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FAQ

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FAQ

Long Air Conditioning of Conroe, TX knows that controlling your indoor environment can present a major investment, and the various systems and controls to choose from can be a challenge. We hope that the following answers to some of the most common questions will help prepare you for a discussion about your needs. Contact us with questions.

Clean Air

Q: Why should I be worried about my air indoors?
A: We spend 90% of our time every day indoors. Plus, today’s efficient, airtight homes are excellent at conserving energy, but that also makes them better at trapping potentially irritating particles inside the home. With the number of allergy and asthma sufferers rising, indoor air quality has become more and more important to general health and well-being.
Q: What might be in my home or office air affecting health and comfort?
A: A wide range of particulate matter can be in your home’s air, including:
  • Dust
  • Animal hair and dander
  • Mold spores
  • Smoke
  • Bacteria
  • Pollen
  • Dust mites
  • Lint
  • Cooking grease
Q: What can Long Air Conditioning and Trane do to help make air cleaner?

A: The best thing you can do is remove as many particles from your air as possible. Trane’s revolutionary Trane CleanEffects air filtration system works as part of your total comfort system, removing up to an industry-leading 99.98% of airborne allergens. No other system matches the effectiveness of Trane CleanEffects.

Getting Started

Q: Why is a matched system so important?

A: When all your components are properly sized to your home, you can control exactly how much heating or cooling you need so you can relax.

A properly sized matched system also enables every component to perform optimally, maintaining proper cycle times, controlling humidity, and minimizing system sound.

And because a matched system suits the size of your home or office space, the cost of heating and cooling is greatly reduced. Call Long Air Conditioning for a professional load calculation and green efficiency.

Q: What is a SEER rating and how does it impact my energy costs?
A: SEER means Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. Like a car’s “mpg,” the SEER indicates a system’s efficiency. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the unit. And, the more efficient the unit, the lower the operating costs. In many cases, the savings are enough to partially or fully offset the cost of new equipment within a few years.
Q: What do all those rating numbers mean?
A: The federal government requires all air conditioning and heating equipment to be rated for efficiency. The higher the rating, the more efficient the model.

Gas furnaces are rated for AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) – the amount of heat used to warm your home or office space from the burned fuel. Late model furnaces use 90% of available heat. Many older models are only 60% efficient.

For air conditioning, the rating is SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). It allows you to compare different product brands with similar efficiency ratings. The actual efficiency rating for a specific system depends on the combination of the outdoor unit and the indoor coil. These ratings are available from your dealer and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute’s Energy Guide. And a variable-speed indoor blowers increase the efficiency of your system.

Heat pumps are rated by SEER for cooling efficiency and by HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) for heating efficiency. Again, the higher the rating, the less energy used to warm your home or office space.

As an independent Trane dealer, Long Air Conditioning can help you make all these comparisons. Or reference the ARI Directory.

Equipment Size

Q: What is a load calculation and why is it so important?

A: A load calculation determines the proper size system for your specific home or office. Long Air conditioning factors in a number of criteria, like square footage, number of windows, and year-round weather concerns.

Proper load calculation ensures maximum system efficiency and optimum performance, to give you long-lasting, reliable comfort whatever the season.

Q: How do I verify the size of my air conditioner or heat pump?

A: The capacity in tons of a Trane outdoor unit is determined by dividing the 7th and 8th digit of the model number by 12. So if the model number is 4TTX4036A1000A, take 36 and divide by 12, equaling 3 tons.

This is only for Trane models. Other companies use a different method based on their model number nomenclature.

Q: How do I find out about promotional programs or specials on Trane equipment?

A: All promotional programs are administered locally to promote particular products during particular times by participating independent Trane dealers. Our regional Trane wholesale distributor can give you specifics about programs in your area and participating dealers. You may see special offers advertised by a local dealer or ask about them when you call for an estimate.

Promotional Programs

Purchasing
Q: Does Trane provide financing options for equipment purchases?

