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What is a Heat Pump System?

sosmech — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:38:22 +0000

Heat Pump systems differ from conventional Air Conditioner and Gas Furnace systems in several different ways and are primarily used in homes that do not have natural gas or propane gas supplies. The Heat Pump outdoor unit works with the Air Handler inside unit. The basic concept of a Heat Pump is to remove heat from the air in one location and transfer it to the other. In the summer, it removes heat from inside the home and transfers it outdoors. In the winter, it removes heat from the outdoors and transfers it indoors. You may wonder how much heat is available outdoors in winter temperatures. The answer is that there is plenty of heat available to remove in any of the cold temperatures that we are able to live in.

The outdoor Heat Pump Unit is very similar to an outdoor Air Conditioner Unit. There are a couple of additional valves and components that allow the Heat Pump Unit to reverse the refrigerant flow as needed when switching between the heating and cooling modes. Heat Pump outdoor units run anytime there is a heating or cooling need for inside the home.

The Air Handler inside the home basically consists of the fan assembly, coil, electric heat strips and other electronic controls. The coil works with the outdoor unit to transfer heat from or to the inside of the home. In colder weather it takes longer for the Heat Pump to warm up the inside of the home since it is removing heat from the cold outdoors. This is where the electric heat strips turn on to add additional heat in the home until the Heat Pump “catches up”.

Heat Pumps are considered more energy efficient than Air Conditioners with Furnaces. Many electric companies provide larger rebates for Heat Pump system upgrades over the Air Conditioner and Furnace systems.

Trane offers several different models of Heat Pump Systems from a basic system to those with variable speed indoor fans and 2 speed / 2 compressor outdoor units. In all cases, the Trane Heat Pump systems are made with high quality components for long life.

Nothing beat a Trane.

: Trane Air Handler

New Residential HVAC system prices

sosmech — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:17:34 +0000

When it’s time to replace your air conditioning and heating system, you are naturally concerned about the cost and feel sticker shock when you see the costs. It’s the same as when you go out to replace your 10 year old car and find out that a $20,000 car in 1999 is now $30,000. If the auto dealer does a good job explaining what the car has that your old one doesn’t, then that 50% increase in price is a little easier to deal with. Better fuel mileage, handling, performance, sound systems, on board communications, air conditioners, appearance and warranty are all part of today’s new auto purchase.

With HVAC systems, many people still think it’s only about hot and cold air. In reality, the replacement of your air conditioning and heating system includes the same performance enhancements of the new car purchase. There are 2 big differences though. First, you most likely spend one half of your life in your home and the HVAC system controls the environment. Second, the investment in your HVAC system becomes part of your home’s value. Let’s look at today’s quality HVAC system and compare it to the new car features (Car-HVAC):

Fuel Mileage – Electric and Gas usage: Today’s best HVAC systems have 2 speed compressors, 2-3 levels of gas flow through the furnace (called multi-staged) and variable fan speeds all of which save you energy costs.

Handling-Air flow performance: Today’s best HVAC systems with true variable speed fan motors come on and turn off without noticeable differences in comfort. Your current system comes on at maximum speed, always with that blast of cold or hot air, which produces a surge in electrical use and also shocks the air ducts each time it happens.

Performance-Temperature, Humidity and Air Filtration: Properly designed HVAC systems not only control temperature, but they can also reduce humidity and remove particles as small as the Flu Virus from the air.*

Sound Systems-Noise: Today’s best HVAC systems are much quieter that old units, both in the furnace area and outdoor units. Less noise is always better.

On Board Communications: Today’s best HVAC systems include a communicating network of all components and can even include remote diagnosis and owner controls through telephone systems**

Appearance: There is nothing worse than a rusty outdoor unit in your yard or discolored unit in the garage/closet. Today’s best systems are galvanized for rust proofing and powder coated***

Warranty: You know the importance of this. 10 years or more is what you should expect.

As you can see, there is a lot more to think about when purchasing a new HVAC system today. It’s not just about cold and hot air anymore. It’s about comfort, health, energy savings, efficiency, quietness and technology.

