A&H Valley Heating - Specializing in Heating and Air Conditioning, Brighton Colorado

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FAQs

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Questions: 14General FAQs
These are some Frequently Asked Questions that we often hear when talking with out customers. We have compiled a number of them and list them here. We hope you find the answer you have been looking for and if we missed your question please feel free to click on the contact us button and call or e-mail us with your question and we would be more than happy to answer it for you.

What is HSPF?

HSPF is the abbreviation for the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, which is a rating of the efficiency level of the heating operation of a heat pump. The higher the HSPF, the more efficient the heating performance of a heat pump. New units in the United States have HSPF ratings from 7.0 to 9.4.
What is ENERGY STAR?
ENERGY STAR is a program that was created by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help businesses and individuals make energy efficient purchases.

This program places the ENERGY STAR label, a small blue and white logo, on items that meet superior energy efficiency standards. This label provides an easy way for consumers to identify quality, high efficiency products.

For more infomation about the Energy Star program, please view their website at www.energystar.gov.
What is R-410A?

R-410A is the common name for an emerging hydro-fluorocarbon (HFC) that is being used as a refrigerant in the HVAC industry. R-410A (also known as Puron) is more environmentally friendly than R-22 and is being seen as the most likely replacement for R-22 by HVAC manufacturers. At the beginning of 2010, the use of alternate refrigerant will be required in HVAC manufacturing.
What is R-22?

R-22 is the common name for hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC). R-22 has been used as a refrigerant by HVAC manufacturers for over 40 years, but studies in the past decade have shown that HCFCs contain chlorine, an ozone-depleting agent. For this reason, the United States Clean Air Act has set a target date for January 1, 2010, on which HVAC manufacturers must cease the production of products that use R-22.
What is AFUE?

AFUE is the abbreviation for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratio. AFUE is used to rate furnace efficiencies by dividing the ratio of heat output by heat input. This measurement describes how well fuel, gas or oil is consumed to produce heat by a furnace. As the AFUE rate increases, the efficiency of your furnace also increases, lowering your fuel costs. Furnaces manufactured in the United States are required to have at least an 80% AFUE.
What can I do before calling someone to service my system?
HVAC systems are complicated networks of machinery that should be serviced by a certified professional. However, if your HVAC system seems to be malfunctioning, you can try a few basic steps, which may correct your problem, prior to calling a service professional. If you do not feel comfortable performing any of these tasks, however, do not hesitate to call Valley Heating at 303-659-1087.

Disconnect and reconnect your indoor and outdoor switches.

Make sure your circuit breakers are in the ON position.

Make sure your filters are clean.

Open supply and return vents and make sure they are unobstructed.

Check the settings on your thermostat.

Make sure the system switch is on the appropriate COOL or HEAT setting.
What can I do to control the humidity levels in my home?
A humidifier can be added to your system to provide moisture in our drier climate. This can have a multitude of benefits in addition to comfort

Humidity levels can be reduced by using a variable-speed furnace or air handler as part of your HVAC system. Variable speed units run longer, at lower speeds, allowing air to constantly circulate against the cooling coil and remove more moisture.

Variable-speed motors also use less electricity than regular motors, reducing your energy costs.
What is a heat pump?
A heat pump is a device used for either the heating or cooling of a space by transferring hot and cold between two reservoirs.

A heat pump can act like an air conditioner, transferring heat from inside to out, or like a heater as it transfers exterior heat to the interior. A winter day with a temperature of 32Âº Fahrenheit still produces enough heat to warm a space when the air is transferred by heat pump.
Where can I locate my air handler or furnace system?

The system can actually be located in several different places. A system with up-flow application might be located in the basement, while a system with a horizontal application may be found in your attic. A self-contained, or single package unit, could be located outside on a slab or on the roof. Your garage could house an up-flow, down-flow or horizontal application system.
Do I need to change my indoor coil?

