We have rated area heating and air-conditioning firms on our Ratings Tables. At the time of our last full, published article, eight of these
firms were rated "superior" for "overall performance" by 90 percent or
more of the customers who rated them on our customer survey. But 12 scored
much lower, receiving such favorable ratings from only 65 percent or fewer
of their surveyed customers.
We also found big price differences. For example, for one specific job,
prices ranged from $313 to $711, and for another, prices ranged from $285
to $849. Although most consumers surprisingly don't get competitive bids
even for costly jobs, getting more than one bid will save many homeowners
hundreds, or thousands, of dollars.
If you will need new equipment installed, get several firms to give you
written proposals. Compare their proposed designs. How well your system
is designed might affect how quickly and uniformly your house is heated
or cooled, how much energy it will take to do the job, how much noise and
vibration you will experience, how troubled you will be by drafts, how
much closet or attic space the system will consume, how easy the system
will be to maintain, and other important aspects of performance.
For an installation contract, ask for performance guarantees promising
how warm your house can be kept—or how cool in the case of air-conditioning
equipment—and how uniform the temperature within the house will be when
the outside temperature reaches a specified level. Also, be sure that your
contract is clear about the firm's responsibilities on such matters as
providing an electrical supply and hooking up your equipment to the electrical
panel; providing drainage for condensate; enclosing ductwork and painting
and patching holes; and other matters.
Heating and air-conditioning firms are likely to encourage you to have
annual professional maintenance visits and many will suggest that you enter
a maintenance contract. It is not clear that such frequent professional
service is needed so long as you are diligent about the most important
maintenance task: replacing air filters whenever they get dirty. The case
for frequent professional maintenance is strongest if your system is old,
it is used heavily, there is much dust and pollen in the area, you have
frequent breakdowns, or you have a large house, where the energy savings
that might result from frequent maintenance will pay for the cost of the
maintenance. Before entering a maintenance contract, get price quotes from
several firms and check exactly what each contract covers. For basic maintenance,
not including costs of any parts or costs of labor for needed repairs,
we found prices ranging from less than $100 to more than $300.
If you are considering buying new equipment, be skeptical about claims
of cost savings from more energy-efficient equipment. There may be substantial
savings, and there are compelling public-interest reasons to install efficient
equipment. But some firms are prone to exaggerating the size of the savings—in
order to sell new equipment, or more expensive equipment. Get several firms
to make proposals, ask for documentation of how much you will cut your
energy bills compared to what you now have, and ask questions. In this
article, we suggest some software you might use to do your own comparisons
and we give you examples of the effects of energy-savings for different
options for an illustrative home. For many area homes, the best option
may include a heat pump.
You'll find ratings of area heating and air-conditioning services on our Ratings Tables. The customer survey ratings on the table show how surveyed
CHECKBOOK and Consumer Reports subscribers rated firms they had used. (For
more information on our customer survey and other research methods, click
here.)
As you can see from our Ratings Tables, there are many firms in the
Puget Sound area that consistently provide high-quality work. At the time
of our last full, published article, eight of the listed companies were
rated "superior" for "overall performance" by 90 percent or more of the
customers who rated them. But our Ratings Tables also reveal that some
heating and air-conditioning customers get burned by shoddy service: 12
companies received such favorable ratings from only 65 percent or fewer
of their surveyed customers.
Unfortunately, customers can't spot all differences in quality. You probably
won't know, for example, if the reason your energy bills are a little higher
than necessary, or your system doesn't last as long as it should, is that
a contractor failed to correct a problem or used the wrong parts. But customers
can be expected to spot major problems—if energy bills are substantially
higher than they should be, the furnace doesn't warm the house, the air
conditioner doesn't cool, or the system simply doesn't run. And the comments
we've received on heating and air-conditioning services indicate that many
consumers do in fact identify lousy work—
- "Installed new air conditioning unit. Unit did not work the following year.
Called service rep. Two different reps came out, neither could fix the
problem. Contacted another company. Fixed on first visit."
- "Because of ordering the wrong equipment, poor interoffice communication,
and some work that was sloppy, it took them five visits and many weeks
to do a job that should have been done in two visits."
- "They TOTALLY destroyed my bedroom ceiling. They installed a new unit and
never installed the pan to collect and drain excess water, so it leaked
and ultimately ruined my ceiling, walls, carpet, and some personal belongings.
They deny any fault and I am still fighting for reimbursement for damages
that they caused and refuse to fix."
- "This service operation is just a front for the sales team. The service
team showed up on time, told me I needed to replace my entire AC unit and
had the sales team at my home in 20 minutes. Luckily, I held out for a
second opinion and [the other company] fixed my problem for less than $100
and it's been working fine since then."
- "I am still waiting for my air-conditioning unit to work—they installed
it 11 days ago. They were initially pleasant and got people out promptly
to install the unit, but...have given me the run-around ever since. What
a nightmare."
- "ALWAYS trying to sell something extra."
