Q: When should I purchase a new heating or air conditioning system?
At F. J. Murphy & Son, we realize that purchasing a heating or air conditioning system is no small matter. However, if your existing system is old, in need of continual repair or simply inefficient, purchasing a new unit, one which can be as much as 60% more efficient than a system purchased just 10 years ago, can offer long-term benefits. Rather than continuing to pay for costly repairs and costly monthly bills, you can invest in a new system today that will help save you money for years to come.
Q: How can I find the system that’s right for me?
There are many heating and air conditioning systems to choose from today. We draw on our vast degree of heating and air conditioning knowledge and experience to help you decide on the system that best fits your specific needs. The size and age of your property, as well as the number of rooms, climate, local and regional utility costs, and utility incentive/rebate programs are all factors that will affect the functionality and, therefore, selection of your system. Utilizing the latest technology, we consider all these factors while assisting you in choosing the best system.
Consumers seeking to replace an existing system often choose a new unit with equal or higher efficiency ratings compared to their previous system. Replacing a unit that is 10 to 15 years old may reduce natural gas or electricity costs by 30 to 50%.
Q: How do I determine the size, or capacity, of my HVAC system?
Factors affecting the size of your new system include our regional climate, inside and outside humidity levels, the number of windows and doors in your structure, total square footage inside, the geographic direction your property faces, the number of heat-producing appliances, the type of insulation you have, and the number of people that typically occupy the premises.
We can perform the proper calculations to determine the appropriate heating or cooling unit for your home or business.
Q: I have a new air conditioning system but it's still too hot upstairs. Is this normal?
Is there anything we can do about it?
This is a common problem usually found in two story buildings that were built without zone controls (separate thermostats for upstairs and downstairs). The best way to solve the problem is to adapt a new zone control system; it brings the temperature closer to being even. Short of doing that, one thing that you can do to help but not solve the problem is to run the blower continuously. This helps to mix the upstairs air and downstairs air.
However, the electrical usage of the blower is a factor and can run as high as $50 or more per month if you let it run 24 hours per day. It's best to run it only during severe problem times. Closing down all of the downstairs registers in order to force more cool air upstairs is usually not advisable since such an airflow restriction may cause icing of the evaporator coil, which will create a non-cooling situation.
Q: My new air conditioner seems to run all day long and it still doesn't cool down my house enough. What's the problem?
There are several possible reasons. Among them is a lack of airflow due to an undersized, broken, or otherwise restricted duct system. But if the air conditioner was recently installed and has never worked properly, the chances are that the installation was deficient and/or it's too small to handle the heat load of your property. Unfortunately many air conditioning companies today cut out the very necessary first step of running proper heat load calculations prior to sizing the equipment. Have you been given the calculations? If you’ve been sold a unit which is too small to handle the load, the only thing to do is replace it with the proper size unit.
Q: My new air conditioner seems to only run for short periods of time and then shuts off. It's on and off all day long and the environment seems uncomfortable even though the temperature is down at 72 degrees. Is this normal?
It sounds like the air conditioner is oversized. Again, the first step in installing a new air conditioner is to run proper heat-load calculations on the home to determine the proper size. An oversized unit will cycle on and off frequently, wasting electricity and causing wear and tear on the equipment itself. The other problem is that it never runs long enough to dehumidify the air inside the building. This causes an uncomfortable feeling; it seems cold and clammy, as if you were in a cave.
Q: Ever since my new air conditioner was installed in our home, our energy bill has skyrocketed. We don't even use the air conditioning very much since we work all day and are only running it for a few hours at night. They said it wouldn't cost so much. Is something wrong?
Very likely. The newer air conditioners should not be that expensive to run. They come with Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratings (SEER) of 13 as a minimum and can go higher depending on the unit. The older machines had ratings down around 6 or even lower. Newer units correctly sized, installed, and maintained, differ greatly; the higher the SEER number, the more efficient the unit. If your energy bill has skyrocketed there is likely a problem somewhere in the system. On installation a new air conditioner must be tested and have the refrigerant charge accurately adjusted. The factory does not preset these as every job site has different conditions. A study by researchers at Texas A & M University found that a refrigerant undercharge of 23% results in a 52% efficiency loss. North Carolina Alternative Energy Corp. found that 90% of the units they tested exhibited some sort of energy wasting problem, 50% had an improper refrigerant charge and 40% had inadequate airflow. Proper installation of the air conditioner and testing of the system as a whole, as well as correct periodic maintenance, are crucial to performance and energy savings.
Q: If I replace my old air conditioner with a new one, will it help me to lower my energy bill?
Yes, and it can in a big way. If you have an old unit built in the 70's, it was probably rated around 6 SEER when it was new, and due to age is now running something like 3 or 4 SEER. Replace it with a new high SEER unit and cut your cooling energy bill significantly. The indoor coil must also be replaced at the same time in order to get the advertised SEER rating of the new unit and the rest of the system must be in proper working order.
