Many homeowners are left confused when faced with the decision to replace their home heating and cooling systems. Online reviews of equipment can be biased and lead many consumers down the wrong road. This article will aid in the decision making process and articulate some of the main points you should expect your home comfort advisor to cover during the initial visit.
- A whole home heat load calculation in order to properly size your equipment
- A survey to ensure that all of your needs are covered and that you are receiving a quote for exactly what you are looking for
- A thorough inspection of the installation area that details any alterations needed to not only the HVAC system but your home as well
- A home comfort advisor from a HVAC contractor Ottawa should be able to present to you; all business licensing, pictures of past installations, product brochures for equipment being proposed and details in writing concerning removal of equipment and all aspects of the installation
We will expand on these points above and discuss what a Canadian home owner should expect in terms of quality equipment (Blog post titled “The Importance of the Best Installation in Ottawa” details what should be expected in the installation process).
A whole home load calculation
Load calculations are mathematical formulas (known as Manual J) that were developed by heating and air conditioning engineers in order to properly size equipment for different homes and buildings. These calculations are thorough and take into account many different factors that can affect your comfort levels. These factors include, home orientation, insulation, amount of windows and where those windows face, ceiling height, whether there is a basement and if it is below grade, square footage of rooms and environmental factors that influence weather in your area. Without performing a proper load calculation, an HVAC company is simply guessing at what size of furnace or air conditioner will satisfy the home.
Heat load calculations allow the HVAC professional to ensure the equipment is sized perfectly which will lead to machine working as efficiently as possible. Oversized and undersized pieces of equipment lend themselves to numerous issues, including premature failure, undue stress as a result of short cycling and efficiency drops. An improperly sized unit will almost always run into issues and end up costing much more in the long run due to repairs.
Furthermore, the health of your family can greatly suffer if the HVAC equipment in your home is not properly sized. Air conditioners do not run as long as they should when they are too large, leading to humidity issues. This excess humidity can lead to mould, smells and dust mites spreading quickly. The opposite effect occurs when a furnace is oversized, as it can swiftly dry the home out, leading to cracked floors, respiratory issues and nose bleeds.
Whole Home Survey
It is important that a home comfort advisor from a reputable Ottawa furnace company addresses any ailments that you may have in terms of air quality. These can include upgraded filtration, humidifiers or UV lights. Simply replacing the furnace or air conditioner may not be enough to ensure high quality air circulating throughout the home.
Discussion of Infrastructure
Your home comfort advisor must address any structural challenges that may arise during the installation process. This includes coring new holes in the exterior of the home, capping any chimneys or relocating equipment. These items are merely the exterior issues that need to be addressed, make sure your home comfort advisor also discusses any hole that will need to be cut in walls. Due to the venting pipes on the furnace or the refrigeration lines for the AC, your home comfort advisor should clearly mark out where and how many holes will need to be cut. Drainage concerns, electrical connections and ductwork are all also items that your sales professional should address.
Finally your HVAC contractor must provide you proof of business license, BBB membership and any permits that may need to be pulled for the project. Pictures of installations and references from previous customers are also a plus. We hope that this article will aid you in the purchase of HVAC equipment and most of all, do not settle for pushy sales techniques or inadequate information, get everything in writing!
Ottawa Heating and Cooling Contractor AirZone provides honest and free advice to help aid homeowners in making an informed HVAC decision! Thank you for reading and for your interest!
