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You have questions? We have the answers.What sizes should my furnace or A/C be?That question is best answered by a sales or service person in your home. Many factors affect the proper sizing of a unit, including: size of the space, orientation of the home, ceiling height, windows, insulation, age of the home, efficiency of the unit, and more. A properly sized unit should run nearly non-stop at design temperatures (i.e. –10 degrees for heating, 90 degrees for A/C). Sizing a system smaller to cut cost of installation or operation will result in systems not being able to keep up during the extremes. Too large of a unit will cost more to run, not dehumidify properly for A/C, and not heat up as well for the heating season. In addition, these larger units cycle on and off much more frequently, causing service problems in the future. In the Milwaukee area, between 600 and 900 feet per ton of air conditioning, and 400-900 square feet per 30,000 BTU output of a furnace is common. Which way does my filter face? The airflow arrow on a filter, or electronic air cleaner cell, should point toward the blower of the furnace. If there is no arrow, then the most supported side of the filter usually faces the blower of the furnace or air handler. Where did my Freon go? If there is not enough freon in your unit, either the unit was never filled properly, or refrigerant was lost. If it was lost, chances are very high that it leaked out, not stolen. Many systems have leaks, ranging in size. When the system loses refrigerant, the performance suffers. The system can freeze, and cause more problems down the line. How do you find a leak? We can perform one of several types of leak searches, depending on the size of the leak, and placement of the equipment and lines. We use high pressure nitrogen, Ultraviolet sensitive dyes, and a “sniffer”. Sometimes, multiple trips are requires to complete the repairs, as the first trip usually identifies the fact that there is a leak, dye is added, or nitrogen is added. Subsequent trips generally are for repairs to the system, or finding the dye. What is that black stuff in my drain hose? The stuff in the hose is usually dirt, debris and sometimes algae. Replacing the hose, or flushing it with a strong bleach water solution generally helps. What is that black stuff on the walls and registers? The black “soot” on walls and registers is usually not a product of the machine running. Many factors cause these stains, including candles, especially scented, cooking with oils/grease, poor filter maintenance, and a variety of others. In addition, high velocity air from the registers causes air in the room to be pulled in toward the walls and registers. The dust particles suspended in the air collide against the wall and cause staining. Why are my windows wet? Wetness on the windows is usually caused by stagnant air. Too much humidity can also cause the problem. If you feel dried out in the winter, it is probably stagnant air. Anything heavy, including closed blinds, can trap warm, moist air against the windows. At night, when the temperature drops, this moist air does not circulate through the house, it condenses on the window and surrounding woodwork. Keeping the windows clear helps solve this problem. If you do not feel dry, or live in a new home, adding a HRV / ERV is often the solution. Why are my sinuses dry? Woodwork splitting? Carpet giving shocks? Many homes are too dry in the winter. Adding a whole house humidifier can help alleviate these problems. What about a HEPA filter? A HEPA filter captures the most particles of any filter. In a home setting, however, it is generally too restrictive to be used alone on a furnace or air handler. Add-on HEPA units can be installed, however, a high quality air filter is still needed to filter the air that does not go through the HEPA unit. In addition, HEPA units do not control odors, or humidity. |
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