The new buzz word is Green; Green buildings, Green products, Green lifestyles, and Greener environments. Even the Federal Government is offering every homeowner in the United States a $1,500 tax credit if they replace an old, inefficient air conditioning (AC) equipment with an approved, high efficient Green AC equipment.
Are you helping the environment if you replace your old AC box with a newer Green AC box? Why does the government push the consumer to replace their existing AC equipment instead of evaluating the system’s overall performance and performing a comprehensive maintenance prior to a replacement recommendation?
For decades, the primary focus of the HVAC industry, and government, has been to improve and sell equipment efficiency. Why? Because it’s easier for politicians (and more popular for politicians) to mandate manufacturers to increase equipment efficiencies and offer the consumer some type of monetary compensation than to properly train and hold contractors accountable for efficient system performance (equipment performance, airflow through the ductwork, and proper refrigerant charge).
All consumers have to do is call any heating, ventilation, & air conditioning (HVAC) contractor and have them replace an old, inefficient AC equipment and complete the paperwork to qualify for a Green stimulus tax credit. And most contractors would have you believe it’s that simple; no additional inspections, measurements, cleaning, or operational adjustments of the remaining AC system are necessary.
Can I Save Money with a New Air Conditioner?
Consumers will see marginal utility savings by replacing equipment, but virtually no increase in system performance or efficiency. According to the National Balancing Council only 57.3% of the rated efficiency of the new AC equipment will be gained by the overall performance of the system.
So, what’s the solution? Get a total system evaluation by including a comprehensive Precision Tune-Up and measuring all real time performance parameters (temperatures, pressures, & airflow) prior to investing in a new air conditioner.
Over time air conditioners gets dirty, out of alignment, less efficient, and wears out with age. What homeowners probably didn’t know is that this happens about twice as fast as it should. In fact, most air conditioners die in “middle age” and use 35% to 55% more electricity than they need to due to the lack of maintenance.
Ric Schorer, President of Wighton’s Heating and Air Conditioning performed a study last summer on 563 service calls with broken air conditioners that wouldn’t cool. They discovered that 324 (over 6 out of 10) broke down from one of seven reasons. These “air killers” cause older units to gobble up 35% to 55% more electricity than when they were new. Next, Ric had his top North American Technicians Excellence (NATE) certified technician develop 30 comprehensive procedures that will eliminate these “air killers” through Wighton’s 30-Point Precision Tune-Up.