In addition to ratings from customers, for firms that were evaluated in
our last full, published article, our Ratings Tables show counts of
complaints we gathered from the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington
Office of the Attorney General for a recent two-year period. Where we were
able to, we have also reported on our Ratings Tables a complaint rate
for each firm, calculated by dividing the number of complaints by our measure
of the number of full-time-equivalent employees who perform residential
work for the firms. These complaint rates are intended as a rough way to
take into account volume of work and the fact that firms that do more work
are exposed to a greater risk of incurring complaints.
Another potential source of complaint information is the Better Business
Bureau (BBB) that serves the Puget Sound area. On its website at www.alaskaoregonwesternwashington.bbb.org,
you can find the BBB's report on any local firm. The report will show the
number of complaints the BBB has received for the firm during the past
three years. For firms listed on our Ratings Tables, in the details
under the firms' listings, click a link to the local BBB to go directly
to the BBB's reports on the firms.
The information on our Ratings Tables will help you identify high-quality
companies, but to get good work at a reasonable cost, you'll also need
to think carefully about what work you need done, and you'll need to deal
carefully with the firm, or firms, you choose.
When you need repairs, our ratings of services on our Ratings Tables
will help you find a good company to turn to for help.
Call one or more firms and describe the symptoms—what the system is doing
and not doing. Companies may be able to tell you over the phone what's
likely to be wrong and give you a price. If so, try to get quotes from
several firms. Click here to
see a figure explaining how central air conditioning works.
If your system just doesn't work and you can't determine exactly what has
to be done, you will have to arrange for a service call and you probably
won't be able to get a price before paying for a firm to come to your home.
Your best bet is to select a firm that our Ratings Tables show has
relatively high ratings on our measures of service quality, has a relatively
low price index score, and has a relatively low minimum charge for a service
visit.
The price index scores on our Ratings Tables show how each firm compared
to other firms on at least two, and in most cases three or four, small
jobs we had them bid on. The average price index score is $100. A price
index score of $110 tells you that a firm's quotes were 10 percent higher
than the average of all the firms that bid on the same jobs; a score of
$95 means that its bids were five percent lower than the average. These
price index scores are a useful predictor of the relative price levels
you might encounter at different firms, but firms' relative price levels,
unfortunately, are not always consistent; a firm with relatively low prices
on some jobs might turn out to have relatively high prices on other jobs.
Since there is a good chance you won't be able to get a price quote in
advance of a service call, shopping for price will be difficult. You can
have one firm come to your home, diagnose the problem, and give you a written
estimate detailing the work that needs to be done. Then, with the estimate
in hand, you can call other firms and ask what they would charge for the
repairs, assuming that the diagnosis is correct.
But other firms may be reluctant to give quotes based on the first firm's
diagnosis. Also, if you use another firm, you will have to pay the first
firm's minimum service call charge, which it might be willing to apply
to the repair bill if you were to go ahead and have it do the repair. In
addition, getting other quotes will be less convenient than having the
repairperson in your home proceed with the work.
If the repair estimate is not more than a few hundred dollars, you will
probably decide to have the firm in your home go ahead immediately. If
you have chosen a firm with a low price index score, there's a good chance
that the price you will pay will at least be reasonable.
If the estimate is more than $500 or so, it will likely pay to get more
quotes. We found, for example, that for one repair job we shopped with
an average price of about $500, getting three quotes would have cut the
repair cost by, on average, about $100 compared to going with the first
quote. Depending on which firm we happened to get a price from first, subsequent
quotes might have saved us nothing (if the first quote was very low) or
might have saved us several hundred dollars (if the first quote happened
to be relatively high). You won't know how low or high the first quote
is until you get additional quotes.
If the firm that comes to your home to give you your diagnosis has a relatively
high minimum service call charge and will apply that charge to the price
of the repair, then it will be difficult for you to save much by going
with another firm. You give yourself maximum flexibility by choosing for
the initial service call a firm that has a relatively low minimum service
charge. our Ratings Tables show that there are some firms with minimum
charges of less than $80, though others have minimums of more than $120.
However you go about shopping for a repair job, there are other steps you
can take to help you get good repairs at a reasonable cost.
- Describe symptoms in as much detail as possible before the technician comes
out.
- Ask the firm to explain how it calculates service charges (so they know
that you know what to expect).
- Be sure to get a written description of needed work and a price estimate
before work begins.
- Ask to have replaced parts left with you.
- Be around but not in the way as work proceeds.
- Get a detailed invoice, including:
- A description of the symptoms that precipitated the repair call.
- A list of all parts replaced.
- An itemization of all labor charges and description of the labor required.
- A notation of the temperature at the plenum of air-handling equipment and
the return before and after the repair.
- If repairs are to an air conditioner or a heat pump, a notation of the
pressure of the refrigerant in the air-conditioning lines and a notation
of the running amperage reading of the system before and after the repair.
- The warranty on the work done.
- Pay using a credit card. If you are dissatisfied with the work, you'll
have the option to dispute the charge under the Fair Credit Billing Act.
