HVAC is an acronym which stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. The HVAC industry deals with home comfort systems and natural gas appliances. An HVAC technician is the ONLY person that is qualified to install and service furnaces, air-conditioners, water heaters and any other appliance related to natural gas, oil or ventilation. Sometimes the acronym can be seen as HVAC/R, meaning that the technician has extensive training in refrigeration units in addition to HVAC.
The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE, pronounced Ah-few) is a measure of thermal efficiency for combustion heating appliances such as furnaces and water heaters. It is an approximation of the average, season-long efficiency of the equipment and not the peak efficiency. Conventional natural gas furnaces have an AFUE of approximately 55-65% Mid efficiency furnaces have an AFUE around 78-84% High efficiency or Condensing furnaces have an AFUE greater than 90% up to 98%
A high efficiency, condensing furnace can save you 20-35% on your heating costs compared to a standard furnace with a low AFUE. Furthermore, many new furnaces have a DC motor mean that the fan will also use much less electricity, about the same amount as a traditional ceiling fan.
The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is a measure of the cooling system's efficiency over the entire cooling season as defined by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute. The SEER rating is a ratio of the unit's cooling output (in BTU) to the total electric energy input (in Watt-hours). A more efficient system will have greater cooling output for a lower energy input, thus having a higher SEER rating; more efficient systems have a higher SEER ratio. The SEER ratio is an ACTUAL measure of efficiency and not a THEORETICAL measure such as the Coefficient of Performance (COP).
In Canada the government now requires any new A/C to have a SEER of at least 13. Units with a SEER
rating of 13-16 are sufficient for Canadian Summers, however units can go up to 21 SEER.
Replacing an 8 SEER unit with a 13 SEER unit can save you up to 38% in energy costs, a 14 SEER unit
will save you 42%. A good approximation to calculate savings is to divide the old SEER by the new SEER,
multiply by 100% and subtract that number from 100%.
Example:
10 SEER / 15 SEER = 0.667
0.667 x 100% = 66.7%
100% - 66.7% = 33.3%
Upgrading from a 10 SEER unit to a 15 SEER unit will save up to 33% in energy costs
Always ensure that the contractor you select to install or service your furnace or air condition is certified in Canada and that they are a registered business. Your heating and air conditioning systems are large investments in your home comfort. An air conditioner should last 12-15 years and a heating system can last 20-25 years provided annual check-ups and maintenance are performed by a trained technician. Many suppliers give warranties of 7-10 years on parts depending on the unit, ADSTEK will give additional product specific warranties on parts and labour as well. Please be careful when choosing a contractor, it is not enough to simply purchase a good system, the installation must also be performed properly to optimize the efficiency and life span of the system. Furthermore, the company installing the products must be sound, a 10 yr warranty is only useful if the company is going to stick around for 10 years. Always tread carefully when dealing with products that are far below the going rate of competitors, if the deal seems "to good to be true" it likely is! We hope that you choose ADSTEK for all your heating and cooling needs, but if you do not, we hope you choose another reliable and trustworthy competitor.