• *Trane Clean Effects is a patented electronic air filtration system that has been proven to remove up to 99.98% of all breathable particles from the air as small as .1 microns. This is smaller than flu viruses, pollen, mold spores, etc.
• **Trane Comfortlink II is a communication network that connects all parts of the HVAC system together for integrated communication which allows for the ultimate performance, plus diagnostics and owner remote access through a telephone (with the telephone module)
• ***Trane uses galvanized metal which is then powder coated for appearance. Galvanizing resists rust and power coat paint is thicker and more evenly applied than spray painted. Trane warranties their products against rust and corrosion even at the oceans coastline. Most HVAC manufacturers will not cover this.

Humidity… What’s The Problem?

sosmech — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:11:35 +0000

Have you ever been in your home and looked at your thermostat seeing a 76 degree home and yet you were sweating? Well, this is because the humidity level was too high in your home.

Humidity can be a good thing. A good comfortable level of humidity in your home is between 30% – 50% with 45% being ideal.

Humidity that is too high can stain ceilings and walls, and higher humidity can cause paint and wallpaper to peel. It is also a breeding ground for mold, rot and insects such as termites, cockroaches and dust mites. Homes that are more energy-efficient are also more likely to suffer from problems with higher humidity because they are tighter and less air is exchanged.

If the humidity is too low, you can suffer from dry noses and skin. Dryness can also damage wood and drywall in your home, cause your wood floors to shrink, and even cause your piano to go out of tune. Static electricity is also increased as the humidity levels decreased.

There are a few ways to help keep the humidity at an ideal level in your home. Here are a few suggestions…

1) Install a Trane 800/900 series thermostat with humidity control. These Trane thermostats do an excellent job of controlling your home humidity level using your home air conditioning system.

2) Install a Trane Fresh Effects. This will help your energy efficient home remove the humid air outside and bring in fresh outside air (pre-cooled & dehumidified)

3) If installing a new home heating and air conditioning system ( HVAC )… be sure to install

a fan system that has variable speed such as a Trane XV80 duel stage gas furnace.

It is also a good idea to install an air conditioner or heat pump system with a two stage/speed compressor (or even 2 compressors!). These air conditioning systems will run for a longer period of time at slower speeds. This allows the system to do a much better job of dehumidification making your home much more comfortable while being much more energy efficient since they are not starting/stopping as much.

SOS Mechanical is committed to helping you have the best home heating and air conditioning systems available for your home. We want to help you to be comfortable year round while saving as much energy as possible. Please click on the brochure Link at the top of our websites homepage if you would like any information on the Trane HVAC products mentioned above or give us a call at:

SOS Mechanical, Round Rock, Texas 512 238-6699

How To Improve The Indoor Air Quality In Your Home

sosmech — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:21:52 +0000

Have you ever cooked fish or some spicy food in your home only to find that the smell stayed around for a week or two? You can bet that your house has build up of all sorts of odors including your cooking and pets. There are also many indoor pollutants that come from your home building products as well as many household cleaners.

Believe it or not your home heating and air conditioning system can help you have both fresh and clean air.

Bad odors can linger, making indoor air unpleasant and uncomfortable. The Trane FreshEffects is an energy-efficient way to improve the quality of the air inside your home. The Trane FreshEffects replaces stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air, allowing your family to breathe easier. The Trane Fresheffects will also enhance your families comfort by lowering the level of odors, chemical vapors and naturally occurring gases in today’s tightly sealed homes.

Trane Fresh Effects System (Cut Away)

The Trane CleanEffects utilizes patented, breakthrough air cleaning technology to remove up to an astounding 99.98% of airborne allergens from the air that passes through the filter, making it 8 times more effective than even the best HEPA room filters and up to 100 times more effective than a standard 1″ filter. The Trane clean effects system is a very effective way to remove airborne allergens such as pollen, mold spores, dust, pet dander and bacteria.

Trane Clean Effects Whole House Air Cleaning System

Call SOS Mechanical to see about installing a Trane Clean Effects whole house air cleaner or Trane Fresh Effects system into your existing air conditioning system today.

(512) 238-6699