Articles from March 2010

In the Atlanta Air Conditioning business, we see a lot of heat pumps out there cranking out air conditioning and heating. Even though I’m an expert in Atlanta HVAC repair, I will try not to get too technical here.  First, the one fact that the heat pump exploits is the fact that there is always heat outside…even at 10 degrees Fahrenheit.  You see, the reason it is not colder outside say in Marietta than 10 degrees is the fact that there is some heat out there keeping the temperature up above absolute zero which is what outer space experiences.  (Have you ever seen the astronauts in the big suits with gloves?  They would freeze to death in seconds without it).  On the Fahrenheit scale, zero degrees is not the coldest it gets.  -459 degrees is the coldest it can possibly get.  On the Celsius scale, the coldest temperature is -273.  So, the heat pump has refrigerant that travels in copper tubes from inside the house to outside and allows the heat outside to warm up the refrigerant.  This warming process turns the refrigerant from a liquid to a gas where it travels back inside to have the inside air blown over it.  By blowing air over the copper tubes holding the gas, the heat in the gas transfers to the air through your vents and into your rooms.  The gas, without the heat, turns back into a liquid.  The heat pump will also compress the gas to aid the gas in releasing the heat.   When the summer comes and the air conditioner is needed, the system has a reversing valve that goes through the same process in reverse and thus, removes the hot air from inside the house to the outside.  At Mechanic’s Heating and Air Conditioning, we understand heat pumps whether they are manufactured by Carrier, Trane, Ruud, Rheem, Lennox or Bryant.  These principals are the same whether your unit is in Atlanta, Marietta or Roswell.  Call us at 770-425-0000 if you need help with your heating or air conditioner.

Source: http://allaboutaironline.com
Date: February 23, 2009
Author: Bryan K. Rocky
Email: bryan.rocky@jci.com

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)” into law. This bill combines spending and tax incentives designed to get the American economy moving forward by investing in infrastructure and increasing the energy efficiency of residential/commercial buildings in America.

Specifically for the HVAC business, this legislation makes a number of important changes to the existing tax incentives for homeowners who make qualified improvements on high efficiency HVAC products and equipment in their primary residences. Overall, the tax credits available have been increased up to 30% of the installed cost of those improvements, or up to a total of $1,500 for residential HVAC products installed from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010.

The following information has been prepared to help answer those frequently asked questions on this complicated issue of tax credits for residential HVAC equipment. Before filling for tax credits on any of the listed models, it is always recommended that homeowners/taxpayers consult with a tax professional to review the provisions of the “American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009” (ARRA) and application in reference to Section 25C of the Internal Revenue Code. Previously, the IRS has directed taxpayers to use Form 5695, Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit. Taxpayers should keep copies of invoices and receipts for documenting their actual expenditures, but only need to file Form 5695 with their tax returns to get the tax credits.

Frequently Asked Questions Concerning the Revised Residential HVAC Tax Credits for 2009 and 2010

What are the qualifying criteria for residential equipment to get these tax credits?

The revised criteria for qualifying residential HVAC equipment under Section 1121 of the ARRA legislation are as follows.

1. A natural gas, propane, or oil furnace rated at 95.0% AFUE or higher.
2. Any furnace equipped with an advanced main air circulating fan that uses no more than 2% of the total furnace total energy use.
3. A central air conditioner that achieves the highest efficiency tier established by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency as in effect on January 1, 2009 (which is 16 SEER or higher, 13 EER or higher rating). Previously, the criteria were 15 SEER, 12.5 EER which is no longer valid.
4. An electric air source heat pump that achieves the highest efficiency tier established by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency as in effect on January 1, 2009 (which is 15 SEER or higher, 12.5 EER or higher, 8.5 HSPF or higher rating). Previously, the criteria were 15 SEER, 13 EER, 9 HSPF as stated in the text of the legislation rather than being tied to the CEE highest efficiency tier level for electric air source heat pumps.

