Cost Considerations

Energy efficiency is all but lost without the attention to detail demanded by the best of heating and air conditioning contractors. Unfortunately for the consumer, the majority of contractors sell on price rather than value. This practice has cost millions of dollars in wasted energy and continues to do so, Examples of the studies which substantiate this includes the following:

• NORTH CAROLINA ALTERNATIVE ENERGY CORP. - Based upon actual field surveys, it was determined that 90% of the systems tested showed problems in efficiency and was operating in adverse conditions, resulting in excessive energy consumption and early mechanical failures.
• LAKELAND ELECTRIC AND WATER and the FLORIDA SOLAR ENERGY CENTER'S research team found that repairing leaking duct systems, cooling energy was reduced by an average of 18%.
• TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - Test results showed that the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio of a unit decreased from 9.6 to 8 with a 10% refrigerant undercharge.
• TEXAS POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY - A cooling system undercharge of 23% could go un-noticed by a homeowner and result in a 52% loss in efficiency.
• HONEYWELL CORPORATION - Engineers found that almost 50% of the available efficiency from a heat pump is lost after 20 years of use due to deterioration of the heat transfer surfaces. If the system had an efficiency of 5 EER when new, it would have an efficiency of less than 3 EER if not properly maintained even if a high efficiency filter was used.
• TRANE CORPORATION - Data provided by Trane show tat is a condensing unit with a SEER rating of 13 is matched with and existing 10 year old GE air handler and coil, the efficiency would drop to 9.2. Without replacing the air handler at the same time, the customer ends up paying for 30% less efficiency every month.