A: If you don’t have ample cash or credit available at the time of purchase, your Trane dealer has some options that can help. When you call for an appointment, ask the dealer to give you all the payment options he has available. Once financing is out of the way, your decision will be a little easier. Click here to apply for financing.

Products
Q: The air coming from the registers feels cool when my new heat pump is set for heating. Is there a problem?

A: The air temperature coming out of heat pump registers often confuses some people. The air is heated to about 90 to 95 degrees, depending on the outdoor temperature. While this temperature is approximately 20 to 25 degrees warmer than the indoor temperature, it is below body temperature (98.6 degrees), making airflow feel cool to the touch.

Q: What is a hot surface igniter?

A: Unlike older-model gas furnaces that used a standing pilot light to ignite the burners, many of today’s models use an electronic ignition system. This includes a Hot Surface Igniter (aka glow plug or glow stick). The igniter receives electrical current to heat its surface and ignite the burners in the furnace.

Cracks in a hot surface igniter are not necessarily visible. After installation, have Long Air Conditioning check the glow pattern for inconsistencies and replaced it, if necessary. Cracks will not necessarily prevent the igniter from working, but will shorten its life.

Q: What is an air handler?

A: The major components enclosed in an air handler’s cabinetry are the blower and motor, controls, heater compartment, and an evaporator coil. This is why it is sometimes referred to as a fan coil. Standard air handlers, like the single stage furnace, deliver the same airflow no matter what the temperature inside. Trane’s variable-speed air handler has Comfort-R Enhanced mode, like our variable-speed gas furnace, allowing the coil to cool down quickly and the blower to slowly ramp up and ramp down or to operate at 50 percent of the cooling air speed in the FAN ON position. This provides greater humidity control, quieter operation, maximum air circulation, temperature distribution, and air filtration for greater control of your home’s indoor environment.

Q: I am interested in a programmable thermostat for my home comfort system. What thermostat should I select?

A: Long Air Conditioning recommends Trane Programmable Comfort Controls such as the XL800 or XL600 series thermostats. Contact us for assistance with purchase and installation of energy-saving controls.

Q: What is a heat pump?

A: The heat pump is an air conditioner that reverses the process of removing heat from the inside of the house in summer to absorbing the heat from outside air and moving it inside in winter. It is effective by itself down to temperatures around 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. At that point, either a gas furnace or an air handler with supplemental electric heat will kick in and help heat your home. The Auxiliary Heat light on your thermostat will light. The heat pump will continue to operate along with the electric auxiliary heat. It will shut off when a gas furnace is energized. Emergency heat is a manual override option in the event your heat pump needs service.

Q: What is the purpose of auxiliary heat?

A: Under normal operating conditions, the auxiliary heat is brought on automatically by the thermostat when the indoor temperature drops during heat pump operation. There are also times during cold, wet weather when the outdoor coil may ice up and your heat pump will go into a defrost cycle. This is nothing more than reversing the process back to cooling mode. Cooling mode makes the outdoor coil hot and melts any ice. The defrost cycle should only last a few minutes and then return to heating mode. During the defrost cycle, your comfort system is in cooling mode and the supply air is cool. To offset this cool air, the auxiliary heat will be energized during defrost. A mist or fog may be visible from the outdoor unit during defrost.

Q: Is a heat pump the right choice for my home?

A: The heat pump is effective in many geographies. In all electric applications, the heat pump may consume less energy than an electric furnace or air handler using resistance heat. Why? Because it can deliver the same amount of BTUs as electric heaters using less electrical input than the electric heat. In moderate climates the savings that natural gas yields may not be as advantageous as in colder climates, since there is less frequent use of the furnace in milder climates. Of course, the heat pump can be matched with a gas furnace where preferred. The heat pump can operate in the milder temperatures when the gas furnace may tend to short-cycle.

To determine which system would serve your specific needs best, Call Long Air conditioning to perform a load calculation on your home or office space, and then estimate the cost of operation for the different combinations of equipment.

Contact Long Air Conditioning Inc. today at 936-756-5645 with all your heating and cooling questions.

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