Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What can I do before calling Young's Air conditioning to service my system?
HVAC systems are complicated networks of machinery that should be serviced by a certified professional. However, if your HVAC system seems to be malfunctioning, you can try a few basic steps, which may correct your problem, prior to calling a service professional. If you do not feel comfortable performing any of these tasks, however, do not hesitate to call Young's Air Conditioning, your local contractor.
· Make sure your circuit breakers are in the ON position.
· Make sure your filters are clean.
· Make sure all supply registers are unobstructed.
· Check the settings on your thermostat.
· Make sure the system switch is on the appropriate COOL or HEAT setting.

Q: Why should I perform preventive maintenance?
Heating and cooling systems work incredibly hard to perform their functions for your household. The constant stopping, starting and continual operation can wear down a machine quickly and unexpectedly if the proper care and maintenance is delayed. However, by performing preventive maintenance, or servicing your system regularly, you can maximize the lifecycle of your heating or cooling unit and guard against many unexpected failures.  Preventive maintenance inspections performed on a regular basis can uncover leaks, rust, rot, soot, frayed wires and corroded electrical contacts.

Q: What equipment requires preventive maintenance?
At least once a year, but perferably twice a year, heat pumps and air conditioners require a professional tune-up. Because gas-fired equipment functions with greater efficiency,  Inspections on boiler and furnace systems should include ductwork, pipes, dampers, valves, the chimney, registers, radiators, pumps, blowers, fuel lines, the gas meter, oil tank and every part of the actual furnace and boiler.  Meanwhile, heat pump and air conditioning unit inspections should also include inspections of the fan, compressor, indoor coils, outdoor coils and refrigerant lines.

Q: What type of filter should I use?
Standard furnace filters work well to keep your system and its ductwork clean, but they don’t really improve indoor air quality. To do that you need a media filter. The media filter rests between the main return duct and the blower cabinet and will improve dust and particle removal by seven times that of a standard furnace filter. However, upgrading to a pleated media filter will remove everything from insecticide dust to airborne viruses from the filtered air.
A media filter can have a life exceeding two years, and its only drawback is that its tight fiber weave can cause your furnace to have to work harder to blow air through the house. Always choose a filter that matches your blower’s capacity.

Q: What are the preventive maintenance measures for my ducts?
Although modern technology has made significant advances in air filters over the past decade, a fractional amount of dust still finds its way past heating and cooling filters and into your home’s ducts. As this dust accumulates throughout your home, it creates the perfect environment for the growth of mold, mites and harmful bacteria. To check your ducts for dust buildup, pull off several supply and return registers and see how much dust has accumulated in the system. If you choose to clean your system, your best option is to contact a professional duct cleaner.
Although duct cleaning has little effect on the actual air quality, it will eliminate a house-wide breeding ground for harmful bacteria and mold in addition to helping your heating and cooling system operate more efficiently. If you are installing a new system, you should consider cleaning the ducts at the same time. New systems are often more powerful than old systems and can stir up dust that is sitting in the existing ductwork.

Q: What is the most efficient way to run my heating and cooling system?
Here are several tips to help you keep your system running at its most efficient level:
Keep your thermostat at a constant temperature; the recommended temperature is 78º, even when no one is home.
Change your filters every month.
Check the outside condensing unit regularly for any grass clippings or leaves stuck to the coil. If it is dirty:
Disconnect the power at the circuit breaker FIRST!
Use a shop-vac with a brush attachment to vacuum off the debris.
Run water from a garden hose through the coil until the water passing through it is clear.
Turn the power back on.
Have the unit serviced every spring by a licensed service company.

Q: Why should I purchase a new heating or air conditioning system?
Efficiency and cost savings
At Young's Air Conditioning, we realize that purchasing a heating or air conditioning system is no small matter. However, if your existing system is old, in need of repair or simply inefficient, purchasing a new unit, one which can be as much as 60% more efficient than a system purchased just 12 years ago, can offer long-term benefits. Rather than continuing to pay for ongoing maintenance and costly monthly bills, invest in a new system today that will save you money for years to come.

