Points to Consider When Buying a New HVAC System in Austin

March 09, 2015

Acquiring a new air and heating system is a significant investment and Strand Brothers Service Experts knows that. But, when you consider your options, there are many fundamental questions that you need answers for in order to assure you have an affordable and efficient HVAC solution for your Austin area home. So let’s outline what you should understand about a new home comfort system.

What Precisely Makes Up A Heating & Air Conditioning System?

Your home’s Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, what Strand Brothers Service Experts refers to as the “home comfort system”, commonly includes three major components:

  1. The furnace, which creates heat and air movement
  2. The condenser, the air conditioner or cooling equipment, and
  3. One or several components that governs air quality and humidity levels in your home

In some Austin area homes, a heat pump may be used in place of a furnace and condenser. Heat pumps expel indoor heat in the May – September time-period and add outdoor heat in the colder months. Working together with the thermostat, these key components monitor your indoor environmental comfort level. Like the engine of a truck, the home comfort system is the engine of your home that ‘drives’ your family’s indoor comfort every day.

The Real Key Is Quality Installation

A new home comfort system must be sized and measured correctly for your specific home in order to determine the selection of equipment and options that can be properly installed. The quality of the installation is extremely important in that process. If the installation is conducted inadequately, the equipment, energy-efficiency and your comfort suffers dramatically. Irregardless of how much you spent, the equipment will probably undergo frequent repair problems in the future if the install was shotty. So it’s really important to work with a company that can demonstrate their installation quality.

Think About All Possible Features And Options

There are a myriad of makes, models, features and options of comfort equipment available to pick from. You are best served by researching every option to ensure your home’s air quality, humidity level, temperature and energy-consumption exactly the way you desire for your family’s lifestyle and health needs. A good home comfort company will assist you in identifying your family’s specific comfort needs and desires, then simply walk you through the most sensible and affordable choices that will meet those needs for you. When they're finished, you should have everything you need to make an informed buying decision you are comfortable with.

Energy Savings Now Prevail

A reliable home comfort company will also perform what’s called a heating and cooling load calculation and an energy-efficiency analysis on your home. These calculations not only help you figure out the proper type of equipment needed, they show how you can benefit from the extra savings of high-efficiency heating and air conditioning products.

Uncovering hidden saving thru a reduction in household energy consumption are important factors because the cost of operating a heating and air conditioning system is usually not factored when estimating your budget. Think about it - if your home comfort system could produce a check for $700 each year, what would you do with the extra money in your pocket? When energy costs go up, high-efficiency equipment becomes increasingly helpful to your family’s budget. By the same token, as heating and air conditioning manufacturers move toward making more efficient equipment, our climate also benefits. So carefully consider high-efficiency equipment. It’s equipment developed to save much more than just your utility bills; it's environmentally conscious.

Who Are You Dealing With?

When evaluating Warranties and Guarantees from multiple Austin area companies, carefully consider and aggressively question the financial health, history and longevity of the businesses you may work with. Unfortunately, this industry (like others) have some unreliable or unethical representatives out there; buyer beware. A paper certificate does not matter too much if the issuing company is not around tomorrow and you’re stuck with a poorly installed, malfunctioning system. The company should be viable enough to offer you reasonable financing with terms that fit your monthly budget. The risk with a lot of smaller companies is that they are sold or just go out of business.

To summarize, the manufacturer of the equipment will usually warrant defects in the equipment, but the installing company alone guarantees the installation work.

Getting Started

If you live in the Austin area, Strand Brothers Service Experts can help you. Schedule an appointment online or simply call 512-592-3072 and we will be happy to assist you.

A new furnace or air conditioning system can save you energy and money every single month. Although it’s a big decision to get a new system, we hope this information has helped you understand the buying process and what to watch out for as you move through it.

chat now widget box