If your equipment breaks down beyond recovery, you'll want to get the best
possible price and quality of replacement. If your home doesn't have central
air conditioning and you want to add it, or if you want to extend a heating
or cooling system, making the right decisions is even more important.
A new system's performance and cost will depend heavily on how carefully
you think through the design. Some of the same issues also arise if you
are just replacing a major component such as a condenser unit.
Invite several firms to your home to give you written proposals. Ask each
to explain whether it's desirable to have more than one separate heating
or cooling system and more than one thermostat, whether you'd get a lot
of benefit from equipment features such as variable speed blowers (see
below), how ducts will be run, where and how a condenser unit and the blower
will be mounted, how you'll get access to the equipment for maintenance
and filter replacement, and other design questions.
Good solutions to these questions will affect how much noise and vibration
you experience, how quickly and uniformly your home will be cooled or heated,
how troubled you'll be by drafts, how much energy your system will consume,
how disruptive the installation process itself will be, how much closet,
attic, or outdoor space the system will require, how disfiguring the ducts
and air supply registers will be to the appearance of your home, and how
difficult the system will be to maintain.
Ask each firm which makes and models of equipment it will use. Ask about
the capacity, energy efficiency, and sound ratings of the equipment. Most
firms can offer equipment at several different quality levels. Ask each
to explain the pros and cons of the equipment alternatives and invite each
to comment on the equipment being offered by its competitors.
Selecting the Right Size Equipment
You'll want to make sure that the equipment you buy is properly sized to
your home. Undersized units won't be able to heat or cool spaces efficiently.
But bigger is definitely not always better. An oversized unit will cost
more, and will cycle on and off constantly, thus boosting your utility
bill, making more noise, requiring more frequent maintenance, and dying
sooner.
When writing proposals for new equipment installation jobs, firms should
perform a load calculation to determine the right size of equipment for
the home. Simply relying on a home's square footage or the size of unit
already installed won't cut it; to size equipment properly, installers
have to take into account several other factors, including the amount of
space that needs to be conditioned, the area's climate, the home's insulation
levels, air leakage levels, and the energy efficiency of the equipment
options in the proposal. Make sure any company that bids on your installation
work performs a load calculation using the Air Conditioning Contractors
of America's "Manual J" to size equipment and "Manual D" if you will need
significant ductwork.
The size of heating and cooling units is described as their capacity. For
furnaces and heat pumps, capacity is the amount of heat a unit can generate,
and is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). For air conditioners (and
heat pumps operating in cooling modes), capacity is measured in BTUs, but
is expressed as the amount of heat units can remove. The capacity of cooling
units is usually described in "tons," where one ton equals 12,000 BTUs—for
example, a 36,000-BTU air conditioner is a "three-ton unit."
Selecting for Energy Efficiency
The energy efficiency of heating and cooling equipment is measured in a
number of different ways, depending on the type of equipment and/or the
function to which it applies.
- Furnaces (both gas and oil) are rated by their Annual Fuel Utilization
Efficiency (AFUE). The range of AFUE ratings for new furnaces is from 78
to about 97, higher being more efficient. The simplest way to explain the
AFUE rating is to say that, for a furnace with an AFUE rating of 90, 90
percent of the gas or oil it uses each year is not wasted and 10 percent
is wasted.
- The efficiency of both air conditioners and heat pumps in cooling mode
is measured by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). For new, central
air conditioners and heat pumps, SEER ratings can range from a minimum
of 13 to about 21, higher being more efficient.
- The efficiency of heat pumps in heating mode is measured by the Heating
Season Performance Factor (HSPF). The range for new heat pumps is from
a minimum of 7.7 to about 10, higher being more efficient. The efficiency
of a heat pump will fall as outside temperatures fall, and if the outside
temperature falls below 40°F or so, the energy efficiency of most models
of heat pumps will be so low that the equipment will not be able to maintain
the temperature level you are accustomed to. One solution is to have the
heat pump equipped with a backup electrical resistance heater. But this
means that at low outdoor temperatures, you are heating your house with
what is in effect a very large electric space heater, and your electricity
bill could skyrocket during those times. Another solution, which is commonly
used in areas that have colder winters than we have here, is to have a
"hybrid system"—a heat pump backed up by a furnace. With that design, you
rely on a heat pump to heat your home until it can no longer do so efficiently,
at which point a furnace takes over.
More efficient equipment costs more. For many homeowners, concern for the
environment and worries about finite energy sources will be sufficient
motivation to lay out the extra money, but for those for whom personal
dollar cost is the dominant consideration, three other factors sweeten
the pot: lower power bills, utility rebate programs, and tax incentives.
Since energy prices fluctuate so unpredictably, it's difficult to predict
accurately future savings from installing more energy-efficient heating
and cooling systems. But even if you calculate energy savings based on
recent energy costs, you'll probably find that you can reduce utility bills—especially
heating costs—significantly by installing more energy-efficient equipment.
It makes sense to calculate whether or not these energy savings are enough
to cover the extra costs of more efficient equipment.