Q: How can I find the system that’s right for me?
Get the facts from an expert at Young's Air Conditioning.  There are many heating and air conditioning systems to choose from today. We can draw on a vast degree of heating and air conditioning knowledge and experience to help you decide on the system that best fits your specific needs. The size and age of your home, as well as the number of rooms, climate, local and regional utility costs, and utility incentive/rebate programs are all factors that will affect the functionality and, therefore, selection of your system. We, utilizing the latest technology, consider all these factors while assisting you in choosing the best system for your home.  Consumers seeking to replace an existing system often choose a new unit with equal or higher efficiency ratings compared to their previous system. Replacing a unit that is 10- to 15-years-old may reduce natural gas or electricity costs by 30 to 50%.  Contact us to help determine initial cost, warranty protection, service options, maintenance options, operating cost and proper installation.

Q: How do I determine the size, or capacity, of my HVAC system?
Factors affecting the size of your new system include the climate in your region, humidity levels, the number of windows in your dwelling, total square footage of your home, the direction your home faces, the number of heat-producing appliances in your home, the type of insulation you have and the number of people that live in your residence.  We can perform the proper calculations to determine the appropriate heating or cooling unit for your home and lifestyle.

Q: What goes into installing a new system?
It’s all about the ductwork.
Putting a new system in a home that has not had central air and heat before will require the installation of ductwork, insulation, refrigerant piping, electrical service, wiring, thermostat, condensate piping, flue piping, flue terminations, chimney liner, slabs, filter, driers, registers, grills, drain pans and evaporator coil. Beyond equipment, the most important component installed with a new system, however, is the ductwork.
Ductwork is composed of two parts, supply and return. Supply duct is attached to the outflow of the new system, delivering air to each zone in a home. The amount of air reaching each zone is determined by the size of supply ductwork connecting it to your system. Your dealer will help you determine the size of all the supply ductwork in your home.
The second part of the ductwork, the return duct, attaches to the inlet of the new system and draws air out of the spaces to be heated or cooled. Attached to the return duct is the filter. The filter should be placed as near to the furnace or air handler as possible. Ductwork can be either fiberglass or metal and must be properly sized in order to evenly distribute the proper amount of air to each room.

Q: What happens when I replace my old system?
Start with a detailed inspection - To install the most efficient HVAC system in your household, a detailed inspection should first be performed by your installation contractor.  The inspection by your contractor should include, as a minimum, the inspection of your home’s ductwork, attic insulation, refrigerant piping, electrical service, wiring, thermostat, condensate piping, flue piping, flue terminations, chimney liner, slabs, filter, driers, registers, grills, drain pans and evaporator coil.

Q: How long will my system last?
Proper maintenance is key - Maintenance and service play a key role in the lifecycle of a heating or air conditioning system. If all recommended maintenance and service actions are taken, an air conditioner can last 12 to 15 years and a gas furnace 20 to 25 years.

Q: Do I need to change my indoor coil?
It is generally a good idea to replace the indoor coil if you are also replacing your air conditioner or heat pump. There is a correlation between the efficiency of your heating or cooling system and the performance of the indoor coil and changing out the current indoor coil for a new one may be critical to optimizing the performance, the efficiency and the savings potential of your new system.

Q: Where can I locate my air handler or furnace system?
You may have options based on your home’s design
The system can actually be located in several different places. A system with up-flow application might be located in the basement, while a system with a horizontal application may be found in your attic. A self-contained, or single package unit, could be located outside on a slab or on the roof. Your garage could house an up-flow, down-flow or horizontal application system.

Q: What is a heat pump?
Air movement from point A to point B
A heat pump is a device used for either the heating or cooling of a space by transferring hot and cold between two reservoirs.
A heat pump can act like an air conditioner, transferring heat from inside to out, or like a heater as it transfers exterior heat to the interior. A winter day with a temperature of 32º Fahrenheit still produces enough heat to warm a space when the air is transferred by heat pump.

