In
our last newsletter, we began the discussion of the importance of a matched
HVAC system (air conditioning or heat pump) to achieve maximum economy of operation
and comfort. We tried to point out that unmatched evaporator coils and condensers
usually will operate together for a time, but with a steep penalty in performance,
energy usage and premature system failure.
 But
before we lose our perspective in all this
talk about matching systems to save energy etc,
let’s remember it’s not energy that
people want — it’s the services that
energy provides, such as the cooking of a delicious
dinner and the heating of water for a shower. What
we are trying to convey is that through new technology,
when properly installed, we can get the same
services at a fraction of the energy cost.
For
example, whenever we respond to a
service call and it is determined that the
outside condenser has failed, customers
will invariably ask me (or our service technicians) "Can't
we just replace the outside unit only”?
“Yes,
you can do that”, and technically
it will "work". But, for
many reasons (some are listed below), it
is not necessarily a good idea or advisable.
Having
said that, I know that, some people
immediately jump to the false conclusion,
that in trying to get them to install a new
indoor unit at the same time is just an attempt
to “sell” them something and
decides to just replace (or repair) just
the outside unit.
I
understand that. We simply want every customer
to be fully aware of ALL the facts on this
matter…to be fully informed about
their options and the serviceability of the
HVAC systems in their home. It’s just
part of the service we provide…and
after they know all the options, we’ll
do whatever they want…even install
it upside down if they request it…BUT,
consider this:
Refrigerators
made before 1978 averaged 1,807 kilowatt-hours/year
(kwh/year). As a result of federal regulations
and industry innovations, this figure was
around 700 kwh/year by 1994, even though
the refrigerators were larger. That means
the cost of running a refrigerator was cut
by more than 50%!
Because
a HVAC system uses many times more energy
than refrigerators, small savings easily mount
up to big dollars. The results can be even more
startling with a HVAC system for these reasons:
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1. |
Refrigerators are a self contained
system that comes already assembled…with
matching components and tested by the manufacturer,
assuring proper performance…whereas
most air conditioners have 2 or 3 separate
parts that must be installed and connected
on site and certainly not under factory
conditions…to say nothing about
the people that may install them. |
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2. |
Rarely are major parts of a refrigerator
replaced when a major part fails, whereas
it is common practice for a defective compressor
or coil to be replaced in an existing HVAC
system. |
Connecting a new outside
unit to a 15 year-old inside unit is the equivalent of trading
in your 1989 model automobile with 150,000 miles, for a brand new car, but removing
the radiator or some other essential part from the trade-in and installing it
in your brand new vehicle.
You
would never do this to your new car, because installing
a used radiator for example, would have a reduced cooling capacity
because it's the wrong size, it's clogged up with deposits,
inefficient and could easily contribute to serious damage to
the engine on your new car. It’s the same thing
when replacing the outside unit only of your HVAC system and
connecting it to the inside coil of your old unit. Replacing
just the outside unit may seem like a cost-effective
solution at the time, but in the long run, it's simply not
the thing to do.
People
seem to think that when they replace a major component,
they now have a “new system”. The truth is just
the opposite. What they really have is the same old
system with an expensive new part.
We’ve
said it before but we think it bears repeating “ What
does it say for a seller’s integrity if in order to make
a quick sale now, he would advise a customer to save a few
$$$ now by installing a mismatched system, without explaining
the consequences”!
We
will conclude this important series in our next newsletter.
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