Doing this math isn't easy. Every home is different and any formula has
to take into account size of area to be heated and/or cooled, insulation
levels, the temperature settings used by occupants, whether a programmable
thermostat will be used, and other factors. It is possible to do these
calculations using available software, but to use such software a lot of
information about the home has to be entered before the relative savings
can be figured, and it's more work than most contractors providing free
installation estimates are willing to do.
Contractors should be able to help by simply estimating what percent off
utility bills you'll save from picking different types and models of equipment,
for example, Furnace A versus Furnace B. You can then add up your energy
bills for the year and figure out how much you'd save by picking the more
efficient unit. Ask high-rated companies to provide these estimates and
then compare claims you get, asking for clarification when you get conflicting
information.
Be wary of salespeople who do use calculators to provide on-the-spot, dollar-figure
savings. These estimates are often overly rosy. Heating and air-conditioning
manufacturers enthusiastically provide contractors handy formulas and devices
that dramatically overstate the case for upgrading to more efficient equipment,
since doing so means more consumers will be influenced to replace older
equipment with new equipment—and with the most expensive new equipment—rather
than just repairing what they have or opting for less expensive models
of new equipment. If you're given an estimate of annual savings that seems
too good to be true, it probably is.
If you're uncomfortable with these types of ballpark estimates and would
lose sleep not knowing just how much you'd save by spending an extra $1,000
on a more efficient unit, there are several software tools that can estimate
these savings. Some require a degree in engineering to operate, but others
are quite user friendly. Some can be downloaded or used online for free
and others must be purchased.
To perform these types of calculations well and spit out estimates of annual
energy usage for equipment with various efficiency ratings, the software
will have to ask for the specifics of where you live, your home (size of
area to be cooled, number of stories, building materials, insulation levels,
number and types of windows and doors, estimate of air leakage, etc.),
and an estimate of per-unit energy costs from your local utilities.
One free tool you can use is Home Energy Saver (http://hes.lbl.gov),
a program of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Another software
package we like is Architectural Energy's REM/Design (www.archenergy.com).
The software costs $327 to download, but as of this writing, a full, free
60-day demo version of it was available for download. It was one of the
few software packages we could find that wouldn't require an MIT grad to
show you how to use it, yet was equipped to perform accurate, meaningful
analyses.
On Table 1, we show you, for an illustrative home in the Puget Sound area,
the kinds of options a homeowner might consider when confronted with the
need to have his or her furnace repaired:
- Repair furnace ($1,000) and keep existing air-conditioner;
- Replace furnace with a minimally energy-efficient model and keep existing air conditioner for another six years; then replace the air conditioner with a minimally efficient model;
- Replace furnace with an efficient (95 AFUE) model and keep existing air conditioner for another six years; then replace air conditioner with a minimally efficient model;
- Replace furnace and air conditioner with minimally efficient heat pump model;
- Replace furnace and air conditioner with an efficient heat pump model;
- Replace furnace and air conditioner with minimally efficient models;
- Replace furnace with a minimally efficient model and replace air conditioner with an efficient (19.0 SEER) model;
- Replace furnace with an efficient (95 AFUE) model and replace air conditioner with a minimally efficient model;
- Replace furnace with an efficient (95 AFUE) model and replace air conditioner with an efficient model (19.0 SEER); and
- Replace furnace and air conditioner with a hybrid system that uses a high-efficiency heat pump backed by a gas furnace.
We estimated costs under each option for six years, 12 years, and 18 years
(a typical life span of most furnaces, air conditioners, and air-source
heat pumps). For each of these three time periods, the table shows the
costs of new equipment plus costs for energy. The costs for equipment include
the federal tax credit (if applicable) and are pro-rated over an 18-year
expected life span. We estimated the energy costs based on recent utility
costs, and we estimated equipment costs from the lowest bids we received
from a handful of firms that we asked to bid on various equipment options.
It is important to note that the cost figures don't take into account inflation
or forgone interest on money invested in equipment.
For each of the assumptions shown on Table 1, we have estimated that the
lowest cost option looking out six years, 12 years, or 18 years would be
to replace both the existing furnace and air conditioner with an energy-efficient
heat pump.
Comparing the options, we see—
- Moving from an inefficient furnace and air conditioner to an efficient
heat pump would save the homeowner about $492 per year in energy costs,
or $2,952 over six years, and would avoid the estimated $1,000 cost of
making the furnace repair—a total savings of $3,952. That compares to a
cost (after tax credit) of about $4,760 for a new, efficient heat pump.
And if we pro-rate that new heat-pump cost over an expected life of 18
years, the six-year portion is $1,587. Spending a pro-rated $1,587 on a
new heat pump seems like a pretty good deal to save $3,952—a good enough
deal to be pretty confident it is worth taking even in the face of uncertainties
about the various assumptions in our estimates.
- It doesn't necessarily make sense to buy a highly efficient heat pump rather
than a basic model. The extra cost after tax credit for the more efficient
heat pump would be $860. The energy savings from the more efficient heat
pump compared to the less efficient one would be $55 per year, or $330
over six years, $660 over 12 years, and $990 over 18 years.