Q: What can I do to control the humidity levels in my home?
It’s all about variability
Humidity levels can be reduced by using a variable-speed furnace or air handler as part of your HVAC system. Variable speed units run longer, at lower speeds, allowing air to constantly circulate against the cooling coil and remove more moisture.
Variable-speed motors also use less electricity than regular motors, reducing your energy costs.

Q: What can I do before calling someone to service my system?
HVAC systems are complicated networks of machinery that should be serviced by a certified professional. However, if your HVAC system seems to be malfunctioning, you can try a few basic steps, which may correct your problem, prior to calling a service professional. If you do not feel comfortable performing any of these tasks, however, do not hesitate to call an HVAC contractor.
Disconnect and reconnect your indoor and outdoor switches.
Make sure your circuit breakers are in the ON position.
Make sure your filters are clean.
Open supply and return vents and make sure they are unobstructed.
Check the settings on your thermostat.
Make sure the system switch is on the appropriate COOL or HEAT setting.

Q: What is AFUE?
AFUE is the abbreviation for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratio. AFUE is used to rate furnace efficiencies by dividing the ratio of heat output by heat input. This measurement describes how well fuel, gas or oil is consumed to produce heat by a furnace. As the AFUE rate increases, the efficiency of your furnace also increases, lowering your fuel costs. Furnaces manufactured in the United States are required to have at least an 80% AFUE.

Q: What is R-22?
R-22 is the common name for hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC). R-22 has been used as a refrigerant by HVAC manufacturers for over 40 years, but studies in the past decade have shown that HCFCs contain chlorine, an ozone-depleting agent. For this reason, the United States Clean Air Act has set a target date for January 1, 2010, on which HVAC manufacturers must cease the production of products that use R-22.

Q: What is R-410A?
R-410A is the common name for an emerging hydro-fluorocarbon (HFC) that is being used as a refrigerant in the HVAC industry. R-410A is more environmentally friendly than R-22 and is being seen as the most likely replacement for R-22 by HVAC manufacturers. At the beginning of 2010, the use of alternate refrigerant will be required in HVAC manufacturing.

Q: What is ENERGY STAR?
ENERGY STAR is a program that was created by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help businesses and individuals make energy efficient purchases.

Q: How long should my old air conditioner and furnace last?
Typically an air conditioner or furnace will last 10-12 years. Sometimes it pays to replace the old system sooner because of the higher efficiency (lower gas and electric bills) provided by equipment. Due to our climate, life expectancies can vary greatly. Maintenance is a must to maximize efficiency and protect your investment.

Q: My electric and gas bills are high. Will a new air conditioner and furnace lower my bills?
YES! A new air conditioner can cut electrical consumption, as much as 50%. Even a 12 SEER air conditioner will cut the electricity used by as much as 30%. A new 90% furnace can usually cut the gas used by the old furnace by as much as 30%, and a new 80% (minimum allowed by the federal government) will use approximately 20% less.

Q: What is Seer?
This stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The size of an air conditioner is rated in Tons; however the efficiency is rated in SEER. It's like mpg (miles per gallon) in a car - the higher the mpg (or SEER) the lower the gasoline (electricity) bill.

Q: Should I replace my air conditioner and furnace at the same time, or can they be installed separately?
Yes, they can be installed separately; however, to ensure proper efficiency and capacity they should be installed as a matched system.

Q: Is it OK to install a different brand of air conditioner (or furnace) to work with my existing air conditioner (or furnace)?
Although it is generally recommended to match components, most brands of air conditioners will work with others as long as the coils and blowers are the proper size. You may however, experience some loss of efficiency and capacity.

