Pharo Heating - Heating, Air Conditioning and Ventilation - Madison WI

Looking For a New Heating and/or Cooling System?

Looking for new heating or air conditioning equipment can be quite confusing, to say the least. With all the options to choose from and different variables to consider, making a decision can be stressful. Pharo Heating can help relieve some of that stress by making your decisions much easier, through educating you on the different heating and air conditioning makes and models.

Choosing the right equipment depends on several key variables:

 - the number of heating or cooling hours needed;

 - size, age and thermal efficiency of your home;

 - how your home faces the sun;

 - your floor plan;

 - insulation of your home;

 - cost of fuel sources;

 - geographical location.

It is important to know that oversized equipment can be just as bad as undersized equipment. Even though a higher capacity may sound like a good thing, an oversized system will heat or cool too quickly. It will blast your home with very quick bursts, which do not allow for much air circulation and that air can become stale and uncomfortable. This short cycling can also lead to inadequate dehumidification, reduced product life, and inadequate air quality.

Replace or Repair?

Replace or repair? It can be difficult to make the decision when your old unit breaks down. You could spend some money to buy the replacement part or you could spend more money to get an entirely new system. There are many factors that should be considered before you make this decision.
Some of the things to consider should be the age and efficiency of the old equipment versus the new. The newer efficiencies can pay for themselves, but they can be expensive. This leads us to energy savings, which can be calculated and used to determine how long of a payback period you would have with purchasing new equipment. Considering all these factors will make it easier to determine the overall cost of repair vs. replacement.

R-22 or R-410A?

Air conditioners typically last about 12 years, give or take a couple years. Every year, many consumers face a difficult decision in choosing with which unit to replace their existing one. A major decision they will have to make is "will it be an R-22 Freon or the newer R-410A Puron unit?"
R-410A is the new line of refrigerant that many manufacturers have chosen to be their primary refrigerant because of the healthier impact if places on the Earth's Ozone layer. It contains fewer CFC's (ChloroFluoroCarbons) which is the leading cause of depleting the Ozone layer. The major disadvantage to R-410A is the higher price tag that is on the units.
R-22 units are the likely choice if someone is planning on selling their home or if they seldom use their air conditioning system. However if you are someone who is concerned about protecting the environment, or will be in their home for a long period of time, then R-410A is the better refrigerant because it will be more cost effective throughout the units life. The main reason for this is that R-22 units will no longer be produced after 2010, and R-22 refrigerant itself will no longer be manufactured after 2015. This will lead to a great increase in price for R-22 refrigerant, because there will be a high level of demand yet a low level of supply.
The decision is the consumers to make, but make sure you take other aspects of the refrigerants into consideration, other than strictly initial cost. 

Purchasing a Central Air-Conditioning System

The following is a list of tips to consider when purchasing a central air-conditioning system for your home:

  1) Choose the Correct-Sized Equipment-  This may be the biggest thing to consider when purchasing equipment.  If the equipment is too small, then it won't cool properly and will run continuously; however if it is too large, then you will run in to dehumidification issues.

  2) Be Careful if Replacing Part of System-  If you are thinking of just replacing the indoor or outdoor part of your A/C system, make sure they are compatible.  If you mismatch the wrong units you can run into efficiency issues, as well as a system that is more prone to needing repair.

  3) Invest in 13 - 14 SEER Model-  Getting a 13 - 14 SEER air conditioning system is recommended for their great performance, increased energy efficiencies, and product reliability. 

  4) Use an Experienced Contractor-  It is important to use a HVAC contractor that is experinced and well trained with their products.  We have noticed that a primary reason for our service calls on other contractors systems was due to improper installation and/or application.

  5) Keeping the System Running-  The best way to keep your system running, and at optimal efficiency, is to keep up on maintenance.  These systems are like your vehicles, the better you take care of them the longer they should work.  We suggest signing up for an annual maintenance agreement to make sure your heating and cooling systems are working properly and continue to do so.