A few additional, but important points:
- When comparing models, it's important to understand that features such
as variable-speed blowers and two-stage burners will reduce energy usage
but that these savings won't be reflected on their models' efficiency ratings,
since the ratings are determined while equipment is operated at full capacity.
A feature like a variable-speed blower usually runs at a constant low speed
to maintain the correct temperature, increasing speed and energy use only
when needed. So if you are comparing the energy efficiency of two different
units, each with the same energy efficiency rating, and one comes with
variable-speed capability and the other doesn't, the one that can run at
variable speeds will use less energy. The same is true when comparing furnaces
that have one- or multiple-stage burners.
The problem is that it's difficult to assess exactly how much energy these
features save. But a reasonable rule of thumb to use is to assume that
two-stage burners and variable-speed blowers each decrease furnace energy
waste by about 10 percent and increase corresponding SEER/HSPF ratings
by 1.0 to 1.5.
- Investing $5,000 extra in ultra-efficient equipment makes no sense if your
home is drafty, has poor insulation, or you keep the thermostat pegged
on Tahiti during the winter months. Before upgrading your equipment, make
sure your attic is well insulated. Our article on home insulation should
help get you started. Also consider hiring an energy auditor to help you
find and reduce air leaks. And the best way to save on home energy costs
is the most obvious way: dial down your thermostat and get and use a programmable
thermostat. The savings from more efficient equipment are lessened after
taking such steps to make your home's energy profile more efficient.
In our estimates on Table 1 we have taken into account our estimate of
the savings that might result from the federal tax credit for installing
energy-efficient equipment. (This assumes you have not used up your credit
on some other energy-efficiency improvement.)
You might also be eligible for rebates or incentives from a local government.
Some utility companies offer financial incentives to encourage you to install
high-efficiency equipment. These programs vary from utility to utility;
many are special loan programs. In most cases, your paperwork is kept to
a minimum, but you might have to deal with a contractor from the utility's
"approved contractor" list.
An excellent resource for details on what incentives are currently available
for all types of energy-efficiency solutions is www.dsireusa.org, which
maintains an up-to-date database of what's available nationwide.
Selecting Quiet Equipment
The sound rating of equipment is measured in Bels or decibels, with lower
ratings being quieter. Compared to equipment made 15 years ago, almost
all new units are astonishingly quiet.
Selecting Dependable Equipment
Neither Consumer Reports nor any other organization systematically rates
the reliability and durability of furnaces, central air-conditioning systems,
or heat pumps (although Consumer Reports does evaluate room air conditioners).
Since there is so little data available comparing the quality of heating
and air-conditioning units, your best bet for getting trouble-free equipment
is to solicit bids from several contractors with good reputations for customer
satisfaction. It is widely agreed in the industry that the relative quality
of equipment is much less important than making sure any equipment is installed
correctly. As one contractor told us, perhaps with a bit of hubris: "It
just doesn't matter too much. If I take the time to install the equipment
properly, I can put in the biggest piece-of-junk furnace and make it hum
for 20 years."
Keep in mind that customers aren't likely to be satisfied with firms that
install equipment that breaks down often—even if the firms fix it promptly.
And firms that are committed to satisfying their customers by making prompt
repairs under their installation warranties aren't going to continue installing
makes and models of equipment that require frequent service visits.
Based on what you learn from discussions with several firms, you'll be
able to specify exactly what you want done. Then you can have each firm
revise its proposal to respond to your exact specifications with a quote
for a fixed-price contract.
Getting competitive bids on installation or replacement jobs is a very
easy way to save money. For large installation jobs, where price variation
will mean big dollar savings from bid to bid, it's common to save $2,000
or more by getting a second or a third bid on a $10,000 job.
Even for smaller installation jobs, we find that company-to-company price
differences are large, as you can see in Table 2. The table shows, for
four relatively small jobs on which we collected bids, the difference between
the highest and the lowest price quotes we received. On all four jobs,
the highest price was more than twice as high as the lowest price.
In our surveys of consumers, we have found that even for jobs that end
up costing more than $2,000, more than 40 percent of consumers get no competitive
bids and only about 25 percent get at least three bids. For jobs that cost
between $1,000 and $2,000 nearly 60 percent get no competitive bids. These
consumers are passing up some easy money. (Remember that money saved is
better than money earned because you don't pay taxes on the money you simply
avoid spending.)
The price index scores on our Ratings Tables may give you a little
help in selecting firms where you have a relatively good chance of getting
a reasonable bid. But these price index scores are at best a starting point.
We find that in many cases companies that are relatively high-priced on
one job are relatively low-priced on another. So you should not rule out
a company with a high price index score if it looks good on our quality
measures.
In addition to the price and a description of the equipment to be used
and the work to be done, each contractor's proposal should include other
elements. All of these are important in your choice of the best outfit
for your job.
Performance Guarantee—Ask the contractor if you can get a performance guarantee.
For a complete heating and cooling system, the contract might say: "when
the outside temperature is 85°F and six persons are inside, the inside
temperature can be maintained at 78°F or cooler; when the outside temperature
is 40°F, the inside temperature can be maintained at 75°F or better."