Q: My friend works for an air conditioning and heating company and says he can install a new air conditioner (or furnace) for me for a lot less money. Is this a good idea?
Be sure he has a license, obtains all required permits and has adequate insurance. Keep in mind you will be dependent on him and his schedule for warranty repairs. If he meets the above requirements, has the needed experience and you understand that repairs may not be timely - you may save some money, but be sure you are not getting a "cheap" installation that will cost you more in the long run.

Q: How does Advent Air Conditioning determine what size of air conditioner and furnace to install?
An Advent Comfort Consultant will measure your home and calculate the actual cooling and heating load on the home (calculation based on window size and direction, walls, ceiling, floor, appliances, insulation, etc). This will determine the proper size of equipment that is needed. This will be compared to your current equipment and ductwork and will be adjusted based on your lifestyle, etc.

Q: Should I run the blower continuously, or use the auto position on the thermostat?
Try both ways. Running the blower all the time will use a little extra electricity, however the home is usually more comfortable, the temperature is more even throughout the home, and the air is cleaner because it is filtered more. The motors generally last longer because they are not starting and stopping. Some of the new furnaces have the ability to use a slow blower speed for continuous operation, and a faster speed when the furnace or air conditioner are running.

Q: How many bids should I get before I decide on a new system?
Three bids are generally enough. If Advent Air Conditioning, Inc. is servicing your current system, or if we have installed equipment for you in the past, you should be comfortable in obtaining a proposal from Advent, then determining if you feel the need to obtain additional bids. Another way to obtain several bids without the effort is to call current customers that have had a system installed recently and ask why they chose Advent Air Conditioning (your comfort consultant can give you a list of customers).

Q: Why should I have my air conditioner checked in the spring and my furnace checked in the fall?
They should be checked, and cleaned, to be sure they are operating at their top efficiency, are operating properly and to be sure they are operating safely.

Q: What is the average lifetime of a gas water heater?
The average lifetime of gas water heater is 9 years. The range is 5-14 years.

Q: How is FHR and Therms used to compare the efficiency of water heaters?
The first hour rating (FHR) tells you the number of gallons per hour of hot water. Therms relate to the gas consumption of water heater. When you are shopping for hot water heater, compare the energy factor on the energy guide label. FHR and Therms are not sufficient to calculate the energy factor. Also remember to compare water heaters of equal capacity and FHR.

Q: What efficiency standard does a dual use residential water heater need to meet as a water heater or a boiler (used for both potable water and space heating purposes)?
For a dual unit, it must meet the efficiency standard requirements of both applications. Your local building department may have additional requirements for such units.

Q: What is a hot water recirculating system?
A "hot water re-circulating" system usually refers to a domestic hot water system that circulates the heated water through the house continuously so as to eliminate or shorten the delay in hot water reaching the faucet after the user turns it on. These systems are most common in multifamily or large building applications where otherwise the delays would be truly unacceptable. They can be real energy hogs if the pipes aren't well insulated.

Q: How do I choose the best electric or gas tankless water heater for my home (2300 sq. ft.)?
Sizing of hot water heaters should be based on the number of occupants and their peak hour water demand and not on the size of the house.

Q: Are tankless water heaters more efficient?
Tankless water heater efficiencies are not addressed by the Federal standards. Check the EREC fact sheet at http://www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/refbriefs/bc1.html for additional resources.

Q: What are the major components of an AC unit?

Most common is a split system, where you have an Air Handler in the garage, attic or closet and the Condensing Unit is outside the home sitting on a concrete slab. The Air Handler cools air and sends it through your ducts. It has a coil inside and the filter is in it or attached near it. The Condensing Unit contains the compressor, and also has a coil, but releases hot air into the outdoors. Both the Air Handler and Condensing Unit have a fan.

There are also Package Units where components of both the air handler and condensing unit/compressor are found in one unit, usually located outside on a slab or on a roof, but if it is a water-cooled unit, it will be in an interior closet or attic. These are more likely to be found with commercial buildings.