It is generally a good idea to replace the indoor coil if you are also replacing your air conditioner or heat pump. There is a correlation between the efficiency of your heating or cooling system and the performance of the indoor coil and changing out the current indoor coil for a new one may be critical to optimizing the performance, the efficiency and the savings potential of your new system.
How long will my system last?

Maintenance and service play a key role in the lifecycle of a heating or air conditioning system. If all recommended maintenance and service actions are taken, an air conditioner can last 12 to 15 years and a gas furnace 20 to 25 years.
What happens when I replace my old system?
To install the most efficient HVAC system in your household, a detailed inspection should first be performed by Valley Heating.

The inspection by your contractor should include, as a minimum, the inspection of your homeâ€™s ductwork, insulation, refrigerant piping, electrical service, wiring, thermostat, condensate piping, flue piping, flue terminations, chimney liner, slabs, filter, driers, registers, grills, drain pans and evaporator coil.
How do I determine the size, or capacity, of my HVAC system?
Factors affecting the size of your new system include the climate in your region, humidity levels, the number of windows in your dwelling, total square footage of your home, the direction your home faces, the number of heat-producing appliances in your home, the type of insulation you have and the number of people that live in your residence.

Valley Heating can perform the proper calculations to determine the appropriate heating or cooling unit for your home and lifestyle.
What goes into installing a new system?
Putting a new system in a home that has not had central air and heat before will require the installation of ductwork, insulation, refrigerant piping, electrical service, wiring, thermostat, condensate piping, flue piping, flue terminations, chimney liner, slabs, filter, driers, registers, grills, drain pans and evaporator coil. Beyond equipment, the most important component installed with a new system, however, is the ductwork.

Ductwork is composed of two parts, supply and return. Supply duct is attached to the outflow of the new system, delivering air to each zone in a home. The amount of air reaching each zone is determined by the size of supply ductwork connecting it to your system. Your dealer will help you determine the size of all the supply ductwork in your home.

The second part of the ductwork, the return duct, attaches to the inlet of the new system and draws air out of the spaces to be heated or cooled. Attached to the return duct is the filter. The filter should be placed as near to the furnace or air handler as possible. Ductwork can be either fiberglass or metal and must be properly sized in order to evenly distribute the proper amount of air to each room.

Questions: 5Troubleshooting FAQs
Valley Heating is committed to service well beyond the sale. If your unit goes down we will do everything in our power to get to you as soon as possible. It seems that units will only break down when the weather is at its worst. We will service our customers in the most efficient manner possible, but there are times when we get backed up and may not be able to get to you as fast as we would like.

We have compiled a list of frequent problems that are easily taken care of by you the homeowner. These are simple, no or low cost, fixes that may not only get you back into comfort much faster but will allow us to service customers with more urgent problems. A lot of the problems we are called out for fall into one of these categories.

If you cannot fix the problem with any of the following please let the person taking your information know what steps you have tried so we can narrow the problem down faster.

Igniter does not light.

While a number of things can cause this there is a way to check and see if your igniter is broken. If you have and can use a continuity meter, check to see if the igniter has continuity. If it does your igniter is most likely ok and a service call is warranted. If it doesnâ€™t or you can see a white burn mark on it, it is most likely bad and needs to be replaced. Valley Heating does sell igniters over the counter unlike a lot of heating companies.
Furnace does not come on at all and no digital display on the Thermostat.

Since the thermostat, in most cases, draws its power from the furnace and shows no display you may have a power interruption to the furnace. Check your breaker/fuse box. Also check the SSU switch, a light switch with a fuse, located next to the furnace for a blown fuse. Replace the fuse or reset breaker. (Remember that sometimes a breaker may not look tripped even though it is, it will not hurt to reset breakers)
Furnace Runs but has low air velocity.

This can be caused by a clogged air filter, replace air filter and run furnace. Another thing you may want to check is the blower wheel, if it is dirty you can clean it using a mild detergent and water, dry and replace. If this does not fix it you will need to call Valley Heating to service it properly.
Gas Furnace Lights but turns off before satisfying the thermostat.