You'd also like a guarantee regarding the uniformity of temperature. On
a warm day, you don't want to have to drop the inside temperature of some
rooms of your house to 65°F in order to get other rooms down to 78°F. If
you are having ductwork installed, firms should be willing to guarantee
that "all rooms on the same floor can be maintained within a range of 5°F."
It's more difficult to make any promises on floor-to-floor temperature
variation unless you'll be installing a separate system for each floor.
Installer's Warranty—The installer's warranty might say: "In case of any
defects in equipment or workmanship or any failure to meet performance
specifications, we will provide without charge all parts and all labor
to exchange, repair, or adjust any components installed by us for a period
of one year from date of startup." Try to negotiate for more than a one-year
warranty, but getting one will be difficult. Contractors point out that
most installation defects show up in the course of one full heating or
cooling season. But one reason to give yourself more time is that the weather
in some years tests a system harder than the weather in other years.
Payment Schedule—An important consideration is the payment schedule the
contractor allows. Make sure you get a contract that doesn't require any
payments until the work is complete. Better still, ask if you can withhold
payment until you've had a chance to run the system for a few weeks (but
note that this arrangement is not typical).
If a contractor has a policy of expecting full payment only after jobs
are complete, it tells you several things. First, it indicates that the
company is confident that it can satisfy you. Second, it means you will
have a means to prod the contractor to make the job right if you are not
satisfied. Third, it suggests that the company is not living from hand
to mouth—that it at least is financially secure enough that it can procure
equipment and make payroll without having to use customers' funds. Finally,
you'll be protected if the firm goes belly up.
If possible, make all payments using a credit card. If you are dissatisfied
with the work or the equipment, you'll have the option to dispute the charge
under the Fair Credit Billing Act.
Insurance Coverage—An additional quality indicator is insurance coverage.
Ask any firm you are considering for a certificate of insurance showing
that it has worker's compensation insurance to cover it if one of its workers
is injured while working on your property (otherwise you could be liable).
Also, get evidence of liability insurance, so you'll know the firm can
make good if, for instance, it drops an air-conditioning unit through your
ceiling.
Additional Work Specifications—You need also to go over the details of
exactly what work is to be done. We have seen excellent contracts running
eight pages or longer. Be sure each company's proposal (and the contract
you finally sign) is explicit about these responsibilities:
- Providing needed electrical supply and hooking up your system to your existing
electrical panel;
- Providing equipment support (concrete base for an outside condensing unit,
for example);
- Securing all required permits;
- Enclosing ductwork, finishing, and painting;
- Patching holes;
- Removing trash and old equipment.
Once you have settled on all the terms of an installation job, get them
written up in a firm, fixed-price contract. In our surveys of consumers,
we have found that for jobs costing over $2,000, more than 10 percent fail
to get such contracts, and for jobs costing between $1,000 and $2,000 more
than 30 percent fail to document the deal. That is playing with fire.
The most important maintenance task for both heating and cooling systems
is something you can do yourself—replacing the air filter. With a new system
or one in a home you've just moved into, it's a good idea to check your
filter monthly until you see how quickly it gets dirty at different times
of the year. It will probably need replacement two or three times during
the heating season and, if you have air conditioning, one or two times
during the cooling season. When there is a matting of dirt—when you can't
easily see through the filter as you hold it up to a light—it's time for
a replacement. If you aren't sure how to judge when a filter is too far
gone, ask your technician to show you what to look for the next time you
have a service visit.
A dirty filter makes your system work harder than it should, reducing performance
and energy efficiency. A dirty filter also results in having dirt spread
by your system throughout your house. An extremely dirty filter can be
especially bad for air-conditioning systems, since it can cause evaporator
coils to freeze up and, possibly, result in compressor failure.
Heat Pump/Air Conditioner
A task you can do yourself for either a heat pump or an air conditioner
is clearing debris away from the outdoor unit. You need to keep the grills
of the unit free of grass clippings, leaves, and other debris, which can
inhibit airflow. Typically, outdoor units should be on a concrete platform
several inches above ground level. You may need to have a contractor raise
your unit. An obstructed outdoor unit overworks the compressor and can
cause a costly premature failure.
There are other maintenance tasks that are usually done only by professionals.
The condenser coils need to be checked for surface dirt and dust, and cleaned
if necessary. Contractors often use a special chemical bath for the cleaning.
Electrical connections and contacts need to be checked visually and capacitors
should be tested. Controls designed to protect the compressor from high
pressure or low pressure should also be tested. Finally, the refrigerant
level should be checked, with refrigerant added as necessary.
Under no conditions should you try to add or release refrigerant yourself.
As part of the regulations written by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency to comply with the international ban on ozone-depleting substances,
all heating and air-conditioning contractors that handle refrigerant must
be trained and certified, and they must possess equipment that will capture
the refrigerant and not allow it to escape to the atmosphere.
Proper maintenance will enhance the performance, energy efficiency, and
durability of your equipment. If you do the tasks you can do yourself,
however, it's not clear how much benefit comes from professional maintenance
service.
