With temperatures in the US state of Washington rising into the 90s in the summer and falling below freezing in the winter, home owners need a reliable heating system to keep their loved ones comfortable, during seasonal temperature swings. Unfortunately, these temperature fluctuations take their toll on the house’s HVAC system.
Home HVAC system upgrade
During the summer, heat exchangers have to work overtime and transfer thermal energy through the evaporator coils. In the hot season, they circulate the refrigerant through the same coils to lower the temperature. Whenever the key units break down or start to wear out, they’ll hurt the entire system.
Listed below are the signs that show the home heating and cooling unit requires an upgrade:
- The system takes time to respond to settings
An efficient heating system should respond immediately to the default settings. If the system doesn’t respond as quickly as it should, it’s an indication that something may be wrong with the heating system, the ducts or the thermostat.
One way to test this is to turn the temperature way up on a hot day or way down on a cold day. If the ducts continue to heat a hot room or cool a cold room, even after making the necessary adjustments, it could mean that the thermostat has failed.
Programmable and smart thermostats
Programmable and smart thermostats are a great upgrade to standard manual thermostats
Programmable and smart thermostats are a great upgrade to standard manual thermostats. Smart thermostats can adhere to specific temperature preferences and adjust automatically to an array of energy-saving modes.
With such thermostats, home owners can keep their homes at a specific temperature for different times of the day and night. They can even use a geographic fence to turn on when heading home, with plenty of time to get the home to the right temperature on arrival.
- Uneven temperatures
Due to thermal convection, as hot air rises, the cold breezes will linger on the ground floor of a multi-story building. If some rooms are colder or warmer than others, there may be a need to adjust the airflow to balance out the temperatures. Insufficient airflow can cause discomfort in freezing basements or kitchens that are extremely hot.
Checking the vents to improve airflow
The key to improving the airflow is to check the vents in each room and turn on ceiling fans, if available. Be sure to reverse them in the winter and the summer months, depending on which way the hot air has to go. If the problems persist after checking the vents, home owners may need a professional to clean and inspect the ducts. Ducts with holes can’t efficiently heat a whole home and will cost both comfort and high utility bills.
- Experience problems with moisture
Though the Northwest doesn’t typically have a high level of humidity, houses can still have issues with moisture. In the Northwest, this can often lead to mold growth in areas that aren’t regularly heated to above 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Poor equipment operation, leaky ductwork, and leaky windows can lead to excessive moisture in the summer and air that’s too dry in the winter.
Heat pumps help regulate humidity
The heat pump helps to regulate the humidity by getting rid of the condensation in the evaporator coil. In extreme cases, the condensation can create ice dams, restricted airflow, and mold growth. Home owners can install a humidifier to make every room comfortable and avoid such problems.
- Too Many Repairs
When the key parts of the heating system start to break down, the equipment is starting to age gracefully. Every time a repair is undertaken, home owners should take note of the expenses. If they’re spending too much on these repairs, maybe it’s time to consider an upgrade.
- A Rise in Energy Bills
Rising energy costs indicate a drop in the system’s efficiency. Defective heating systems that are more than 10 years old have a low efficiency of around 50% to 70%. Since a new system can be over 90% efficient, an upgrade often makes more financial sense.
Island Heating & Air Conditioning
Island Heating & Air Conditioning provides reliable system upgrades and equipment financing options that will work to home owners’ advantage. They provide heating and cooling repair, maintenance, upgrades and installations to Oak Harbor, Washington, and the surrounding areas from Anacortes through the Skagit Valley and throughout Whidbey Island.