This problem can be caused by more than one problem, one you can service. You will want to check the air filter. If it is dirty or has not been changed in a while it might be restricting airflow through the furnace making it trip on limit. Replacing the air filter should resolve this problem, but you will want to call for a service technician to replace the weakened limit switch.
Gas Furnace Lights, but then quickly shuts off (After one or two seconds)

This problem is one of the most frequent we see and the simplest to fix. The problem is a dirty flame sensor. To locate the sensor look for the last burner in the furnace, it will be opposite the igniter or pilot. It will look like a metal rod in a ceramic base with a spade terminal on the backside. One wire runs to it and is held in with one screw in most cases. Simply remove the sensor and clean it with steel wool or emery cloth. (Do not use sandpaper) Replace the sensor and run furnace. If this does not fix the problem you may need to call Valley Heating for a service call.

Questions: 11Heat Pump FAQs
The following are Questions and Answers about Heat Pumps. Valley Heating has been installing Heat Pumps in the Denver Metro Area for well over 15 years and has become known as your Metro Area Heat Pump specialists. In fact some HVAC suppliers have brought in Heat Pumps at Valley Heating's request. We hope that you find the following FAQs helpful.

What about the cooling mode? Are heat pumps less efficient in the cooling mode than typical central air conditioners?

No. Today's heat pumps are generally as efficient as typical central air conditioners.
Do I have to "oversize" my unit with a heat pump or have larger ductwork?

A heat pump uses the same sized ductwork as a typical gas furnace/central air conditioning system. And unlike gas furnaces, which routinely are oversized, you don't need to over-size a heat pump. If you're installing a heat pump in an Energy Action home, you may even need a smaller unit. The reason is because Energy Action homes are built for maximum energy savings.
But if it runs longer and runs during the summer and winter, it will wear out sooner, right?

Wrong. A heat pump is designed to run all year long--like your refrigerator. Appliance Magazine says heat pumps have about the same life expectancy as a regular central air conditioner used with a gas furnace. And even the Gas Research Institute admits in a study report that "As the efficiency of heat pumps is increased, their anticipated life increases as well." By contrast, in that same study, the Gas Research Institute suggests that the expected life of gas furnaces will decrease as their efficiency improves.
Then it must run longer than a gas furnace, right?

Right again. But remember, it produces two to three units of heat for each unit of energy it uses (compared to less than one unit of heat from a gas furnace), so you end up with significant savings at the end of the month.
So a heat pump really does blow cooler air than a gas furnace?

Right. And that's what helps maintain a constant, comfortable temperature in your home that's better tolerated by people, pets, and plants.
I've heard that heat pumps don't keep you as warm as a gas furnace. Is that true?

Some people think that's true, because a heat pump takes a little getting used to. With a heat pump, you don't get those uncomfortable blasts of hot air that you get with a gas furnace. A heat pump keeps the room temperature more constant than a gas furnace, so you're more comfortable all the time. If you're like most people who find that sometimes they're too hot and sometimes they're too cold with a gas furnace, an electric heat pump is probably just right for you.
Can I save money using a set-back thermostat with a heat pump?

Yes, especially in the summer. The recommended thermostat setting is 78 degrees for cooling and 70 degrees for heating.
Do you need a supplemental heating system with an electric heat pump?

An electric heat pump operates most efficiently at temperatures above the low 30's. When temperatures dip below that, some supplemental heat is required. A lot of the time in our area the temps are above the 30-degree mark. An electric heater or gas furnace can supply supplemental heating.
There's heat in the outside air in winter?

You bet. Outside air at 0 degrees F. contains 82% of the heat available in the air at 100 degrees F. One of the amazing things about the heat pump is that it can extract that heat from the outside air and pump it into your home.
If it cools and heats, why do they call it a heat pump?

Simple. It pumps heat. In summer, it moves heat from inside your house to the outside. In winter, it moves heat from the air outside to inside your home. This is done using the refrigerant that is pumped by the compressor through the indoor and outdoor coils.
What is a heat pump?

A heat pump is an all-in-one heating and air conditioning system that works year-round to keep you comfortable.