Installing A New HVAC System

Important things to know about purchasing a new system for your home.

As much as half of the energy used in your home goes towards heating and air conditioning. Making smart decisions about the type of system and proper installation can save you substantially on your utility bills. can have a big impact on your utility bills. Below are some important things to know, things that Pearce Heating and Air Conditioning covers on a new installation:

A Quality Installation Begins with a Professional Design

Unfortunately, some contractors merely size a new system based on the old system's capacity rather than completing a professional design. What if your home's heating and cooling needs have changed since the last system was installed many years ago? What if the original system was not sized properly to begin with? Guess work can lead to under-sizing your new system, which can reduce the comfort of your home. Bigger is NOT better. Many contractors will readily sell you a bigger unit than you need. It costs you more to buy, and it can cost a lot more to operate and service. Even worse, over-sizing will add unnecessary expense to the job's installation cost, and may contribute to moisture-related problems down the line.

It takes time and expertise to complete a professional load calculation and system design. A California HVAC contractor lacking needed technical skills, or someone just interested in making a "fast buck" may try to convince you this is not important. However quality design is crucial to an efficient, well performing system.

The Load Calculation is Where it All Begins

Many things impact your air conditioning and heating requirements. The number and size of windows and even kitchen appliances all affect load calculation. Year-round, comfort is the goal. In the summer, your cooling system not only cools your home's air (sensible cooling), it removes moisture (latent cooling). In the winter, your heating system must keep you comfortable without causing high utility bills.

Any HVAC contractor should be using the Manual J® residential load calculation procedure. Manual J is the official standard for residential load calculation and is required by many building codes around the country.

As your local contractor, Pearce Heating and Air Conditioning does it right by carefully measuring your home to evaluate its levels of insulation. Window sizes and quantity will be noted, levels of infiltration will be estimated and internal loads including lighting and kitchen appliances will be taken into consideration.

Selecting the Right Equipment

Heating and air conditioning equipment comes in many capacities, configurations and efficiencies. It can be very confusing. As your local HVAC contractor, we select the right equipment that will be compatible with your home's heating and cooling needs. Don't trust other California contractors who are not performing accurate Manual J load calculations to size and recommend equipment. Trust Pearce Heating and Air Conditioning to do the job right and install the perfect system to meet your unique requirements.

Make Sure Your New System is Installed Correctly

You would be surprised at how many California homeowners have work done by poorly trained or careless technicians that often creates problems during or after installation. For example, sloppy workmanship can create duct leakage where your new equipment is connected to your existing ductwork which means the efficiency ratings on that shiny new equipment will never see the light of day.

It's also essential that your new air conditioner or heat pump system has the proper refrigerant gas charge (most commonly known as Freon ™). Many California contractors make no correction for the actual length and internal volume of the copper lines in your system. They just crack open the valves and use whatever refrigerant charge came in the new air conditioner from the factory.

Because of this common mistake, a recent study by a major electrical utility found that 79% of newly installed systems had either significantly too much or too little refrigerant gas. This increases utility bills, reduces the amount of cooling created, and often causes premature system failure.

It takes time and training to correct the refrigerant gas charge for each installation. Many air conditioning & heating contractors do not know how to do it properly, and/or don't invest the time needed to do it right. As your trusted HVAC contractor, we will either precisely weigh in the proper charge, or adjust it based on careful temperature, relative humidity and refrigerant gas pressure measurements.

Why you should choose Pearce Heating and Air Conditioning

Purchasing a new furnace, air conditioner or heat pump setup is a major decision - ranking just behind paying for your home, your cars and your children's college education. You want it done right, and we are a local air conditioning contractor who will do just that. From design to installation, we guarantee your system and your satisfaction with our company. We look forward to enhancing the quality of your indoor comfort control.

The heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractor selected to inspect, upgrade or install an air conditioning system is as critical to the system's successful operation as the equipment itself.