The owners of this beautiful home in Sapphire NC were having problems staying comfortable. The system never seemed to cool off the whole home and hold the temperature, so they were waking up in the middle of the night, sweaty and frustrated. They gave us a call here at Blue Ridge Heating & Air to see what we would recommend.
Signs Your HVAC System Needs To Be Replaced
It’s frustrating when your home HVAC system starts to get to the end of its life span. It starts to need more repairs, and you can find yourself spending more each month on energy bills than you planned, along with more frequent repair bills. Sometimes knowing when to decide to replace the system is challenging- after all, it is a big expense. But, this could be a decision that saves money in the long run, while also solving your comfort issues in the short.
Knowing when it’s getting to be time to replace the system is important- think about these things:
Is the system more than 10 years old?
If the answer is yes, your system is likely out of warranty, and major repairs will be expensive. Do you want to sink that money into an older system, or invest in a new system that is more energy-efficient and can lower your monthly energy bills?
Is your system using R-22 (freon)?
Freon is an older refrigerant, that started to be phased out in 2020. If your older system is still using this refrigerant, it may not be able to be “recharged” if it develops a leak and will need to be replaced. Newer refrigerants require a different pressurized system, so it’s not possible to convert older systems to take the newer refrigerants.
Are your energy bills noticeably higher?
If you are seeing a spike in your energy bills every month, and certainly year over year, your system is likely struggling and may be “short cycling”- it’s turning on and off quickly, but is never getting up to speed. This chews up energy and helps wear out your system even faster. This is definitely a problem to call your HVAC contractor about, to try to get to the bottom of the issue.
Are there unusual noises or smells coming from your system?
Unusual noises or smells can spell trouble for a heat pump system- it could be parts wearing out, a build-up of mold or other residue, or a more serious problem that needs to be addressed.
Replacing an Older Heat Pump
When our expert team from Blue Ridge Heating and Air came out to this home, we did a thorough inspection and found that the existing system was starting to fail. It has been short-cycling- turning on and off frequently, which prevented it from adequately heating or cooling the home, and you could feel the buildup of humidity in the air in the home. When anyone sat down on a wooden chair, it would feel sticky and like you had to peel yourself off it when you got up – a sign that the system was no longer controlling the humidity in the home.
Knowing their system was well over 10 years old, we began discussing options with the homeowners, and they settled on a York LX horizontal discharge heat pump with a York High-Efficiency Variable Speed air handler.
York Systems Provide Comfort on a Budget
York systems are less expensive than some other brands of HVAC split systems, but they stand out with a great warranty, with 10 years of limited coverage on parts plus labor costs for the first year. York systems are also known to have great energy efficiency and low sound levels, which is important, especially if you have the outdoor portion of the system close to patios and decks.
For these homeowners, the variable speed air handler will automatically adjust to the actual cooling needs in their home. The system will run more intensely to reach the desired comfort level, and then back off once that temperature is reached, using just the energy needed to keep them perfectly comfortable. This helps add efficiency to your system and keep the energy bills low, kind of like having cruise control on your car!
And like cruise control, operating at low speeds and turning on and off less leads to less wear and tear as well as less energy usage, making a variable speed air handler a great choice to help keep your energy bills low.
Energy Efficiency Saves Money
Increased efficiency is a big winner- not only does the new system lower their bills, but these systems also qualify for rebates from Duke Energy and tax credits under the new Inflation Reduction Act- up to $2,000! That makes choosing a new system an even better idea to help bring your energy needs and budget under control.
Helping You Get More Comfort
At Blue Ridge Heating & Air, we love being able to help people get more comfortable in their homes while saving them money. We work on a wide variety of HVAC systems, and can help you find the perfect solution for your home, that will keep you- and your wallet- comfortable.
Whether you have a tight budget, or are looking for a high performance system, we can work with you to make sure you get years of comfort out of your home. Just give us a call, and our expert staff will help you get the system that will deliver everything you need!