[ Home ] [ About Us ] [ Getting Started ] [ Products ] [ THACC News ] [ Contact Us ] [ Feedback ] [ Links ]

 

 

Getting Started

1.  Take Inventory

    You will be able to focus on the correct solutions for your home, if you take the time to evaluate your current home and conditions.  Collect the information provided below, so you will know in advance what we need in order to provide you with the best possible service.

  • If you already have an existing system:

    • make a list of any and all problems that you have been experiencing

    • think about how the system was performing even before any problems started to exist

    • here are some questions you might ask yourself:

      • Have your heating and air conditioning bills seemed too high?

      • Is your unit too noisy?

      • Is your home too humid in the summer, or too dry in the winter?

      • Does the temperature in each room of your home seem consistent?

      • Do you have problems with lingering cooking odors?

      • Are there any family members with allergies?

      • Do you own pets?

      • Is your outdoor unit not aging well, or just unattractive?

      • Is your system always running?

      • Does your system constantly turn off and on?

      • Is your system hard to maintain?

      • Is your outdoor unit safe?

      • Did your warranty seem to end too soon?

    • Collect all possible data about your existing unit. eg: model numbers, serial numbers etc.

     

  • Whether you have an existing system or not:

    • Contact us by phone, or with our online evaluation form.

    • We will need to know the following things

      • geographical location

      • structure of your home: eg: square footage, number of rooms, 1 story or multiple etc.

      • comfort needs of residents

    • We will then come to your home for an analysis.  We can then determine a load calculation in order to determine the capacity needed to install the proper system for your home.

    • Think about whether you will need financing.

    • Set up a day for installation.

    • Before we leave, we will program the thermostat for you, go over the owners manual, walk you through any (minimal) maintenance you will need to do yourself, and any questions you may have at that time.

 

 
Making yourself familiar with some of our terms will better help you converse with our employees. 
Glossary of Terms:
AFUE- 	 Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A measure of a gas furnace's efficiency in converting fuel to energy the higher the
rating, the more efficient the unit. For example: A rating of 90 means that approximately 90 percent of the fuel is used to provide
warmth to your home, while the remaining 10 percent escapes as exhaust.
 
BTU- 	British Thermal Unit. This is the amount of heat it takes to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. For your home, it
represents the measure of heat given off when fuel is burned for heating or the measure of heat extracted from your home for
cooling.
 
CFM- 	Cubic Feet Per Minute. A standard measurement of airflow.  A typical system requires 400 CFM per ton of air conditioning.
Capacity- The output or producing ability of apiece of cooling or heating equipment. Cooling and heating capacities are referred to
on BTUs.
 
Comfort-RTM Airflow System- 	 An exclusive feature of a high efficiency home comfort system from Trane. This method of
ramping airflow gives you greater humidity control in cooling and provides warmer air during heating start up.
 
Compressor-    The heart of an air conditioning or heat pump system. It is part of the outdoor unit and pumps refrigerant in order
to meet the cooling requirements of the system.
 
Condenser Coil or Outdoor Coil-   In an air conditioner, the coil dissipates heat from the refrigerant, changing the refrigerant from
vapor to liquid. In a heat pump system, it absorbs heat from the outdoors.
 
Damper-    Found in ductwork, this movable plate opens and closes to control airflow. Dampers can be used to balance airflow in a duct
system. They are also used in zoning to regulate airflow to certain rooms.
 
Ductwork-    Pipes or channels that carry air throughout your home.  In a home comfort system, ductwork is critical to performance in
fact, it's as critical as the equipment.
 
Evaporator Coil or Indoor Coil-   The other half of your air conditioning system located inside your home in the indoor unit.
This is where the refrigerant evaporates as it absorbs heat from the air that passes over the coil.
 
Gas Furnace Heat Exchanger-    Located in the furnace, the heat exchanger transfers heat to the surrounding air, which is then
pumped throughout your home.
 
HSPF-    Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. This rating is used in measuring the heating efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the
number, the more efficient the unit.
 
Package Unit-    A heating and cooling system contained in one outdoor unit. A package unit is typically installed either beside, on
top of the home, or sometimes in the attic.
 
Refrigerant-    A chemical that produces a refrigerating effect while expanding and vaporizing. Most residential air conditioning systems
contain R-22 refrigerant. R-22 is regulated by international controls under the Montreal Protocol and in the United States by the
Environmental Protection Agency. It is scheduled to be in production until the year 2020. It's used in approximately 95 percent
of air conditioning equipment manufactured in the U.S. today.
 
SEER-    Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. A measure of cooling   efficiency for air conditioners and heat pumps. The higher the seer ,
the more energy efficient the unit. The government's minimum SEER rating is 10. (It's similar to comparing miles per gallon in
automobiles.)
 
SEET-    Seasonal Extreme Environmental Test Lab. This is Trane's torture chamber for heating and air conditioning systems, where five
years of service are condensed into 16 torturous weeks. If a product doesn't make it through our SEET lab, it's not manufactured. We
push our equipment to extremes because we'd rather test them in our lab than in your home.
 
Split System-    The combination of an outdoor unit (air conditioner or heat pump) with an indoor unit (furnace or air handler). Split
systems must be matched for optimum efficiency. 
 
Thermostat-    A thermostat consists of a series of sensors and relays that monitor and control the functions of a heating and
cooling system.
 
Ton-    A unit of measurement used for determining cooling capacity .  One ton is the equivalent of 12,000 BTUs per hour .
 
Zoning-    A method of dividing a home into different comfort zones so each zone can be independently controlled depending on use
and need.
 
Back to top
 

 

 


Last updated 03/14/2006 05:31 PM