What is an advanced main air circulating fan?

An advanced main air circulating fan is a blower/fan used in a natural gas, propane, or oil furnace originally placed in service by the taxpayer during the taxable year, and which has an annual electricity use of no more than two percent of the total annual energy use of the furnace (as determined in the standard Department of Energy test procedures). This criteria and tax credits do not apply to air handlers with variable speed motors, as the benefit of the advanced main air circulating fan has already been included in the energy efficiency ratings of the outdoor products.

What’s the difference between a tax credit and a tax deduction?

A tax credit applies directly against the taxpayers’ liability. A tax deduction applies against a taxpayer’s income, lowering the adjusted gross income and possibly moving the taxpayer to a lower tax bracket. Tax credits have a greater benefit to a taxpayer than a tax deduction.

Can a homeowner claim $1500 in tax credits for improvements made in 2009, and then again claim tax credits for more improvements made in 2010?

No, taxpayers are eligible for a total of $1500 in tax credits for improvements made over the combined two year period.

Does the tax credit apply to the cost of the equipment or equipment plus labor?

The tax credit applies to the installed cost of the equipment that qualifies for the tax credits, which includes labor for that specific installation.

Can a homeowner use the $1500 tax credit towards a single appliance installation?

Yes, since the per appliance caps have been removed by this new legislation, a homeowner may use the entire $1500 in tax credits for installing a single qualified appliance, such as a furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, etc. up to 30% of the installed cost of that one appliance.

What happens if the 30% of the installed cost is less than the $1500 limit?

The homeowner can “bank” the remaining amount of the available tax credit towards the cost of other qualified improvements during the two year period. Any single item that the installed cost is more than $5000 will instantly reach the $1500 limit.

Do “Energy Star” Certified products meet the requirements for these tax credits?

Because there are different equipment definitions and product tiers used by the “Energy Star” program, note that most “ENERGY STAR” products do meet the criteria for these tax credits, but not all of them do. Refer to the qualifying criteria as shown on the “Energy Star” website and the criteria for the federal tax credits.

What if a taxpayer had made claims for tax credits on improvements made during 2006 or 2007 tax years?

The “lifetime caps” that placed limits on the total tax credits available to any taxpayer have been removed. Any previous claims do not count against the current $1500 tax credit limit.

Can a homeowner claim credits for improvements to a second home, such as a vacation home?

No, the tax credit program is only available for improvements made to the taxpayer’s primary residence or home, and may not be used for second or vacation homes

Can a small business that operates out of a townhouse and installs residential equipment in a commercial setting claim the credit?

No. The tax credit may only be claimed by taxpayers on their personal income taxes for improvements to their primary residence.

What other types of energy efficiency improvements qualify for the tax credits?

Homeowners may be able to qualify for the tax credits if they make qualified improvements to windows and doors including skylights, storm windows and storm doors; roofing including metal and asphalt roofs; and insulation. All of these improvements qualify, but homeowner may only claim $1500 in total for any improvements. The exception to this is for geothermal heat pump applications and installations, where there is no limit on the tax credit amount.

How do homeowners claim the tax credits and receive their money?

Before filling for tax credits on any listed models, it is always recommended that homeowners/consumers consult with a tax professional to review the provisions of the “American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009” (ARRA) in reference to Section 25C of the Internal Revenue Code. Previously, the IRS has directed taxpayers to use Form 5695, Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit. Taxpayers should keep copies of invoices and receipts to document their actual expenditures, but only need to file Form 5695 with their tax returns to get the tax credits.

Should a contractor promise a homeowner that they will qualify for the tax credit?

No, as each taxpayer’s situation may be different. The contractor may not know if the taxpayer has already made other improvements that qualify, or if their tax situation will change by the end of the tax year. But to be safe, the contractor can always say “by installing qualified equipment, the taxpayer may be qualified to claim of 30% of the installed costs (up to a $1,500 limit) in tax credits.” And the contractor should always advise the homeowner to refer to the applicable IRS forms and regulations.

