When Should I Replace My Heating & Air System?

You’ve had your heating and air system for quite a few years now and you’re worried it’s just not operating like it used to. You’re thinking it might just need a simple repair or a tune-up, but you also know that a brand new system would be more energy efficient. You’re stuck going back and forth and are spending lots of time thinking about the two options. What should you do?

Should I Repair or Replace?

This is a question we get quite frequently here at Access Heating & Air, and to be completely honest and transparent there’s not one simple cookie cutter answer. There are lots of things to consider, including:

• Age of your current system

• How much you’re spending on energy bills

• Repair costs now

• Future repair costs

• Rebates

• Total cost of ownership

We recommend considering replacement when a large repair is necessary or the age of the system is more than 10 years old. While there are many components to this decision, it’s best to have a FREE in-home consultation where our well-trained experts can provide you with necessary information that will help you make a decision.

Do know that if you decide to have a new, energy-efficient HVAC system installed you’ll not only reduce monthly energy bills – but you could also receive manufacturer rebates and federal tax credits.

Ready to call in the experts to help with your decision? Email us at Kevin@HarbinAir.com – we’re waiting to hear from you!

Bad Air Quality?

Not sure about your home’s air quality? Ask yourself these questions about your home's environment:

• Does anyone in your family have breathing challenges?
• Do you ever smell pet odors in your home?
• Do you ever smell cooking odors or musty odors in your home?
• Do you have cigarette smokers or smoke odors in your home?
• Would you like to reduce approximately 90% of airborne bacteria, viruses, and germs?
• Would you like to reduce up to 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and germs such as Staph, MRSA Superbug, E. Coli, Strep, and Mold on surfaces?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’ll want the 24/7 active air cleaning power of an air scrubber — a device that hospitals use to keep their air clean.

How To Choose The Right Programmable Thermostat

Do you find yourself like most people living in the Boise area – away from their homes for large portions of the day while at work or at school? Programmable thermostats are perfect for this type of lifestyle as they help keep your energy bills down where they belong. And let’s face it, who wants to be spending more than they need to on heating bills this time of year? Not us!

With that being said, a programmable thermostat won’t do you much good if you don’t know how to use it properly. And while it may sound like quite the simple concept, there’s more to it than setting it and forgetting it.

First off, you need to choose the right thermostat for your home. There are several different options available including:

• 7-Day Models: are best if your daily schedule tends to change frequently. If your children get home earlier on some days or if you work late certain nights of the week, you should consider this type. They will give you the most flexibility and let you set different programs for different days.

• 5+2-Day Models: these types of thermostats use the same schedule every day of the week, with a separate setting available for the weekends.

• 5-1-1 Models: Best if you have a consistent weekday schedule and a different one on Saturdays and Sundays.

Now that you have a bit of knowledge about selecting the type of thermostat that works best with your schedule, contact the HVAC specialists at Harbin Heating and Air when it comes time for installation. We’re more than happy to help with every step of the process!

What are Geothermal Systems?

Our Team Can Teach You About Geothermal Systems

The word “Geo” is Greek and means “Earth.” The word “Thermal” is Greek and means “heat.” Geothermal energy helps to reduce emissions that cause harmful climate changes. Emissions endanger children and pose a health risk to everyone. The Earth is packed full of energy that can be harvested quite easily.

Geothermal energy has been in the Earth since the beginning in many forms including decaying minerals and more. Back in the ancient Roman times, people used geothermal energy to heat homes and baths.

Geothermal Heating Doesn't Need To Be Complicated

Customers who choose to use geothermal power can save a lot of money on their energy bill. Geothermal power is not only affordable; it is reliable and environmentally friendly. Emissions produced from geothermal systems are much lower than other products.

Geothermal systems can greatly reduce global warming throughout the community and world if it was used over fossil fuels. The first geothermal generator was running in Italy in 1904. The largest geothermal power plant is located at The Geysers in California.

Geothermal Systems Are Environmentally Friendly

Several countries throughout the world including El Salvador, Kenya, and Iceland use geothermal power for over 15% of their electricity. Because we get the warmth of the sun for free, the use of geothermal power sources is efficient and saves you money. This environmentally friendly source of power helps improve heating in your home, and even a few degrees makes a huge difference.

Sources are waste heat supplied by co-generation from a geothermal electrical plant or from smaller wells or exchangers.

Consider The Benefits Of Installing A Geothermal System

Water produced in hot springs is able to be piped directly into radiators. When the shallow ground is hot but dry, earth tubes can be used without the need for a heat pump. Where the shallow ground is too cold, it is still warmer than the winter air.

Seasonal variations in the ground’s temperature disappear and diminish below 10 meters of depth. The heat can then be extracted through a geothermal heat pump quickly and more efficiently than the heat a furnace creates. Geothermal pumps can be used nearly anywhere.