Most contractors argue that a heat pump maintenance visit is worthwhile
each fall and an air conditioner visit each spring. But heating and air-conditioning
contractors have an obvious bias; the more professional maintenance visits
you have, the more money they make, and the better their equipment runs.
Best of all from the contractor's standpoint, maintenance visits take place
before peak heating and cooling seasons, providing a welcome flow of revenue
and a way to keep technicians occupied.
Equipment manufacturers have less reason for bias than contractors. Although
regular maintenance may help manufacturers look good by helping equipment
achieve maximum life span, performance, and efficiency, a manufacturer
could also look good by claiming that expensive maintenance is unnecessary.
Nonetheless, most manufacturers recommend annual professional maintenance
of air-conditioning and heat pump systems.
Yet there appears to be little hard data supporting anyone's recommendations—showing
that reductions in energy requirements or increases in equipment life are
sufficient to offset the cost of professional maintenance. Clearly some
systems run well despite going years without professional maintenance.
And the choice of a one-year maintenance interval for heat pumps, for example,
seems rather arbitrary. Why not twice a year or once every two or three
years? Why not more or less often depending on conditions? It is clear,
for example, that the need for maintenance is greater if your system is
old, you use it heavily, there is much dust and pollen in the area around
the equipment, you have aluminum wiring, or you have frequent breakdowns.
Also, maintenance is more justified in a large house where a small percentage
improvement in energy efficiency can save a substantial amount of money.
In the end, your decision on professional maintenance will be much like
your decision about how often to change the oil in your car or how often
to have your teeth cleaned: there is no absolute answer. As with those
decisions, it's a good idea to ask the professional with whom you deal
to explain why a particular maintenance interval is right for you, given
your individual circumstances.
If you don't plan to have professional heat pump or air-conditioner service
each year, test your system before the usage season begins. That way, if
there is a problem, you can order a service visit before the peak-season
rush.
Gas and Electric Furnaces
Gas and electric furnaces usually need less professional maintenance than
other types of equipment. But there may be value in having a professional
come in every year or so to clean and adjust your equipment for the sake
of efficiency, and to check for any existing or potential leaks of fuel
or combustion products.
Oil Furnaces
An oil-burning furnace is the piece of equipment most in need of regular
preventive maintenance. Replacement of nozzles and oil filters, adjustment
of excess air levels, and cleaning of soot from the firebox can increase
heating efficiency by 10 to 12 percent—even more in a system that has been
badly maintained. An expert who has the equipment and know-how to measure
carbon dioxide, flue gas temperature in the stack, the "smoke number,"
and the stack draft should do this maintenance. The expert should also
check for dangerous smoke leaks and improper safety shutdown.
Getting a Good Price
It's not difficult to compare prices for maintenance-only service visits.
Call firms that rate high for quality on our Ratings Tables and explain
that you want the price for a maintenance-only service visit assuming no
repairs will be needed. Ask exactly what is included in maintenance service.
(Will they clean condenser coils, for instance?) You can generally expect
to pay between $80 and $120 per visit. Bear in mind that maintenance visits
sometimes reveal the need for repairs, so it is important to use a high-quality
firm that has reasonable repair prices.
If you are installing new equipment, in addition to making choices about
energy efficiency, there will be decisions on whether to pay extra for
various features. Below is a summary of the types of add-ons you might
want to consider. We're admittedly scratching the surface of the heating-and-cooling-equipment-options
world here, but these are the major "do you want this or not" questions
you'll probably face.
- Variable-speed blowers—Indoor fans (blowers) and/or outdoor fans of central
air conditioners, heat pumps, and furnaces can be equipped so they are
able to run at different speeds, from slow to fast, depending on need.
The units are programmed to try to keep conditioned air continually moving
at the lowest flow possible. These setups minimize the need for equipment
to cycle on and off frequently (which contributes to wear and tear), dramatically
help systems maintain consistent temperatures throughout different areas
of homes, reduce energy usage, and cut noise.
- Variable output—Furnaces with this feature can automatically select how
much heat to generate (usually choosing from among two levels); air conditioners
and heat pumps with this feature can automatically select how hard their
compressors need to work to deliver conditioned air. Like variable-speed
blowers, this feature allows equipment to deliver warm or cool air continuously
for longer periods of time, meaning equipment doesn't have to cut on and
off frequently.
- Programmable thermostats—These devices provide an easy way to save energy,
so long as you actually program them (most homeowners who have them don't).
If your home is unoccupied during the day, you can save five to 15 percent
per year on your energy bills by turning down the heat by 10 to 15° while
you are away. Obviously, you'll want to get a model that is easy for you
to use. A misconception associated with programmable thermostats is that
when it is time to return the temperature in the home back to normal conditions,
the furnace has to work so hard and use so much energy that there's little
to be gained in energy savings. Much research has shown that this idea
is untrue.
- High-efficiency air filters—These assemblies use electrical charges to
attract and trap particulates. They can also reduce the amount of dust
blown through systems. But there's little evidence that these add-on devices
actually contribute positively to improving indoor air quality.
