Homeowners in our chilly region should know all about the efficiency of their heating systems. If you have a furnace or boiler, that means understanding AFUE ratings. AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) ratings tell you how efficient a heating system is. By law, AFUE ratings are displayed on new furnaces and boilers so that consumers can compare them. The higher the AFUE, the more efficient the system, and the more you'll save on heating bills. What AFUE Means AFUE is a measurement sig...

Recent advances in ductless heating technology have made mini-split systems usable in climates once thought too cold. The latest improvements make these systems much more viable options for homes in this region for individualized heating. They also offer cost-efficiencies that rival combustion heating systems. Inverter technology A ductless system with inverter technology saves a great deal of energy and helps the heat pump keep up with heating demands in this cold climate. When equippe...

Have you been delaying that new furnace installation you know you need? Lots of homeowners do.  Here are three more good reasons why you should go ahead and upgrade your furnace if your current model is over 15 years old. Costly Repairs Furnace failure in our region is to be avoided at all costs. If your furnace is older, or you've begun to need costly repairs every year, it's wise to look into an upgrade. An aging furnace may also fail to remove humidity as efficiently as when it was n...

A heat pump is one of the most versatile and energy efficient HVAC appliances available. It's similar to an air conditioner, but it has a reversing valve that switches the flow of heat. In the summer, both heat pumps and air conditioners absorb heat from the indoor air using refrigerant and deposit it outside where it dissipates. The reversing valve makes it possible for heat pumps to extract the heat from the outdoor air in the winter. It then sends it indoors to the evaporator coil inside ...

Preventing an air conditioning repair with regular maintenance saves money and prolongs the life of your equipment. The time you invest pays you back in more efficient and dependable performance over the system's lifetime. 1. Air Filters The air filter for the indoor blower needs to be checked monthly and changed when it’s dirty. When filters are covered with dust, the airflow through the filter slows. This means it takes the air conditioner longer to cool your home. Which in turn, drives up...

Everyone wants to pay less for their heating and air conditioning energy bills. There are many ways to optimize your home's efficiency so you can do just that. One of the best ways here in chilly South Dakota is to upgrade the efficiency of your HVAC system.  Furnace When you're ready to replace your old furnace, think about the annual fuel utilization efficiency, or AFUE, rating. For a number of years now, the minimum AFUE for furnaces manufactured in the U.S. has stood at 78 percent, altho...

When you’re looking for a furnace upgrade, there are two primary things to consider. The overall energy efficiency of the unit and the energy source it will use are major factors.  Heating Efficiency Technically, electric heating systems have higher energy efficiency ratings. This is because each unit of electricity they use can create one or more units of heat. Gas heating systems can’t achieve the same efficiency ratings that electric systems do. Some of fuel they use is wasted in the wate...