To Learn More About Geothermal Systems Call 731-689-3651

HVAC Safety Tips

Keeping you and your love ones safe is a main priority in your life. But it is also a main priority within our team. We try to make sure each and every one of our customers and potential customers are safe and know things about safety when it comes to their home. Here are some essential things you should know about HVAC, gas, and plumbing: 

• Clean your air filter – Clogged air filters in your furnace could result in carbon monoxide fumes leaking into your home. Check filters frequently, cleaning or replacing them at least every three months.
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide and smoke detectors – Colorless, odorless carbon monoxide gas is potentially fatal when inhaled, and electrical fires can result from any home appliance including heating and air systems. Install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors throughout your home. Be certain to check batteries monthly, change them at least once a year, and test new batteries for performance.
• Designate family friendly areas – Block children and pets from accessing rooms that contain furnaces and boilers to prevent potentially dangerous burns from pilot lights and pressure release valves.
• Schedule annual professional maintenance – Having your heating and cooling system professionally maintained is important in preventing safety issues. Professional technicians can check your system for safety issues that could result from a faulty system and ensure your heating or air will be there for you when you need it most. Call us or use the app to schedule your heating and cooling system maintenance!

 Some dangers associated with heating and cooling systems—and that you should be aware of—include:

• Loose connections from the expansion and contraction of heat pump units that could potentially lead to electrical fires
• Faulty pilot lights and heat exchanger leaks on your furnace, resulting in carbon monoxide poisoning
• Blocked, poorly located, or faulty boiler pressure release valves

Here’s how to stay safe when the weather changes:

• Prepare – Power failures, storms, and other disasters could occur at any time, so take precautions to familiarize yourself with the way components in your home, such as your heating and air system, function to increase your safety and comfort.
• Practice electrical safety – Educate yourself and older family members on how to operate circuit breaker controls for your heating and air conditioning equipment and other appliances in your home. Turn off circuit breakers to your heating and air during a power outage to prevent harmful spikes in electricity that could occur when power comes back on.
• Install surge protectors – Installing a surge protector on your heating and air conditioning system protects expensive heating and air equipment when you are away. A surge protector will automatically shut down power to your system if an electrical spike occurs.
• Have your system professionally inspected following a major disaster – Floods, tornados, and more can affect your heating and cooling system, resulting in unsafe operation. Following the event of a natural disaster, have your system professionally inspected before turning the power back on.

If you have any questions please email me at kevin@harbinair.com. I hope everyone is having a great Winter season.

Serving North MS, West Tennessee, and North Alabama sense 1989.

Maintenance Tips for Your HVAC

Keep your HVAC system in its best shape to enjoy maximum comfort with a long operating life:

• Regularly replace the filter - We recommend changing the system filter at least twice a year – once before the heating season and once before the cooling season. Make sure to also Keep components clean, especially the outdoor condenser/compressor unit. Removing dirt & debris and cutting back vegetation to at least two feet on all sides can greatly improve the your AC results. 
• Use a programmable thermostat - When you’re away from home or at night when sleeping, allowing the temperature to change by 10 degrees closer to the air outside for 8 hours or more can save 5%-15% on heating and cooling costs. 
• Have your HVAC system serviced by a trained technician twice a year - HVAC tasks like checking combustion in gas or oil furnaces or ensuring there are no leaks in a refrigerant line are best left to experts. Make sure to schedule regular system checks with Harbin.
• Insulate and air-seal your home properly – HVAC equipment is much more efficient if the home’s shell is efficient. (for a diy guide, check out this one from EnergyStar.gov.) 
• Make sure your system is the correct size - When planning for a new HVAC system, insist that the HVAC contractor perform exhaustive “Manual J” calculations to calculate the system size. Systems that are either too small or too large will not run efficiently, provide poor comfort, not properly address the home’s humidity needs, and will likely fail earlier than necessary.
• Make safety a priority - Install and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for your family’s safety.
• Upgrade to geothermal heating - Geothermal heating doesn't need to be Complicated. If you heat and cool with electricity, consider upgrading to geothermal heating and cooling. Customers who choose to use geothermal power can save a lot of money on their energy bill. Geothermal power is not only affordable; it is reliable and environmentally friendly. Emissions produced from geothermal systems are much lower than other products.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Furnaces Requires Maintenance

The recommendation is to maintain, inspect and clean your furnace. There are many furnaces in the Corinth Mississippi area, and Savannah Tennessee area that homeowners neglect there maintenance on their furnace. At Harbin Heating & Air Conditioning we believe in routine maintenance. It is nothing to save a home owner 40-50% on their gas bill along not to mention the inspection finds carbon monoxide leaks. This will cause you and your love ones to get very sick and is even fatal. You cannot smell Carbon Monoxide so that is one reason that it is extremely dangerous.

Carbon Monoxide detectors are used to test the amount of Carbon Monoxide in the home. They analyze the parts per million and alarm when it exceeds the danger zone. These detectors can be purchased at your local big box store or local hardware store.

If you have questions about this topic or any other subjects email me at kevin@harbinair.com.

This is the Harbin Heating & Air blog. We serve Corinth, MS, North MS, Savanna TN, South West TN, & North West AL.