- Scroll compressors—This is a relatively new advance in heat-pump technology.
Instead of using regular, piston-type compressors, these devices use two
spiral-shaped scrolls. One of the scrolls remains stationary, while the
other orbits around it, compressing the refrigerant by forcing it into
the smaller space. The benefits of heat pumps with these types of compressors
are longer operating life, less noise, and the ability to deliver conditioned
air that is 10° to 15°F warmer, compared to conventional heat pumps.
- Desuperheaters—Some high-efficiency heat pumps can be equipped with these
devices that capture the waste heat generated from heat pumps during cooling
mode and use it to help heat water. These devices heat water two to three
times more efficiently than conventional electric water heaters.
Rather than paying individually for maintenance visits and repair jobs,
you might consider getting a service contract for air-conditioning and/or
heating equipment. Many companies try to persuade customers to enter into
such contracts.
If you are interested in a service contract, you'll need to compare the
price and coverage of each company's contract. (You'll still want to be
aware of repair prices since most service contracts have many coverage
gaps.)
Service contracts fall into three broad categories:
- Contracts covering just the labor cost of planned maintenance visits (usually
either annual or semiannual) to check, clean, and adjust equipment.
- Contracts covering the labor costs for planned maintenance visits and also
for unplanned repairs.
- Contracts covering labor costs for both maintenance and repair visits and
also covering the costs of selected parts.
Within these categories, coverage varies. First, there are contracts for
furnace only, for air-conditioning equipment only, or for the two combined.
Second, some contracts cover work that others exclude. Among maintenance-only
contracts, the most common exclusion is the cost of cleaning air-conditioning
coils. Among contracts covering labor and/or parts for repairs, exclusions
range from such costly items as replacement of a compressor to much less
important items like replacement of capacitors. If you want to consider
firms for service contracts, you will have to request copies of the company's
contract forms.
The differences in contract prices are striking. For example, at one level
of coverage, we found a range from $100 to $300 among companies we compared.
To compare the value you get from individual outfits, it's easiest to look
at firms that cover roughly the same items. Also, check what firms do on
their maintenance visits—do they clean the air-conditioning coils, for
example? And keep in mind that some companies may offer 24-hour service
while others are hard to reach outside of regular daytime hours.
But there's a good chance you won't want a service contract at all. You
might do better just to call for service whenever you need it, and foot
the bill each time.
There are three main reasons to get a service contract—
- To take care of your preventive maintenance needs;
- To get priority service in case of equipment breakdowns; and
- To insure yourself against the costs of sizable repairs (to the extent
that repair costs are covered).
You'll find some companies that swear by these contracts. They argue that
service contracts make for efficiency because they allow work to be scheduled
when demand is low, thus minimizing the need to pay overtime labor rates
during peak load periods or to maintain excess personnel just to be ready
for these peaks. Other companies will tell you these contracts are little
more than a device their competitors use to ring up extra profits at your
expense. They argue that a service contract wastes your money and a company's
time by encouraging unneeded maintenance visits and emergency calls. There's
some truth in both of these views. The right answer for you depends on
your circumstances.
If you need professional maintenance visits every year—if, for instance,
you have a large house or you just do not want to do even the simplest
maintenance tasks yourself—you may do all right with a service contract
that covers these visits. But you should not pay more for the contract
than you would pay for the number of visits it includes if you ordered
them individually at regular labor rates.
If you need maintenance visits less often than every year, you may do well
to pay for them on a one-at-a-time basis. If this is your situation, your
only reason for getting a service contract would be to get priority on
unscheduled repair calls or to get insurance for costly repairs. (Unfortunately,
it seems local services do not offer contracts with these protections unless
you pay for maintenance visits as well.) But these protections may not
be worth the cost of a service contract.
Priority treatment on unscheduled repair visits may be especially important
to you if someone in your home has serious allergies or frail health, if
you have valuable houseplants, or in other special circumstances. But getting
a service contract may not protect you. Furnaces and air conditioners most
often break down when the weather is extreme, and companies simply do not
staff up to meet these occasional peaks. They do put their technicians
on overtime and put supervisors into the field, but sometimes they just
cannot keep pace—even for their priority customers.
In fact, one of the most common complaints we receive from readers is having
to wait weeks to get an appointment for repairs from companies with which
they have signed service contracts. For quick service, you might do just
as well without a service contract. Whenever you need repairs, simply call
a few firms to see which will come soonest.
If your objective in getting a service contract is to insure against possible
expensive repair bills, make sure any contract you buy that offers that
level of protection is reasonably priced and remember that the most costly
repairs—replacements of compressors and heat exchangers—are not covered
by most service contracts.
A final, important point: if you want a service contract, use care in choosing
the company. We get a lot of complaints from consumers who, after buying
service contracts, find that on every service visit, technicians find something
that needs to be repaired—at extra cost. It seems that some contractors
use service contracts as a twice-per-year chance to squeeze customers for
unnecessary repairs.
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