Expert Drain Cleaning Services in Summerville, SC

The useful service life of a furnace is dependent on a variety of factors including build quality, maintenance and accumulated runtime hours. However, the average lifecycle of a typical heating appliance is 12-15 years. The components in a modern furnace are relatively inexpensive and can be easily replaced. Furnace obsolescence usually revolves around the integrity of the heat exchanger and a widening gap in efficiency when compared to newer models. If the heat exchanger cracks or fails, it creates a potentially catastrophic situation that must be immediately addressed by a qualified HVAC professional contractor. The heat exchanger will usually last about 15 years, depending on the severity of the local weather conditions where the unit is installed. Most manufacturers use aluminum or stainless steel in modern furnace heat exchanger construction. Cast iron heat exchangers can last up to 30 years, but they are used almost exclusively in radiant heating applications Furnace longevity is primarily affected by proper maintenance. Air flow restrictions cause over-heating, which can reduce the useful life of the heat exchanger. For customers with a maintenance agreement, HVAC technicians will change the filters, adjust the burners, calibrate the blower and perform a variety of other useful services designed to extend the life of the equipment.

A dual fuel heating system (also known as hybrid heating) provides optimal comfort and performance by including a heat pump and gas furnace in a single system. The unit monitors outdoor conditions and automatically switches the unit to the mode most appropriate for maximum efficiency. A hybrid heating system offers the lowest operating costs among all heating appliances. Since heat pumps transfer warm air rather than create it through the burn process, they are very effective and efficient when the outdoor temperature remains above freezing. Many homeowners believe that the circulation of heat generated by electricity is more comfortable and evenly distributed. However, the efficiency of a heat pump plummets as the temperature drops, and the quantity of available heat in a given volume of outdoor air is significantly reduced. When the outdoor temperature approaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the gas furnace engages and becomes the primary heating source until the indoor load is satisfied. When considering the purchase of a dual fuel system, it is important to check the efficiency rating of each component, especially the SEER rating of the air conditioning part of the system.

Refrigerant can be added to an existing system, but the process is becoming increasingly problematic. Since a link was established between CFCs and the depletion of the ozone layer in the 1970s, world governments have worked to phase out common refrigerants including R-22. In fact, R-22 is no longer used in modern HVAC equipment manufacturing, and it is scheduled to be completely phased out by 2020. As R-22 becomes increasingly scarce, prices have risen in anticipation of a very limited supply. The price of R-22 has increased by 500 percent since 2003, and some areas have seen prices quadruple in the last six months. For many homeowners with R-22 based equipment, failing to repair a refrigerant leak will no longer make financial sense. It may prove to be cost prohibitive to continue to repair aging or obsolete R-22 systems that repeatedly malfunction. Modern air conditioners use R-410A refrigerant, which is not interchangeable with R-22 because of differences in operating pressures. R-410A has superior thermal transfer properties, which serve to enhance efficiency and lower energy costs. Replacing an R-22 system with a new R-410A based unit can help mitigate the rising expense of equipment service and refrigerant replacement.

Both HSPF and AFUE are federal standards designed to provide consumers with a simple method to evaluate the efficiency of competing heating appliances. Each of the ratings can be further defined as follows: AFUE: The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating can be used to compare the operating costs of different furnace brands and models. The rating is expressed in percentages, and it is a direct measurement of the amount of fuel a furnace converts into heat energy. For example, a furnace with an 80 AFUE rating exhausts 20 percent of the energy it consumes in the form of waste gas while 80 percent is delivered in the form of heat. A higher AFUE rating is always indicative of a more efficient furnace.HSPF: The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) is a rating that is specific to the heating portion of heat pump operation. HSPF measures the relative efficiency of the unit while in the heating mode. The actual rating number is derived by calculating the heat output in BTUs relative to the watt-hours consumed. A higher HSPF rating means the unit has better heating efficiency. It is important to recognize that heat pump heating efficiency declines dramatically as the outdoor temperature approaches freezing.