What if a homeowner/taxpayer had already completed energy improvements under the provisions of the “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008” for 2009 that no longer qualify for tax credits under this new bill?

The “American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009” replaces all of the provisions of the previous tax incentives for these products. Refer to the appropriate IRS rules, regulations, and information on this topic.

What are the requirements for tax credits on package units used for residential applications and installations?

The information on the criteria for tax credits for packaged air conditioning and heating products is included in the reference material found at the end of this letter. Information for York packaged air conditioning products is available from the Commercial Product group since that product family falls under their responsibility.

What should be done with manufacturer’s tax credit certificates already published for 2009 tax credits?

Please note that there are significant changes to the qualifying criteria for high efficiency products and to other provisions related to HVAC equipment under this new legislation. Because of these changes, previous versions of tax certificates which specify qualifying residential equipment are no longer valid and should not be used at this time.

Since the ARRA legislation is retroactive for all qualifying equipment installed in 2009, updated certificates showing qualifying equipment have been prepared. Certificates can also be downloaded from the AHRI and GAMA websites indicated at the end of this document if manufacturer’s certificates are not yet available.

Additional Resources:
This document was prepared using information from a number of sources, including the following websites. Additional information may be found at:

ACEEE (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy)

http://aceee.org/energy/national/taxkey.htm/

Air Conditioning Contractor of America (ACCA)

http://www.acca.org/press/news.php?id=215

AHRI (Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute)

http://www.ahrinet.org/Pages/ShowMeMore.aspx?src=single&lpk=741/

CEE (Consortium for Energy Efficiency)

http://www.ceehvacdirectory.org/

Energy Star

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#s9/

GAMA (Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association)

http://www.gamanet.org/gama/inforesources.nsf/vContentEntries/Product+Directories?OpenDocument/

Heating, Air conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI)

http://www.hardinet.org/

Tax Incentives Assistance Project

http://www.energytaxincentives.org/general/legislative.php

Document prepared February 23, 2009. Any questions may be directed to:

Bryan K. Rocky
316-832-6431
bryan.rocky@jci.com

By Carol Callahan
Source:  http://www.ehow.com

Your summer electric bill will more than likely be, by far, the most expensive bill if you compare the dollar amounts throughout the whole year. I can say this from personal experience being a former energy consultant for a non-profit electric company.

1. Step 1

   Check where you room registers are set. This is the single step that will solve most of your problems. Close registers in unused rooms like storage rooms or small bathrooms where the door can be left open to still have circulation. It is okay to close 1-2 depending on the size of your system and number of registers throughout the whole house.

2. Step 2

   Check your air intake filter monthly. I know that this sounds excessive, but it is not. You will be surprised how many airborne pollutants are in your house all of the time. If it is dirty change it. They are usually located in the hallway ceiling or wall.

3. Step 3

   

   Set your thermostat to 78 degrees while you are at home and 85 degres while you are away. No reason to run the ac when you are at work. If you don’t have one, get one that is programmable. This feature allows you to set your A/C to turn on 30 minutes or so before you expect to get home.

4. Step 4

   For all electric systems or heat pumps: Do not adjust the temperature more than 1-2 degrees from the current temperature at one time. If you do your system will go into an “emergency electric draw” and cost a whole lot more without cooling a whole lot more. Once you have reached the 1-2 degree temperature drop decrease the thermostat another 1-2 degrees until the desired temperature is achieved.

5. Step 5

   Install heavy curtains or light blocking shades. This prevents additional sun rays from baking the air inside of your house like an oven.

6. Step 6

   

   Use fans. It really doesn’t matter whether it is a ceiling fan or an oscillating fan as long as it moves air. Moving air appears to feel cooler than still air. This cooling effect can be intensified by misting yourself with spray bottle filled with water.