Q: How often should I change my filter?
This depends on how much traffic (people and pets) you have coming and going from the home, where you live (such as near a busy road), and other factors that affect the amount of dirt and dust in your air. It also depends on how good your filter is. In general, filters should be changed a minimum of 12 times per year. Dirty, clogged filters cause a loss of efficiency, and can lead to warm air and system breakdowns.

Q: What type of filter should I use?
Basic filters are inexpensive, and can be purchased at most stores. But these don’t do a very good job of cleaning your air. You get much better filtration from a high performance filter such as special pleated or Air Sponge filters. For details on the best filters, call or e-mail Young's Air Conditioning. 209.826.4807 or info@youngsair.com

Q: Is it important to get a dirty coil cleaned?
If a technician sees that your coil is dirty, it’s his duty to tell you and recommend cleaning. If it’s not taken care of, more dirt will build up, until the coil gets so dirty that a breakdown occurs. Dirty coils result in a loss of efficiency and premature equipment failure. Coil cleanings are labor intensive, but should not be ignored

Q: What is the best way to run my AC for the lowest energy usage?
Keep your AC unit set at the highest setting you can use while still feeling comfortable. Some homes are better insulated than others so the ideal room temperature varies. If you’re going to be gone for more than 24 hours, it certainly makes sense to place it at a higher temperature. Programmable thermostats allow you to change your weekday and weekend settings so that the temperature adjusts automatically.

Q: How long does an AC unit normally last?
This can vary based on location and usage, but in general, life expectancy is 13 to 18 years (assuming a unit is properly maintained). Once a unit is more than 12 years old, its efficiency is in question. The older a unit is, the more the likelihood that it is not operating at peak performance and so wasting energy. An estimate on higher efficiency units will tell you if the utility savings you’ll receive will pay for your new unit within the first few years. This is often the case. Call us for a free estimate on a new system.

Q: How long will R-22 be used, and do I have a choice in refrigerant?
R22 is being phased out, due to its harmful effect on the ozone layer. Production will be decreasing every year. Alternate refrigerants are being developed. Carrier introduced an environmentally friendly refrigerant well ahead of government-mandated deadlines. Called Puron, this new coolant is highly efficient and won’t harm the ozone.

Q: How does a humidistat work?
A humidistat can be configured to operate your AC based on a humidity and a temperature setting. These are ideal for winter residents who have long periods where their home is vacant. Or for businesses that close down a month or two each year.

Q: What is a UV light and what does it do?
An ultra violet light, placed inside your AC unit where it’s dark and damp, controls mold. The other benefit is that the light “zaps” the dirt, bacteria and allergens in the air as it passes through the AC system. So these lights do an exceptional job of sanitizing your indoor air.

Q: Why do I need maintenance on my AC unit(s)?
Just like a car, an AC unit needs maintenance to achieve efficiency and good performance. Preventive maintenance tune-ups keep the unit operating efficiently, saving utility costs, and also catch potential problems before they cause a breakdown. Aspen’s Energy Saving Maintenance Plans give homeowners and business owners an inexpensive way to take care of their AC systems.

Q: How do I operate my programmable thermostat?
There are many styles in programmable thermostats. Call us and tell us what model you have, and we’ll do our best to explain its operation. In some cases you can go online and search for the manufacturer’s website and obtain instructions by contacting them. If you’re uncertain about programming your thermostat, you can also wait until you are due for a maintenance visit, and ask the technician to explain it to you at that time.

Q: Why is there a smell when I first turn my AC on?
If you go for several weeks and don’t run your system, dust and dirt accumulate on fans and coils and around the entrance to your ducts. When you first run the AC, this dust gets hot and can give off a “scorched” smell. This is not cause for alarm.
However, if your lines are clogged or your drain pan is full from lack of maintenance, you may notice a musty smell. Your AC unit is an ideal place for bacteria, mold and algae to thrive. Over time, these contaminants can build up, to a point where they give off an odor. Regular maintenance tune-ups and frequent filter changes help prevent this situation from occurring. UV lights work well, also.