Building a new home or remodeling an existing one can be a daunting task.  "On time and under budget" is not a common phrase in this business. To make matters even worse, sometimes heating and air conditioning isn't even planned for. It becomes an expensive add on that may be the last thing the homeowner wants to hear about.

Whether you are a builder or the homeowner, make heating and air conditioning a priority. What is more important than your comfort? It's hard to enjoy that great view if it's over 100 degrees in your living room. Some of the joy is removed from that new bedroom if it never gets warm in there.

Here is the typical scenario for the majority of new construction. The contractor, perhaps thinking that they are looking out for the home owners best interest, typically buys the cheapest equipment, materials and installation from the cheapest dealer, the lowest bid. This is done to keep initial costs down.

This is not in the homeowners best interest. It is sort of like buying a Cadillac and putting bicycle seats in it. You have a new home, it is well insulated (it has to be, by code), it has efficient windows, energy saving devices, smoke alarms and so on. Yet into this new home, this place where you may well spend more than half of your time, you allow your comfort to be compromised to save very little money in the long run.

Here are some of the "lowest bid" problems that often occur

1.High noise levels from inferior equipment and installation.

2.Improperly sized equipment can affect your comfort.

3.Improperly sized ducting - results in inadequate or noisy airflow.

4.Return air is sized too small - this can eventually damage your compressor.

5.Ducting is often just "thrown on" and taped directly to the register boots. This will often pull free resulting in your heating your crawlspace or attic instead of your home. If not detected this can cost you hundreds of dollars on utility bills.

6.Supply registers may not be placed correctly.

7.Condensate (water) drains are rarely placed and installed according to code. This can be very risky, especially for an attic system.

8.No trunk line or improperly sized trunk line. Trunk should be made of  metal and must be sized correctly.

9.Registers that are not adjustable or sized incorrectly.

10.Will contractor still be in business six months or a year from installation to honor warranties if necessary?

11.Improper sealing of ducts, registers, plenums and equipment can cost you thousands of dollars over the life of the system.

Problems like those listed usually end up costing you more money in the long run than if you had paid for proper installation to begin with! 

Who loses when problems like these occur? Both the homeowner and the contractor. The homeowner and contractor should demand the highest quality of workmanship, and quality materials. Not necessarily the most expensive, but demand quality.

Here are some of the things that both the homeowner and contractor should INSIST on:

1.A load calculation should be performed on the structure and the homeowner should be shown the calculation and it's results at their request.

2.Equipment should be sized based upon the load calculation. Be aware that bigger is NOT always better. Have you ever been in a building where you felt clammy? Your palms felt moist or cold, or your feet? This is because the equipment is sized too large and does not operate long enough to remove the humidity from the air. The result can be very uncomfortable.

3.Ducting should also be sized based upon the load calculation. Each room will need a different amount of air flow to maintain comfort and the ducts and registers should reflect this.

4.Return air (both grill and duct) must be sized correctly for the efficiency of the entire system. If the return air is too small, it may starve your system for air. This is sort of like trying to breathe through a straw while you are jogging. Improper sizing can cause your compressor to cycle on and off and lead to premature damage and possible replacement. Replacing a compressor is not cheap.

5.There should also be elbows coming off each register boot for the duct to be attached too. This will eliminate the possibility of the duct kinking (blocking air flow) or pulling free and heating crawl spaces, etc..

6.Supply registers placement and size should also be determined by the load calculation. The size and placement of the registers is determined by the amount of air that needs to be delivered to each specific area of the building.

7.If you have an attic system and the secondary (emergency) condensate drain is not located above a window or door where it's can be seen from inside the house, a leak could do serious damage to your ceiling. The primary condensate need not be visible, but if it should get plugged, the secondary drain comes into play and the homeowner needs to be alerted to the fact that the primary is plugged so repairs can be made. The secondary drain is a safety feature.

8.Each home should have a main duct or trunk that extends from the plenum of the unit through most of the length of the house. Some homes will require more than one trunk. But some contractors, to save money simply do what is called an "spyder" run instead of using main trunk ducting. This means that all of the duct is flex and is simply connected to a large box. This gives you very little control over airflow.

9.Most (sometimes not all) registers should be adjustable by the resident or homeowner. Fixed flow registers are cheaper, but offer the homeowner no control over airflow.

10.You should only use HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) contractors that have an established track record. Often times companies may offer cheap work just to try and keep their doors open. Stick to an established and reputable HVAC dealer that you know will be available to do your warranty work and any necessary repairs down the road.

11.The entire system should be sealed properly to prevent any leaks that could cost the homeowner money. This takes a little more time and materials initially, but saves you lots of money in the long run.

Another consideration:

The "low bid" mentality rarely gives any consideration to indoor air quality. A typical throw away filter (very inefficient) is usually included and that, as they say, is that. Options should be given for high efficiency air cleaners, humidifiers, energy saving- programmable thermostats, UV lights and other air quality and energy saving products.  The homeowner should be given these options before construction ever begins. A majority of families anymore have air quality concerns such as allergies, asthma, headaches and lethargy.  With today's "tight" homes, indoor air pollution is a major problem and a good contractor or builder will discuss this with the builder or homeowner.

Courtesy of Interstate Heating Co., Inc.
Edited by Thomas R. Owens, LLC

3586 Patuxent River Road, Davidsonville, MD 21035
301-249-3543  ∙ 410-741-9340 ∙ 301-218-5945 (Fax)
customerservice@thomasrowens.com