7. Step 7

   Check your window and door seals. With age all seals eventually go bad. Change out any cracked or peeling seals. Recaulk around your windows if necessary.

8. Step 8

   Close the doors if you go outside. There is no reason to air condition the whole neighborhood.

9. Step 9

   

   Have your A/C unit coils cleaned and inspected by a certified electrician approved by your local electric company. You may need to have the air conditioner coils cleaned periodically as they develop a dirty buildup. During the same service call have the freon levels checked as it may be low due to a leak in the system.

10. Step 10

    

    Plant a tree. You would be surprised at how much this step will help. The tree’s natural shade will keep everything a little cooler, therefore, translating into dollar savings, plus it is good for the environment. Check with your local electric company to see if they have a free shade tree program.

Source: http://www.nfpa.org/

In 2007, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 66,400 reported U.S. home structure fires, with associated losses of 580 civilian deaths, 1,850 civilian injuries, and $608 million in direct property damage.  These fires accounted for 17% of all reported home fires.

Facts & figures

Based on 2003-2007 annual averages:

• Space heaters, whether portable or stationary, accounted for one-third (32%) of home heating fires and over three-fourths (79%) of home heating fire deaths.
• The leading factor contributing to home heating fires (25%) was failure to clean, principally creosote from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys.
• Placing things that can burn too close to heating equipment or placing heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding, was the leading factor contributing to ignition in fatal home heating fires and accounted for close to half (46%) of home heating fire deaths.
• Half (49%) of all home heating fires occurred in December, January and February.
• Other concerns with space heaters include natural gas leaks, carbon monoxide poisoning, burns and electric shock.

Source: NFPA’s “Home Fires Involving Heating Equipment” report by John R. Hall, Jr., January 2010.

Also see: Fact sheet on home heating fires. (PDF, 61 KB)

Related: NFPA fact sheet on carbon monoxide poisoning.

In 2006, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 64,100 reported home structure fires, 540 civilian deaths, 1,400 civilian injuries, and $943 million in direct property damage. In 2006, most home heating fire deaths (73%) and, injuries (43%) and half (51%) of associated direct property damage involved stationary or portable space heaters. Space heating poses a much higher risk of fire, death, injury, and loss per million users than central heating. Comparisons of risk among different types of space heaters or different types of central heating show no clear, consistent, significant differences.

NFPA and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASRAE) have joined together to offer a free brochure of energy and fire safety tips for the heating season.
Download this brochure (PDF, 425 KB).

AUDIO: Lorraine Carli, NFPA Vice President of Communications, talks about home heating safety: An introduction to NFPA’s home heating report NFPA home heating survey results Leading factors contributing to home heating related fires? The issues of space heaters? Safety tips for home heating

This question is a very common question in the Atlanta Air Conditioning business.  The term air conditioning is used instead of the term air cooling because the air conditioning system does two things:  first it cools the air and then second, removes the moisture from the air.  Have you ever experienced a warm, muggy, sticky day in Atlanta?  It can be miserable because the air is holding a lot of water or moisture.  This condition is called humidity.  Early cooling systems did not account for the moisture in the air and thus did not do as good a job as today’s air conditioners.  In Atlanta today, the modern air conditioner has an evaporator coil inside your house that blows air over the ice cold coils and cools your air.  When the air hits the ice cold coils, any moisture in the air attaches to the condensate coils and then runs down the surface to a collector pan.  The pan has a PVC pipe connected to it and runs the water outside or into your sewer system.  If you have ever had an ice cold drink served to you outside on a humid day you know what I am talking about.  You see, the moisture quickly forms on the outside of the glass and runs down to the napkin.  You can substitute the coil for your glass and the pan for your napkin and you have the exact same thing.  Without removing the water from the air inside your home, mold can grow, wallpaper can peel and you will sweat a lot more.  That’s a big bummer!  Units manufactured by Trane, Ruud, Lennox, Bryant, Carrier or Rheem all operate on the same principal.  Our trained technicians at Mechanic’s Heating and Air Conditioning know how to handle problems with leaking or dripping air conditioning units even if they are in Marietta, Roswell Stone Mountain or Atlanta.

