Triangle area homes have multiple types of systems. A “gas package system”, also called “gas-pack” is a self-contained gas furnace and air conditioning system in one unit located outside the home. The only component of the system inside the home is the ductwork. There are also “packaged heat pump” systems with electric heat, also contained outside the home. A “split heat pump system” has an outdoor condensing unit, an indoor coil and heat strips. A “gas split” system has an outdoor ac condenser, indoor coil and indoor furnace. “Duel Fuel” systems are growing in popularity because of the efficiency they provide with a heat pump system and the back up of a gas furnace. The less common “Apollo” system has an outdoor ac unit with indoor coil that utilizes water from the hot water heater to heat the home. Raleigh Heating and Air can work on all types of these systems in any combination. We do not do service on oil furnaces and boilers.

“SEER” Stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. In laymen’s terms, the higher the SEER rating on your air conditioning unit, the more efficient the unit is on electricity usage. As of January 2006, air conditioning units sold in the U.S. are required to be rated 13 SEER or higher. A SEER rating only has bearing on the air conditioning side of the system, not the heating portion.

R-22 refrigerant has been the industry standard for residential heat pumps and air conditioning systems for decades, but to its environmental impact, is being phased out. As of January, 2010 manufactures will no longer make equipment that uses R-22, and will exclusively manufacture units that use the more environmentally friendly refrigerants, especially R-410. Manufactures are already phasing out their production of R-22 units and making most if not all of their product line R-410 units. R-22 will still be manufactured to service units that require that refrigerant until 2020, when it will no longer be manufactured in the U.S. and be effectively phased out. While R-22 is going to still be readily available for over 10 more years, as the phase-out continues, we expect it to become more expensive and in an increasingly limited supply. We encourage our customers to consider R-410 equipment when considering the replacement of their heat pump or ac system.

Temperature settings are a personal choice, and those choices can affect your electric or gas bill. In addition, especially mercury thermostats can be a few degrees off depending on their placement in the home. Digital thermostats are slightly more complicated to operate but provide greater accuracy. Programmable thermostats provide the most options to automatically adjust temperatures to your schedule, but can also be complicated to program.
Whichever thermostat you have, AirDirect recommends keeping settings constant and not moving the temperature setting up and down throughout the day. There is misconception for instance, that one will save electricity by adjusting the temperature at night or when leaving during the day. In reality, when you put the temperature back to where you are comfortable, the system will have to run longer to accommodate that adjustment and any savings from your previous adjustment will be lost. Setting a thermostat at one setting and leaving it is certainly the most efficient way to set your system for day to day living. When adjustments are necessary, those adjustments should be limited to just a few degrees. Remember, your system can take up to 1 hour per degree to accommodate the adjustment. Large adjustments should be reserved for when you are going to be away from the home for a longer period of time

Yes, every central heating and air conditioning system has one or more filters that should be changed monthly. The location of the filter rack varies from home to home, but most can be found in a hallway near your thermostat. There are many types of filters on the market, some promising to be “extended life” or “hypo-allergen” and can be quite expensive. These filters restrict airflow further than what your system was designed for, and the motors in your system are air cooled. AirDirectHVAC in Lawrenceville, GA recommends homeowners use standard “poly” filters that run about $1 a piece and change them monthly. It is not uncommon that a customer calls us with a complaint of the ac “not cooling well” only for our technician to find a dirty “extended life” filter in the system choking it for air. In severe cases, dirty filters can even cause your system to ice. Most common size filters can be purchased in bulk at any hardware retailer or Wal-Mart. One of the best ways a homeowner can take care of their heating and air system is to keep these filters on hand and change them often.

As required by any mechanical contractor, AirDirect HVAC pulls permits through the local Lawrenceville, GA inspections department. At completion of the installation of new equipment in your home, AirDirect HVAC assists the homeowner in scheduling a time for the city/county inspector to visit your home and inspect our work. This process protects the homeowner providing the assurance that the equipment was installed properly and meets all municipal building codes.