Following are few things to consider when deciding if it is better to repair or replace your existing heating & air conditioning equipment.

The Age of your System:  Most central air conditioners have an estimated life expectancy of approximately 12-15 years while furnaces usually provide 15-18 years of service. If your system is close to its life expectancy, you should strongly consider replacement to take advantage of today's more efficient, energy-saving equipment.

Energy Efficiency and Operating Costs: Today's air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, and air handlers are much more efficient than those made just 10 years ago. Air conditioners are required to have a minimum efficiency rating of 13 SEER and furnaces are required to be a minimum of 80% AFUE. These requirements are at least 30-33% more efficient than previous standards. Installing a new heating and cooling system can actually pay for itself in energy savings within a relatively short time.

Current Condition: Consider what sort of condition your current equipment is in with factors like the number of breakdowns and how often you have had the unit maintained. 

A SEER rating is similar to "gas mpg" for your car. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficient Ratio. The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the unit is and the lower the cost of operation. 13 SEER is the minimum requirement for any air conditioner made today. Many older units are only 8-10 SEER.Heat pumps are rated by SEER for cooling efficiency and by HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) for heating efficiency.

AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. The higher the AFUE rating, the more efficient the furnace is and the lower the cost of operation. 80% AFUE is the minimum requirement for any furnace made today. An 80% furnace means that 80% of the available heat is used to heat your home. With a 95% furnace, 95% of the heat available is used to heat your home. Many older furnaces are only 60% AFUE or less.

Variable speed fans are able to operate at different speeds depending on the immediate heating and cooling needs of your home. They start out by operating at lower speeds, which helps control humidity levels, utility costs and system noise. When conditions become more extreme, the fan speed increases so that the system can meet increased demand, guaranteeing that on even the hottest days or coldest nights, you're comfort needs will be met.

Although products with variable speed motors require more in the initial investment, homeowners should realize that 85 percent of a unit's total investment costs are in the operation during the lifetime of the unit. The improvement in efficiency, through higher SEER performance, translates into sizable operation-related savings over the average 12-15 year lifespan.

There are many reputable heating & air conditioning equipment manufacturers, but Ruud/Rheem and Trane can claim to have been voted the Most Reliable Brands by Consumer Reports. ProTech has selected Ruud/Rheem and Trane as  the heating & cooling equipment that we install because they provide the highest level of quality and performance for our customers.

There are many factors that affect the amount you can expect to spend for heating & air conditioning equipment and all must be considered before purchasing:

• The size or capacity of the equipment (capacities range from 1.5-tons to 5-tons)
• The efficiency of the equipment (efficiencies range from 13 SEER to approximately 20 SEER)
• What accessories do you want with the system like thermostats, condensate pumps, etc.?
• What indoor air quality products are you considering?
• Current condition of ductwork

With all of these decisions that go into providing the performance level you want - balanced with your budget - the price range for heating & cooling equipment will vary. Click here to learn more about the different air conditioning, furnace, heat pump, and air handler equipment models or call ProTech to schedule a free consultation and estimate.

No. The refrigerant in your cooling system circulates through the copper lines to remove heat from your home. If refrigerant needs to be added to your system, it means that you most likely have a leak and it is costing you money in higher utility bills through poor system performance. Having a leak can also damage the compressor in the outdoor unit. The leak could be in your copper refrigerant lines, at a connection, or most likely in the evaporator coil. ProTech recommends that you have any leak repaired immediately.

The four biggest factors in your home's comfort are temperature, air quality, humidity, and system control.

Temperature: The temperature level is obviously the beginning of your home comfort, but certainly not the end.

Air Quality: The air inside your home can become polluted with dust, pollen, mold, fumes, pet dander, and smoke causing breathing discomfort, especially for allergy sufferers. Installing media air filters, electronic air cleaners, ventilators, and ultraviolet lights can vastly improve the stale air that is currently circulating in your home.

Humidity: In the winter, dry air can cause static electricity, itchy skin, and even cause damage to hardwood flooring & furnishings. But the dry air also affects how the temperature feels during the cold months. Adding humidity makes the air feel warmer and more comfortable during the winter. In the summer, removing humidity makes the indoor air feel cooler and less sticky.

System Control: Many homes have inconsistent temperatures from one room to the next. Zone Control Systems allow you to control the temperature in various "zones" of your house when you need it. Zoning also improves the efficiency of your heating & cooling equipment. Learn more about improving your comfort with our interactive ProTech Comfort Zones demo.

In most cases, if you need to replace the outdoor unit you will also need to replace the evaporator coil as well. Most older units used R-22 refrigerant and new units made today require R-410A refrigerant, which is more eco-friendly. Because the air conditioner and coil work together with the refrigerant, they usually need to be replaced at the same time.

If you need a new outdoor unit, you do not necessarily need a new furnace. However, keep in mind that a matched-system is designed to work together and maximize efficiency.

Will getting a bigger air conditioning unit automatically mean more air and better comfort?

Although a larger a/c unit does give more air capacity, the ductwork in your home may not be designed to handle the additional airflow. Also, if your air conditioner is not properly sized to fit your home, your comfort will suffer because a unit that is too large will fail to properly remove humidity from the air.

There are a number of reasons that can cause your heating & cooling system to freeze up. A dirty filter can restrict air flow, which can cause your system to freeze up. Another reason could be a leak in the refrigerant lines. Having a dirty evaporator coil can cause your system to freeze by restricting air flow. A blower motor not running at the proper speed or not running at all can also cause freezing.

The dry air in the winter months makes the temperature feel cooler. By adding moisture, the air in your house will feel warmer allowing you to keep the thermostat set a lower temperature for energy savings.

Also, dry indoor air can cause damage to wood floors, dry your nasal passages, cause eye irritation, and cause itchy and dry skin. By adding moisture to the air inside your home, the quality of the air that you breathe improves. 

Yes, there is a solution to greatly improve the comfort level to all areas of your house. The problem of uneven temperatures is a very common issue in many homes, but can usually best be addressed by installing a Zone Control System. This allows your house to be divided into various zones with each zone having a separate thermostat for complete control and improved comfort for that area of your home.

For example, the bonus room over the garage that always stays cold during the winter can have it's own separate temperature setting to keep the room comfortable at all times.

In addition to the improved comfort, a Zone Control System makes your heating & cooling system more efficient, saving up to 35-40% in energy usage. Learn more about improving your comfort with our interactive ProTech Comfort Zones demo.

Two-stage cooling means the air conditioner or heat pump has a compressor with two levels of operation: first stage for milder days and a second stage for more extreme temperatures. Generally, the first stage is adequate to meet most household-cooling demands the majority of the time. A two-stage unit produces longer cooling cycles for more even temperatures and humidity control, quieter operation, and more energy efficiency.

A two-stage furnace provides two levels of heating operation: first stage for milder days and a second stage to handle the colder days. Two-stage heating provides advantages such as; Consistent comfort by eliminating temperature swings associated with standard furnaces, quiet operation, improved air filtration through low-speed operation allowing your filters to capture more contaminants, and greater efficiency because the furnace operates in first stage most of the time, burning less fuel.