Call us at 770-425-0000 if you need help with your heating or air conditioner.

No matter what kind of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system you have in your house, you can save money and increase your comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. But remember, an energy-efficient furnace alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using the whole-house approach. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with appropriate insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings, you can cut your energy use for heating and cooling, and reduce environmental emissions, from 20% to 50%.

Heating and Cooling Tips

• Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer.
• Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed.
• Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
• Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season; if in doubt about how to perform this task, call a professional.
• Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
• Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing; when replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
• During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
• During the cooling season, keep the window coverings closed during the day to prevent solar gain.

Long-Term Savings Tips

• Select energy-efficient products when you buy new heating and cooling equipment. Your contractor should be able to give you energy fact sheets for different types, models, and designs to help you compare energy usage. For furnaces, look for high Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings. The national minimum is 78% AFUE, but there are ENERGY STAR models on the market that exceed 90% AFUE.
• For air conditioners, look for a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The current minimum is 13 SEER for central air conditioners. ENERGY STAR models are 14 SEER or more.

At Mechanic’s Heating and Air Conditioning, we get this question a lot. Your air conditioner does not actually consume or use Freon or refrigerant. Your air conditioner is a closed system. That means the Freon or refrigerant recycles continuously through your air conditioning system. Thus, if your air conditioner is leaking Freon or refrigerant, the air conditioning of your home will stop working at some point. Freon or refrigerant leaks come in many different locations and sizes. Really small leaks are very hard to find. The leak could be at a valve. The leak could be in the evaporator coil which sits in your air conditioner unit inside the house. It could be in the line set which is like the railroad tracks carrying the Freon or refrigerant inside and outside your house. Trying to find it can literally be like finding a needle in a haystack. And, if you find it, as soon as you patch it, the increased pressure inside your system may now cause another blowout or leak. You may go from one leak to the next with no end in sight. Your Mechanic’s Heating and Air Conditioning technician can help you decide if tracking the elusive leak down is more cost effective than replacing the potentially leaking parts. Recently, a Marietta customer decided to pay Mechanic’s Heating and Air Conditioning to find the leak. We found “a” leak and patched it up. Three days later, the unit sprung another leak. Besides paying us to try to find the original leak and for the new Freon or refrigerant, the Marietta customer now had to pay us a second time for the same things. Because the system was aging, two weeks later it sprung another leak. Now the Marietta customer paid us to install a new unit. This is the gamble Mechanic’s Heating and Air Conditioning sees when dealing with Freon or refrigerant leaks.

Call us at 770-425-0000 for immediate service!

We handle all Atlanta including Marietta and Roswell!

At Mechanic’s Heating and Air Conditioning, we want you to understand how your air conditioning works. Your air conditioner does not actually bring cold air into your house but instead takes the heat inside your house and sends it outside. Have you ever put your hand over the fan (or condensing unit) on the outside of your house while the fan is blowing? You will feel hot air. That is the hot air that used to be inside your house. Your air conditioner uses a refrigerant like Freon or R22 that is cycled from your fan or condenser outside to your evaporator coil inside. Essentially air conditioning uses the dynamics of pressure, expansion, gas and liquid to cool your house. The refrigerant is very cold when inside your house and removes the heat from your house. When the hot air inside your house contacts the refrigerant, it expands the cold liquid and is then sent back outside to have the heat removed. Your refrigerant is like a train that carries the hot air outside and returns inside with very cold passengers. These principals are the same whether your unit is Marietta, Roswell or anywhere in Atlanta. At Mechanic’s Heating and Air Conditioning, we understand all the dynamics of a simple yet complex system.

Call us at 770-425-0000 if you need help with your air conditioner!