Q: How much will it cost to install a new air conditioner?
It is impossible to quote a price without first checking conditions at the job site. We simply cannot determine what the price will be without this first step. Price will be influenced by the size, SEER rating, and location of the new unit as well as whether or not the existing furnace, electrical panel, and ducts are suitable for air conditioning or if they must be altered or replaced. We charge a small fee to come out and take our measurements. Then we return to the office to do the sizing analysis and provide you with a detailed, written proposal customized especially for your situation. The proposal will provide you with our calculations, show exactly what work will be performed, what options we recommend and what the cost will be. The initial fee for the visit and sizing is waived when we are hired to do the installation.
Q: Can I make payments on the installation of a new air conditioner so I don't have to pay for it all at once?
Yes. We accept credit cards and can arrange several financing options so that you can make small monthly payments rather than paying it all at once.
Q: What size of air conditioner do I need for my house?
Air conditioners are rated in "tons" of cooling capacity. This phrase comes from the days when ice was used for cooling. One ton of air conditioning is equal to the amount of cooling you would get from one ton of ice melting in your home in one hour. One ton of cooling is also equal to 12,000 BTUH (British thermal units per hour) and this 12,000 BTUH is further broken down into sensible BTUH (heat which can be sensed with the aid of a thermometer) and latent BTUH ("hidden heat" which cannot be sensed with the aid of a thermometer.) This has to do with how much moisture removal is accomplished by the air conditioning system and gets fairly complex.
Contrary to popular belief, proper sizing is not done solely based on the square footage of the home, such as one ton of a/c for every 500 square feet. Such rough rule-of-thumb guesses do not allow for important variables. The proper size can only be determined from the results of a heat load calculation on your home. A correct calculation takes into account the area of exposed walls, the glass area and whether it's single or dual pane, the insulation levels in floors, walls, and ceilings, any exterior or interior shading, the requested indoor temperature, and the volume of the house in cubic feet. We use a method of calculation called "Manual J" which was developed by Air Conditioning Contractors of America and approved for this use.
Proper size is critical to your comfort and savings on your energy bill. Oversized units cost more to operate and short-cycle so much that your house may become humid and uncomfortable. Undersized units run all day long and still don't cool the house. Make sure you get the right size.
Q: Do I need a permit to install a new air conditioner and if so what is involved in getting a permit?
Yes. A permit is a legal requirement in most cities and towns. The issuance of a permit usually involves making a sketch of the property showing the location of the air conditioner, then taking this to the local Building & Zoning Department along with a completed application, and paying the fees. The permit usually is issued the same day. When the job is done, normally a Building & Zoning inspector from where you live will come by to inspect the job and sign off the permit. Some companies illegally do these jobs without a permit and when apprehended, the homeowner gets the fine. At F. J. Murphy & Son, Inc., we take care of getting the permit, making the drawings, and scheduling the inspection for you. This affords you additional protection.
Q: Is there any real difference between brand names of air conditioners?
YES…and…NO. All units operate on the same basic principles of physics, electronics, and mechanics. However, some are built using different types of materials, different types of motors, different types of compressors, different electrical components, etc. No one knows better than the professional companies and employees that do repair service as to which units have the best track record and are to be favored. Added to that is the fact that what might be the best choice one year may not be the best next year since manufacturers have a habit of changing designs and parts…sometimes for the good…sometimes for the bad. So, that which F. J. Murphy might have recommended two years ago might not be what we would recommend today…simply due to manufacturing changes.
It’s for this reason that F. J. Murphy has no allegiance to any particular brand but instead uses our knowledge and experience to pick the very best at any given point in time. After all, we want our customers satisfied for the long haul, not just the day of the installation. Further and even more confusing to the consumer, as it is with many automobiles, manufacturers have consolidated brands and factories along with equipment design. With most major manufacturers, the equipment comes down the same assembly line using the exact same parts and assembly workers, only to have a different “brand” nameplate and/or paint color installed before shipment. Often the price differential with such units is simply the result of marketing and advertising expenses associated with one “brand” name vs. another.
Q: After I have a new air conditioner or furnace installed will it require any maintenance?
Yes. As it is with anything mechanical, most certainly. We suggest that if you have a combination heating and cooling system you have us come out and do a tune-up on the system at the beginning of the heating season and again at the beginning of the cooling season. Keeping the system clean is the name of the game. As the coils and blower wheels begin to get dirty the efficiency of the system plummets, your energy bill climbs, and your comfort level drops. Regular tune-ups also extend equipment life and help to prevent mechanical breakdowns. If you can change a filter on your own without difficulty, we certainly recommend you do that periodically. If not, call us.