Background Information
Although heating and cooling systems typically last around 15 or more years, it is always extremely beneficial to be informed on each and every part of your home. Many types of heating and cooling services exist, and not knowing what is providing for your home can and will become a very costly mistake. Nearly half of a home’s energy consumption goes towards the heating and cooling of the home, so it is important to invest in a system that is best suited for both your house and your budget.
Knowing Your System
A heating and cooling system may vary from home to home, which is why it is so important to know which type your home currently uses. If you do not, it is much harder figuring out what kind of heating and cooling services you may require, either for check ups or should something go wrong and need to be fixed. When it comes to heating your home, there are two main ways of doing so: a furnace or a boiler. The most common type of furnace is one that uses natural gas, accounting for nearly 57% of all homes in the United States. After igniting the gas within a combustion chamber, the resulting heat is carried throughout the home. A boiler, on the other hand, uses the heating up of water to disperse heat to all areas of your house. While boilers may be know to last long than furnaces, up to 30 years compared to a furnace’s 18 year minimum life expectancy.
Meanwhile, air conditioning is most typically found to be a split system, meaning it shares ducts with the heating and uses a blower to circulate the cooler air all around the house. This type of system is extremely convenient, accounting for most homes in the U. S. for their reliability. That does not mean they go without fault. Air conditioning failures and other issues cost homeowners over $11 billion dollars each year.
Service is Key
Heating and cooling services are easy to come by, so it is very important that you choose a company worker that is qualified and has your best interest in mind. Anyone can offer to install or repair your heating and air conditioning, so you must make sure the individual is certified. With regular maintenance yearly costs can be greatly reduced. It’s simple, if you avoid causing serious long-term damage, you avoid having to spend serious cash fixing it.
Damage control will not be the only use you have for heating and cooling services though. In a residential home, most people lack the proper knowledge and certification to install new units on their own. Air conditioning installation may seem expensive, until you consider how costly it would be to fix your mistakes should you fail to do it yourself. It is far better to bypass the worry and look to professionals to do it right the first time.
