installed and in good condition, do you need a thermostat or electronic air cleaner. In most cases, replacing your whole system, indoor and outdoor components, will result in a more efficient, longer lasting system but will also cost a little more. Contact Midwest Mechanical for an estimate. Q: Should I cover my outdoor unit in the winter? A: Covering the unit is not necessary. Air conditioners are manufactured to withstand all possible climate conditions. Of course, because heat pumps run all year long, they should never be covered. Q: Will anything help control the humidity in my house? A: Humidity is a problem in many areas. The best way to control excessive humidity is to have a system that runs longer at lower speeds. Variable speed equipment runs at very low speeds, which keeps the air circulating against the cooling coil and removes much more moisture than conventional systems. At these low speeds, the variable speed motor uses much less electricity than conventional motors. Q: Is there any advantage to setting my thermostat fan to "ON" so the fan runs constantly? A: There are a couple. One is that you get constant filtering of the air in your home. The other is that because the air is moving, you have a more even temperature throughout. Q: I need a new outdoor unit, but my indoor unit works fine. What are the advantages of replacing my whole system at the same time? A: Air conditioners are designed as matched systems, with an efficiency rating given for the whole system. If you replace only one part, you do not get the advantage of many technology changes that make the system work efficiently to ensure comfort. Also, the indoor system contains a cooling coil which may be partially blocked by years of use that will result in decreased efficiency, and capacity. Further, if your whole system is replaced, you will be less likely to need service in the near future. Q: What size system do I need for my home? A: There are many things which will determine the size (capacity) system your home requires. Some of these are: square feet to be cooled, climate, humidity, number of windows, insulation factors, which direction your home faces, heat producing appliances, and even the number of people who will be in the home. We can do an energy analysis on your home and help you decide what your particular needs are for your lifestyle. Q: What is the difference in a Manufacturer's Limited Warranty and an Extended parts and labor Warranty? A: A limited warranty covers specific parts (i.e. compressor, coil, electronics, etc.); therefore, it is limited by the language in the warranty. Extended warranties are generally purchased in addition to the equipment. Extended warranties cover all parts and may also include the labor for the service call. An extended warranty protects you from unexpected and unbudgeted service calls for the duration of the warranty. Q: How often should the air conditioning system be serviced? A: Dependant upon the age of the system, you may want to have each system serviced twice a year. Most manufacturers recommend a maintenance be performed twice a year on their HVAC equipment. We recommend contacting us directly so we can design a program for you. Q: Is my gas furnace safe? A: Unless the system is very old (over 15 years), and has not been properly maintained, it should be relatively safe. The newer systems do not have an open pilot, therefore being much less of a safety concern. If you are concerned, please contact us and we can come out and evaluate your furnace and give you our recommendations. Q: How does a heat pump work? A: A heat pump works just like an air conditioner, but during the demand for heating the refrigerant cycle is reversed, with a “reversing valve” and the hot (high pressure) refrigerant is pumped into the indoor coil, thus delivering heating into the structure. Q: Is a gas furnace more efficient than a heat pump, or electric heat? A: Dependant on the application, the installation itself, installation expense, and cost of energy, the efficiency can be affected. Contact us today to determine what type of system will best meet your needs. Q: How long should my new air conditioner last? A: If any major repairs are needed after the compressor warranty expires, you may want to consider replacing the unit. Typically a properly installed system will last a minimum of 10 to 15 years. Q: Should I build a shade cover for my unit? A: NO. This is a common misnomer. The condenser coil works when the air is able to flow through the coil, typically flowing through the sides, and out the top of the unit. If this area is restricted, in any way the operation of the unit will be affected. It is suggested a minimum of 36" around the perimiter of the unit, and nothing over the top of it - for most applications. Q: What SEER is my unit? A: Dependant upon the age of the equipment, and the original SEER rating of your equipment, it’s SEER rating can typically range from 6 SEER to 12 SEER. Call Midwest Mechanical if you are concerned about your existing unit, and we can come out and provide a professional evaluation of your equipment, visit with you to determine your wants and needs, and suggest repairs/improvements or even replacement of the system to improve your efficiency. Q: Which Refrigerant should I buy in a new system? A: R22, R410a.... This can all be very confusing! Which refrigerant to use is dependant upon the application. In a new system, R22 is still very common, but the Montreal Protocol (1989) called for a stepwise reduction and eventual production phase out of various refrigerants in developed countries. In 2010, R22 will no longer be used in new equipment, and in 2020 it will cease to be manufactured. Midwest Mechanical is licensed and certified in these new refrigerants, and ready to offer you these products as they come available. Please call us or email us with any questions about the E.P.A. or these refrigerants. Q: If I get "90 days same as cash" do I still have to make payments? A: That depends on the program we set up for your financing. Sometimes we can offer deferred payments, and interest for 90 days. Occassionally we can offer 6 or 12 months same as cash. Our financing is W.A.C. (With Approved Credit.) Q: How much do you charge? A: We charge by the job and not by the hour. We don’t give estimates we give firm quotes for everything we do. We have some people who work at the company who are faster than others. With that in mind, we decided our price should be the same for everyone, regardless of who does the work. All our work is done in accordance with national, state and local building codes and is performed to the highest possible standards. Once the parameters of the job are outlined and a price is given, that is the price, it will not go up.Every job we do is listed in our price book. Our clients are shown the book prior to starting the job. The price is the same for everyone. It doesn’t matter what neighborhood you live in, your age, or your income level, it’s set and it’s listed in the book. Q: How do you calculate your prices? A: We do thousands of jobs each year. Each job listed in the price book has a history behind it. We have time and material statistics for every job that we have done. To compute a job rate, we take the average time and material for that job and use that data in conjunction with all of our other costs of doing business to calculate a final price using a pricing matrix. We review our prices each year and adjust them if necessary. Q: Can you do the job in one visit? A: In most cases, yes. The reason we can complete most jobs on the first visit is our preparation. Our service vehicles are virtual mobile warehouses. We stock all of the most commonly used parts on board. It’s also equipped with almost every specialty tool a technician would need. If we don’t have the part on board, we’ll do whatever we can to find the item and get it out to your home asap. Q: Who will be coming out to my house? A: When it’s time for your service, we’ll call to let you know who’s on the way. We like to think it really doesn’t matter which of our employees is assigned to your job because each of our technicians is highly trained and capable, and is among the most qualified, neat, clean, and professional people in the industry. Q: Do you charge to come out? A: We do have a callout fee. This fee is a flat rate price that covers our trip and diagnostic time, regardless of how long it takes to identify your problem. Unlike other companies that charge by the hour (or more frequently the quarter hour), we don’t feel you should have to pay extra for a technician who may not be as fast as another. (Reguarding repair; Our technician will tell you the total price before any work is performed). Q: How is payment to be made? A: We take cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. All our work is done on a C.O.D. basis. We do not bill. |
